Improving the Efficiency of Your Heating Plant 
HOW TO LOCATE PIPES AND RADIATORS TO INSURE THE BEST 
RESULTS—SMALL REPAIRS WHICH YOU CAN MAKE YOURSELF 
by Charles K. Farrington 
I N deciding where to place your radiators be sure and plan to 
put one on the first or second landing of the front stairs if 
possible. Such a location helps much to distribute the heat evenly, 
and as radiators can now be obtained in so many styles and sizes, 
you should have no difficulty in placing this one. In these davs 
when doors are as a rule not used in the rooms on the first floor 
it is of the utmost importance to have a warm hall. A radiator 
placed as described above will make this possible, but be sure and 
have it large enough, for plenty of heat is required at this spot. 
There seemed to be no location in a certain hall for a radiator, 
so a coil of pipe was placed underneath the stairs and by enclos¬ 
ing it and obtaining fresh air from outside an ‘‘indirect’’ heating 
apparatus was made. The heated air passed out through orna¬ 
mental grille work, which was of course made of metal, as was 
also the pipe leading to it and the box enclosing the coil, to pre¬ 
vent danger from fire. The effect was very pleasing, and decided 
economy in floor space was obtained. 
It is a good plan to place two radiators in large rooms. Then 
in severe weather you can always obtain enough heat; and on 
mild days one of them need not be used. The cost of the ad¬ 
ditional radiator is not much when the system is being installed; 
and it need not require much additional piping, as it can be set 
near the other. You will be pleased with the results. 
Nearly every person who uses either steam or hot water heat 
knows the value of covering the mains leading to the radiators to 
prevent the loss of heat by radiation where it is not needed. Such 
covering is sold at a reasonable price, and is usually fastened on 
to the pipes with tin straps. But the average cellar air will soon 
rust these straps in summer, even if the cellar is well ventilated 
and there is no water in it. But if you paint the straps it will pro¬ 
tect them, and the cost of doing so is trifling. When they rust 
through they allow the covering to fall from the pipes, which 
causes needless expense in replacing it. 
Where pipes from your hot water heater run through exposed 
portions of the house be sure and cover them to prevent the 
water in them from freezing in cold winter weather: when the 
furnace fire is low it is apt to do so. Few persons realize this; 
and also that pipes containing hot water which has become cold 
will always freeze first. This is especially noticeable where two 
pipes, one containing hot and the other cold water, run side by 
side. The cold water pipe will invariably freeze last. 
The small air valves which release the air from radiators when 
the steam enters, without the disagreeable necessity of allowing it 
to escape by opening a hand valve each time, have now been so 
improved that they will entirely let the air out, and yet retain the 
steam and any water which may be present from condensation, as 
soon as steam enters. If you were disappointed with the earlier 
models you can now obtain satisfactory ones at small cost. Be 
sure to buy those which can be adjusted with a small wrench. 
They are very good. All steam radiators should have some sort 
of an arrangement for freeing them from air if good results are 
to be had. 
If your radiator valves leak, before having them re-packed, try 
screwing them down with a wrench. Any person can do this, and 
it frequently saves you a repair bill. If the steam escapes at such 
places, in addition to the annoyance of the water which collects 
from condensation, and which often damages ceilings, etc., you 
will lose much water out of your boiler. Where there are a num¬ 
ber of leaks it will astonish the average person to find how much 
water will be lost in a few days, and the steam which is also lost 
reduces the pressure, and so makes the house more difficult to heat. 
In a house with which I am familiar a hot water furnace was in¬ 
stalled to take the place of an old hot air one. An arrangement 
was contrived by utilizing one of the old hot air pipes which were 
not now used, so that by pulling a cord from the second story 
the coal door of the heater could be closed by the owner without 
getting out of bed. The cord ran directly from the bed down the 
pipej and some distance away from the furnace it was joined to a 
length of metal chain which was fastened to the furnace door. 
The chain was used to prevent any danger of fire. This device 
gave great satisfaction to the members of the household, as it en¬ 
abled the house to be warmed sufficiently by breakfast time. An¬ 
other cord and chain could be connected to the draft in some fur¬ 
naces, and this would also help in getting the fire up in case, as is 
usual, the draft is shut off at night. 
Many furnaces are constructed with the grates set so low that 
when they are shaken the amount of ashes which falls below 
touches the grate, or at least, interferes with the draft if the 
caretaker does not take them out each time. It is difficult to get 
this done, and therefore you run the risk of a burnt-out grate, 
which is expensive and annoying. Have a sufficient space under¬ 
neath the grate even if you have to make it, and so avoid danger 
from this cause. 
Many of the latest pattern grates tilt to allow the fire to be 
dumped when necessary, but if the fastening (which is often the 
shaker and an iron hook) slips out — I have found by bitter ex¬ 
perience it does often on a cold winter day — and the fire comes 
down, it is very annoying. After having this happen with an 
otherwise satisfactory grate a number of times, I decided to have 
a machinist make an iron pin which could be inserted and 
fastened, to prevent the hook from unlocking except when the 
pin was first removed. The cost is small to make this change. 
In managing a steam furnace always test with the gauge cocks 
to determine the height of the water in the boiler, and do not de¬ 
pend altogether upon the amount shown in the gauge glass. It 
may be accurate many times and then suddenly fail. This is 
sometimes caused by sediment stopping up the opening below 
the glass, or the valves above and below it may have been closed. 
I have known a fire to be lighted when the gauge glass showed 
water in the boiler when there was none. The valves had been 
shut to enable some repairs to be made to the glass, and after the 
work was finished they were not turned on again. It is a serious 
matter to have a fire underneath a boiler in which there is no 
water, as it usually if not always means a large repair bill. 
If there is a small valve to allow the water in the gauge glass 
to be drawn off, by all means use it frequently. This will help to 
prevent stoppage from sediment, and it also keeps the gauge 
glass clean. 
I't is common practice these days to put steam and hot water 
heating pipes inside the walls. But before the walls are put up, 
and also before the pipes are connected with the radiators, you 
should test them, by connecting them with the city water. This 
usually has a high pressure, in most instances far beyond that 
which the piping will have to stand with a steam or hot water 
heater as arranged for heating the average dwelling, and if any 
defects develop they can be easily remedied at this time without 
tearing out walls or otherwise disturbing the house. It should be 
borne in mind that the furnace is a machine and requires that 
intelligent care that is necessary to other machinery. If the heat¬ 
ing svstem is not overhauled every year, it should at least be gi\en 
some personal investigation. 
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