ON FUEL ECONOMY. 287 



required for appliances designed to perform these functions separately. Thus, 

 for example, Dr. Fishenden obtained ;i water-heating efficiency of 17 per cent, 

 from an old-fashioned open kitchen range, whilst a later type of independent 

 boiler — which also functioned as an open fire— gave an efficiency of 35 per cent, 

 for water heating, and, in addition, an open fire radiation of 7 or 8 per cent. 

 Moreover, Mr. Barker's tests yielded hot-water efficiencies varying from 7 to 

 17 per cent, in kitchen ranges, as against efficiencies of 40 to 50 per cent, 

 obtainable with separate hot-water supply apparatus. 



iMr. Barker's work indicates also that the existing designs sacrifice fuel 

 economy to convenience in providing an exposed hotplate adjacent to the 

 oven, and that the fuel consumption for oven cooking may be reduced by 

 lagging the hotplate. It is difficult to assess the value of the house heating 

 done by the present-day kitchen range, but any detailed review of the subject 

 should make some endeavour to assess its value. 



in the Committee's Report in 1916 it was stated that ' the whole question 

 of the domestic use of fuel bristles with difficulties and complications . . . 

 the solution or recommendation of particular means or apparatus for domestic 

 heating cannot always be based simply upon the question of thermal efficiency, 

 because it also involves considerations of a physiological and even of a psycho- 

 logical character. In the vast majority of houses inhabited by the artisan 

 population, the kitchen fire or stove is the only place in the house where fuel 

 is burned.' In addition, it might be added that in the latter type of house 

 prime cost often becomes the determining factor, and sacrifices of efficiency have 

 to be made to ensure a small capital outlay. 



The Reports under review appear to the Committee to justify a reconsidera- 

 tion of the factors underlying the design of solid fuel types of domestic 

 appliances with a view to determining whether improvement in fuel economy 

 can be obtained without either an unreasonable sacrifice of convenience or an 

 excessive addition to the cost of production. In very many cases the actual 

 dweller has had no say in the selection of the kitchen range, nor has he the 

 means or the facilities for replacing such as may have been provided for him. 



With regard to the existing types of combined range, it is felt that attention 

 should be called to one point in Mr. Barker's Report, namely, that the CO2 

 content of the flue gases did not exceed 5.5 per cent, in the best ranges 

 tested, and that in several cases it was much below this, suggesting that in some 

 cases sufficient attention has not been paid to the regulation of the air supply. 



The Committee would suggest the following three points for more general 

 consideration : (1) The general adoption of means to reduce the excess of air 

 drawn through the system by so enclosing the fire that air does not get to the 

 combustion chamber otherwise than through the fire grate, although retaining 

 a feature which characterises existing appliances in providing means to enable 

 an open fire to be obtained for kitchen heating when the other functions of 

 the range are not required; (2) the use of effective lagging of oven doors 

 which is not generally adopted at present ; (3) the desirability of removing 

 the ordinary hot-water boiler from the range and the substitution therefor 

 of an independent boiler, separately fired; at present it would appear that 

 such combinations are only provided in a limited number of middle-class 

 houses, or in the case of very large ranges. 



VI. steam Raising and Power Production. 



The Committee desires to call attention to the great need there is for some 

 more systematic effort on the part of steam users to improve the present 

 admittedly unsatisfactory state of boiler practice throughout the country, 

 especially in the direction of educational provision for the better training of 

 stokers and power-station superintendents. Notwithstanding the greater atten- 

 tion which is nowadays paid to the subject of ' efficiency ' in some of the larger 

 steam-raising installations and power stations, there still exists in far too many 

 cases a lamentable disregard for the elementary principles of good boiler manage- 

 ment. Indeed it may be doubted whether, taking the country as a whole, the 

 average efficiency of steam raisins: exceeds 60 per cent, on the calorific value of 

 the coal burnt, whereas if scientific operations replaced rule-of -thumb working 

 it misfht be raised to 75 per cent., with consequent great saving in fuel. 

 1022 ' X 



