Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-02-08
Fireplace Experimental Gains
Bio Dividend in Fuel Oil
Horace w. PeosIee
Tells Of Coal,
Wood Methods

A man who has brought nreplaces
into his heating problem 80 ef1ec-
lively that he Is using only a frac-
ton Of the amount OF fuel oil allowed
him under the OPA's rationing pro-
gram barred his secret to the public
today. :.
Its a matter Of more heat and
less smoke" generously divulged
Horace w. Peaslee of 1924 Nine
teenth street NV, nationally known
architect.
He has attained this goal BY de-
vising certain methods of regulating
the draft Of his fireplaces SO that
wood and coal burn more evenly
and last longer.
The fundamentals of his formula
have been established to his own
satisfaction and to that OF his ther-
mostat, which means that the oil
burner in the Peaslee residence
stays quiet most OF the time. So
far this winter the eight-room
dwelling has been heated with
half ton Of camel coal, a quarter
ton Of anthracite, a half cord of
wood and q third Of his oil allow
ance
Burner Used in Morning.
Most days the burner is started
early in the morning to get the
chill OF the house and then the
fireplaces take over, allowing the
burner to remain on for the rest
Of thu day. Mr.. Pe1alees hoalse~ Is.
equipped with I'VE drspa4ces, hut 50
fN he has found # NECESSARY to
tse onlystwo. " ss
To keep a wood fire going, he ex-
plains, the wood should be massed
and not added stick by stick. The
easiest way. he has found, is to
mass it on bed OF ashes, cutting
on too much draft from below.
He found two methods by which
to do this with andirons and a
few loose bricks. One, as demon
strated In sketch E, Is to lay a con-
tinuous line Of brick along the
front Of the fireplace opening, at the
back OF which ashes may Accumu-
late. The other, shown in sketch
D, with or without q top line of
bricks, provides smaller ash pit
but . similar control over draft.
Sketches A. B and c are devices
to regulate coal fire. They en-
ploy loose bricks, a piece Of slate
and an odd piece of wire framing.
Banks Fires At Night. 3.
This Is a gadgeteers Joy with its
combination of strong draft tunnel,
plus q method of taking. out the
ashes from below without disturb,
ing the bed Of Goals" commented
Mr.. Peaslee.
The architect often banks his
f1res at night. This again is done
through the use of ashes.
He also has met with considerable
success In burning green wood. He
starts. fires In the morning with a
few pages from a newspaper, a few
sticks Of kindling and a few humps
OF coal. On this Is piled a stick or
two Of green wood and, by the time
the fire gets going well, the green
fuel Is dry enough to burn.
Mr.. Peaslee reported further that
the device shown in sketch A has
served to check 4 smoky fireplace.
Smoking, In many instances, Is
caused by flue that is too small
for the fireplace opening. BY re-
ducing this opening. the trouble
often is remedied.
Cap for Chimney.
Another plan he advises to re-
duce smoking is to place a cap over
the top Of the chimney. The SIM
plest device Is piece of flagstone
laid on four bricks as legs, thus cut
ting oil the down draft and its con-
sequent scattering inside the house
OF SCOT and ashes.
In barring his secret, the architect
emphasized that controversy over
the best way to get the most out of
your fireplace was not his first aim,
but he admitted that argument
might result. -.----..
If there's any one thing that
every man has his own ideas about,
and any one thing that's uppermost
in every ones mind" he recalled,
its how to keep the home fires
burning"