Heating system

“ The extra framework and material for the roof cost a good deal, yet add practically nothing to the efficiency of the house."
"Heating of greenhouses is best done by hot water, and in a small house the pipes may well be connected with the heating system used for the dwelling, if the greenhouse and the home are within any sort of reasonable distance from each other. For large houses, or ranges of several houses together, the independent heating plant is necessary. Steam is used for heating by commercial florists, but it is economical only on a large scale." ”

“ In laying out the floor plans for the heating system of a large office building it is a mistake to try to reduce the number of risers to a minimum. It is much better to put in risers enough so that a radiator can be placed under any window in the building without too long a connection from the riser, for in such buildings one can never know what changes in the arrangement of rooms or in the location of radiators may ultimately be desired. ”

“ Heating Unit. The heating unit of a hot-water system is like any stove consisting of a fire pot and grate. Some are adjustable so that different kinds of fuel may be [66] used. A gas burner is sometimes placed in the fire pot and used for heating a furnace, but this is one of the most wasteful ways of using gas. A real gas furnace is much more economical. The fire and heat from the fire circulate around the coils containing the water. If the coils are not constantly kept full of water, they will be injured by the heat. ”

“ The problem of heating water is of serious dimensions for life without hot water to civilized man and woman is a poor struggle.
At present there are on the market, distinct from the usual hot water plant installed in properly built and equipped houses—many different and efficient heaters and boilers.
In houses where there is no hot water central plant there can be bought for moderate rates an electric heater which is attached to the faucet in tub or wash basin or sink and through its system of copper coils over which the water flows through, you can get hot water immediately! ”

“ The water formed by the condensation of steam in the heating system is carried back through the main return pipe to some kind of receiver, and is pumped into the boilers. It is generally arranged to pass through some kind of an exhaust-steam feed-water heater on its way to the boiler. The pump is also usually operated automatically, as will be discussed later.
The feed-water heater is an essential in all steam plants, and its purpose is to utilize as much as possible of the heat in the exhaust steam in heating the water fed to the boiler. ”

“ In buildings of the second class, such as residences, office buildings and hotels, we have been, as a rule, satisfied with sufficient heat, and have relied upon such ventilation as is secured by the natural circulation methods. In such buildings, therefore, the system of heating most used is that known as "direct radiation," in which radiators, or some form of radiating surface, are located in each room, and connected by an arrangement of piping to a central source of steam or hot-water supply. ”

“ Having selected the system of heating to be employed according to the needs of the building in hand, and having proportioned the radiator surface according to the requirements of the various rooms, it then remains to lay out the system of piping and arrange the various details of construction. ”

“ This comprises about the whole system of arrangements in the construction for warming the house with heat radiated from the floors and interior walls.
Its mode of operation simply consists in the body of warmed air passing from the heating-chamber upward, through the walls and under the floors, and in its passage giving up its surplus heat to the surfaces of these flues. As the air becomes reduced in temperature, it naturally descends through the pipe and trunk passage-ways provided for its return to the heating-chamber, where it is again recharged with heat. ”

“ The heating is a single-pipe steam system, the heat generated by a boiler in each building. The principal rooms are heated by radiators, with heating risers used elsewhere. The hardware and lighting fixtures are simple and substantial. ”

“ The hot water in the radiators cools and, in cooling, gives up its heat to the rooms and thus warms them.
In hot-water heating systems, fresh air is not brought to the rooms, for the radiators are closed pipes containing hot water. It is largely for this reason that thoughtful people are careful to raise windows at intervals. Some systems of hot-water heating secure ventilation by confining the radiators to the basement, to which cold air from outside is constantly admitted in such a way that it circulates over the radiators and becomes strongly heated. ”

“ A plentiful supply of hot water is a necessity in every house for domestic and hygienic purposes. In small houses all requirements may be satisfied with a boiler heated by the kitchen fire. For large buildings where large quantities of hot water are used an independent boiler of suitable Hot-water supply. size should be installed. Every installation is made up of a boiler or other water heater, a tank or cylinder to contain the water when heated, and a cistern of cold water, the supply from which to the system is regulated automatically by a ball valve. ”

“ Every system of artificially heating houses must therefore have not only means of introducing fresh air to aid in the burning up of the materials, but also an outlet for the vitiated, warmed air, partly charged with the products of combustion. ”

“ Heating by warmed air, one of the oldest methods in use, has been much improved by attention to the construction of the apparatus, and if properly installed will give as good effects as it is possible to obtain. The system is especially suitable for churches, assembly halls and Warm air. large rooms. A stove of special design is placed in a chamber in the basement or cellar, and cold fresh air is passed through it, and led by means of flues to the various apartments for distribution by means of easily regulated inlet valves. ”

“ The indirect system of heating is the most expensive to put in; as to the cost of providing nearly double the heating surface in the coils must be added the cost of suitable air boxes, pipes and registers. For a large installation, this is a serious matter, although for office warming the advantages gained on the score of healthfulness and greater efficiency of employees much more than counterbalance the extra expense. ”

“ However, some farmers will desire either an air, water, or steam heater. Air heaters are dangerous, because if the valves are not properly managed, the pipes may become superheated and may set the building on fire. They carry fine dust into the rooms, and the heat cannot be evenly distributed when the house is exposed to the full force of the wind, as it usually is in the country. The system of heating by means of hot water has many objections when used in the farm house. The water in the pipes is likely to freeze at night in the unused rooms if it is cut off ”

