The Modern Home
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Heating—I
BY G. M. BOEMPRREY.
Tuosz who read the description of the very modern house on this page last week will remember that in the principal living room there was an open fire. Although in every other detail of design, construction and equipment the house is completely abreast of the times (or even ahead of them, in the opinion of some), yet there, in its most important room, we find the apparent anachronism of an open fire. And this is entirely typical of the general feeling in this country. We will riot put up with the loss of our fireside. Dirty and draught-making it may be, inefficient and far from labour-saving ; the fire is the prettiest toy in the house. It makes nice noises for us ; it draws an inexhaustible series of pictures, never twice the same ; it is the focus of our affections, our favourite household god—miracle-working enough to cast a glamour over the most distressing interior. We will not be done out of it by any talk of thermal efficiency ; and, as for the work and dirt, it is worth it a hundred times over.
But if we are going to keep it—and we are—there is no reason why it should not be the best of its kind. The much- belaboured Victorians were as reckless in their expenditure on coal as they were in the amount of dusting they must have put up with. It was not until 1886, when Teale addressed the Royal Institute on the subject, that we hear of any attempt being made to evolve an efficient grate. The principles he laid down are the basis on which our modern grates are designed. They were : (1) a minimum of iron work ; (2) back and sides of the grate to be of firebrick ; (3) the back to be inclined forwaaihnwer .the fire ; (4)- the -bottom to be deep from front to back ; (5) the sides to be splayed out towards the front ; (6) the front bars to be vertical, narrow in section and close together ; (7)- some method of controlling the draught from below by means of a shield. With the possible exception of (6) these principles are still observed for the most part in the best modern fires such as the" Devon," the •• Well," the Bell," the Heaped " and many others. The " Peveril " is particularly successful in overcoming a poor draught. Points which did not occur to Mr. Teale (or, at least, he made no mention of them) are that the fuel should tend to fall together as it burns away, and that it is convenient for the undershield to be removable with the ashes.
Once it is well alight, a modern fire should give little smoke if it be properly tended ; but when we consider that almost 72 per cent. of the smoke-cloud over London is said to come from domestic chimneys, it is obvious- that we should do everything possible to reduce our own smoke to the smallest volume. There are two ways in which this may be done. One is by burning a smokeless fuel such as " Coalite " in an ordinary grate ; and the other by burning coke in a grate designed for the purpose. I have recently tested the effect of " Coalite " by using it in my own house. The grate which I used is, in form, a well of heavy fireclay, ventilated by deep channels or grooves in the. bottom. I found that the fire lighted easily, two sheets of newspaper and half a dozen pieces of dry wood getting it going at once in a grate which had not had a fire for four months. When fully alight it gave what I can best describe as a " frosty fire "—that is to say about half-way between coke and coal. I found that, in order to keep actual flames going, a fair-sized fire had to be maintained : it could not be allowed to get as small as a coal fire with any hope of a quick resurrection ; but I think this would not be so much the case with a grate of an older type having bars at the bottom. The modern coke fire, such as the " Metro," gives a very con- siderable heat and small flames—very different from the dismal results of trying to burn coke in an ordinary grate, which some will remember from the War. The coke grates are usually equipped with an auxiliary gas-fire for ease in lighting (which in some types can be used independently), and are made in various designs to suit almost any surrounding&
If greater heat efficiency is required—and it is a very good open fire which can deliver more than 30 per cent. of the heat in its fuel—one can resort to a closed stove such as the " Esse " and others, which will give over twice this amount. Some burn coke and some anthracite ; some can be used with their doors open at times ; some can not. It would be foolish to pretend that these are as pleasant to look at as an open fire— though the simpler modern designs are happily ridding them- selves of the noxious incrustation of cast ornament which was prevalent in the past—but there are undoubtedly places such as halls and even dining-rooms where their small con- sumption and the little attention they need will recommend them. The gas-fire we have widely with us. Its opponents say that it uses large quantities of air (as it does), thereby encouraging draughts, and accuse it of making what air it leaves too dry. After the past summer this last objection seems of less moment. Although for sheer heat efficiency the familiar type probably cannot be beaten, there are other patterns, such as the " Pugh," which look more like ordinary fires. There is one, the " Metro-Log," which even makes a brilliant attempt at imitating a log fire. Those who like their ap- pliances to look like something other than themselves should inspect these.
Before discussing the problems of central heating and com- paring the various systems, I should like to touch upon some recent developments in the science of domestic heating—for a science it has become. It is now possible by means of calcula- tions and statistics to forecast almost exactly what it will cost per annum to keep any building at a comfortable degree of heat. There are several firms prepared to make such an estimate free of charge ; and if some of those who find their fuel bills becoming increasingly unpleasant would avail them- selves of these offers, they would often find that a considerable economy could be made in spite of the capital expense of putting in a modern system. I would go further and say that, in view of the' seeming impossibility with which we are con- fronted of saving more money and giving more employment, it is the duty of those for whom such" a course is open to take it. The new principle involved is the proper employment of
Radiant Heat." There are two forms of heat : conveeted, which heats the air ; and radiant, which is emitted rather like rays of light, and gives off practically none of its heat until it strikes a solid. The older method of heating a roc>. m was to provide equipment capable of keeping the temperature of the air in it at, say, 60°. Most .of the heat loss from a room is through the walls and (much more, in proportion) through the glass of the windows. So it was necessary to heat the whole volume of air up to the chosen point and then to keep it there. A few degrees too high—and the atmosphere became oppressive (how one knows the houses where this Condition is usuall) ; a few degrees too low—and it would take some_time for the equipment to adjust matters. More- Over, the condition of comfort is dependent not only on the temperature but also on the humidity and the rate of motion of the air : in moist air one needs less heat than in dry ; a -draught calls, obviously, for more. So we see that heating the air to a given temperature is by no means a sure way of attaining comfOrt—and it may be an extravagant way. It is now _recognized that, by means of radiant heat, - complete Comfort can be enjoyed in an air temperature very much lower than 60°—or even in the open air. Those who have been to Switzerland in the winter knovihow one can sit out in the sun with the thermometer well below freezing-point and feel per- fectly warm, even though no extra clothing be worn. This is the effect of radiant heat, and we shall see how its application in our homes may be an economy and certainly leads to more healthy conditions.
„.. - — - • kTO be Zontinitar —
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