214 



The Country House 



consideration. On account of the sudden change in the pressure of the water, 

 and the construction of this faucet, it has one objectionable feature that of 



vibration. When 

 closed suddenly it is 

 apt to jump, and 

 the increase of pres- 

 sure occasioned by 

 closing some other 

 faucet in the house 

 will produce the 



same result. In this 

 0tf^ , 



\\ ay the connections 



are considerably 

 jarred, and its con- 

 tinuance is very 

 likely to cause leaks. 

 The sill cock is a 

 form of faucet used 

 Hi the outside of 

 the house for the 

 connection of the 

 garden hose. The 

 branch leading to it 

 from the supply 

 pipe should be fitted with a stop cock. 

 The ordinary washer or packing for 

 faucets is usually of leather or rubber. 

 Hot water, however, soon takes the life 

 out of these materials, thus rendering 

 them worthless. For this purpose we 

 should use an alloy of some sort con- 

 taining brass; perhaps bronze. 



The pump is made possible by 

 certain physical laws. Nature abhors 

 a vacuum; thus all space not otherwise 

 occupied is naturally filled with air. 

 A vacuum is a false condition in which 

 a confined space contains nothing. The 

 normal pressure of the air at the sea 

 level is 14.7 pounds per square inch. 

 This pressure is equally distributed 

 upon everything alike. It is this pressure of the atmosphere which makes it 

 theoretically possible to raise a column of water to a height of 34 feet by the use 

 of the suction pump. The reason for this lies in the fact that a column of water 

 one inch square and 34 feet high will weigh about 14.7 pounds, being equal to 

 the pressure of the air on one square inch of surface. As a matter of fact, the 





A good example of modern bathroom, with porcelain fixtures, marble wainscotting, tile floor 



and simple accessories 



Fig. 36. Showing two types of pumps 