“ For reasons of health it may be assumed that no system of heating is advisable which does not provide for a constant renewal of the air in the locality warmed, and on this account there is a difficulty in treating as separate matters the subjects of heating and ventilation, which in practical schemes should be considered conjointly. ”

“ In mild climates a properly built fireplace will heat a single room, and when equipped with a convection heater will also heat a second room on the same floor or an upper floor. In colder climates it is a useful adjunct to other heating systems if provided with a damper. ”

“ Particular care should be taken to make sure that whatever type of heating is employed is adequate in size. It is more economical to operate a heater that is somewhat oversized than to “rush” one which cannot easily maintain a comfortable temperature in cold weather. Heating engineers and contractors are available to furnish information on heating costs in every locality. The generally used types of heating include stoves, circulator heaters, warm air, hot water and steam systems, and fireplaces. ”

“ Must be heated, where artificial heating is necessary to prevent freezing, by steam or hot-water systems, the heater to be located in a separate building, and no open flames to be permitted within generator enclosures. ”

“ There are a number of methods available for adoption in the heating of buildings, but it is a matter of considerable difficulty to suit the method of warming to the class of building to be warmed. Heating may be effected by one of the following systems, or installations may be so arranged as to combine the advantages of more than one method: open fires, closed stoves, hot-air apparatus, hot water circulating in pipes at low or at high pressure, or steam at high or low pressure. ”

“ In arranging heating-surface, the effort should be to impede the draught as little as possible, and so to place them that the circulation of water within the boiler should be free and rapid at every part reached by the hot gases. ”

“ The imperfect character of most boiler and furnace arrangements, and the large quantity of fuel which passes into the ‘ash-pit’ unconsumed, together with the irregular ‘draught,’ and the amount of heat absorbed by excess of cold air, result practically in an enormous loss of heating power, even under the most careful management. ”

“ The chief points to be considered are efficiency of heating surface and capacity of grate in proportion to surface, strength of parts, tightness of joints, ease of cleaning and effectiveness of circulation—there should be no "dead ends" where the water is not kept in circulation by the heat of the fire. ”

“ An important consideration in all cases of hot-air heating is that the air be taken from the outside through a conduit instead of using the air from the cellar, as is too frequently done. In some cities and suburban towns, pure air is brought into the cellar through a conduit where it passes through a box in which it is heated by steam pipes, the steam being brought from a central plant which supplies several hundred houses. The air when heated passes through flues to the several rooms of the dwelling, and is turned on and off by registers in the usual way. ”

“ It will be well to understand a little more in detail how to heat glass structures, as temperature is, next to moisture, the most important factor of success. If steam or hot water is used in the dwelling house and a greenhouse of the lean-to type is used, the problem becomes a very simple one, as additional pipes can be run through the greenhouse. But as this advantage is not always ready to hand, we will consider the heating of an isolated house, and the principles involved may be adapted to individual needs. ”

“ But forests were in time reduced, cities grew, and buildings were made larger and with a much larger number of rooms; and people were forced to find more economical ways of heating than by laboriously carrying expensive fuel to separate fires in each individual room. Stoves were built to get more uniform combustion and save some of the heat lost up the flue, and gradually various forms of distributing heat through many rooms from one central fire were developed to economize labor. ”

“ The warm air can carry the humidity, but the cold air does not do it as well, and when it strikes the warm air the latter is forced to condense.
Comfort is the main thing in the home, even more sometimes than saving fuel bills.
“Comfort,” says Professor Allen in an address, “is the prime consideration, more than maintaining a definite temperature. Getting the temperature right brings comfort. We should aim at 40% to 50% of moisture in the winter with 68 to 70 degrees.”
The fact is that the heating engineer to-day allows for about 1⁄3 more heating area when the house is not weather stripped. ”

“ As the heat transfer does not, therefore, increase proportionately with the volume of gases, the exit temperature for a given furnace temperature will be increased as the volume of gases increases. As this is the measure of the efficiency of the heating surface, the boiler efficiency will, therefore, decrease as the volume of gases increases or the capacity at which the boiler is operated increases. ”

“ This factor of furnace temperature more properly belongs to the consideration of furnace efficiency than of boiler efficiency. There is a point, however, in any furnace above which the combustion will be so poor as to actually reduce the furnace temperature and, therefore, the proportion of heat absorbed through radiation by a given amount of exposed heating surface. ”

“ Water-ways thin enough to heat water rapidly. Quality and position of heating surface must not allow for waste of heat. 65% of heating surface should be in direct contact with heat, 35% in flue surface. Response to your dampers will show you if you have 65% of your heating surface in direct contact with flame! Go and see the best hot water boiler in your vicinity—before you buy consult your engineer and ask about others. ”

“ In proportioning heating surfaces and gas passages for waste heat work there are so many factors bearing directly on what constitutes the proper installation that it is impossible to set any fixed rules. Each individual installation must be considered by itself as well as the particular characteristics of the gases available, such as their temperature and volume, and the presence of dust or tar-like substances, and all must be given the proper weight in the determination of the design of the heating surfaces and gas passages for the specific set of conditions. ”