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Heating, Lighting, and Refrigeration: Hot-water
The saving in the use of these devices would far exceed the difference in the first cost, even if they were much "Hot-water Radiation." more expensive than other types of heating apparatus, which is not necessarily the case. Hence, their universal use is to be recommended. Steam and Hot-water Heating Systems. The first cost of installing a steam or hot-water system is considerable, and both require a good deal of care to produce satisfactory results.
They also demand some provision for ventilation, which is an additional expense. Both steam heat and hot water are difficult to adjust to sudden changes of temperature. In mild weather, steam heat is not economical, because the furnace must be kept hot enough to boil water in order to produce any steam at all, and hot-water heat is inconvenient, since, if the weather becomes suddenly mild when the pipes are filled with hot water, the house will be too warm. On the other hand, if the water is allowed to cool and the temperature again changes, considerable time is required in either system to reheat the boiler.
Thermostat. The most satisfactory results with the steam and hot-water systems are obtained by the installation of the thermostat, an instrument which can be adjusted at any given temperature, so that if the heat falls below this standard the furnace draught will be automatically opened; if it rises above, the furnace draught will be closed. Thus a uniform temperature can be maintained with the least possible attention.
The Ideal System. - Probably the ideal system of heating is the so-called vacuum steam system, by which a partial vacuum is formed in the steam H "If the Heat Falls the Draught Opens." pipes. Thus, steam may be produced in the pipes at a temperature below 212°. An attachment, known as the automatic vacuum valve, which produces a similar effect, can be supplied to ordinary steam radiators. Probably, then, an underfeed, indirectdraught furnace with a system of ventilation and a suitable thermostat, while somewhat expensive to install, would give the most perfect and satisfactory results. Hot-air Systems. The advantages of the hot-air system of heating, after the first cost of installation, are that it does not require a supplementary system of ventilation, can be easily cared for, and readily adjusted to changes in temperature. The disadvantages oftenest complained of are the dust and gases that sometimes rise from the register, the difficulty caused by high winds blowing into the coldair boxes, and dryness of the atmosphere caused by delivering the heated air at too high a temperature. But these disadvantages may be overcome by proper construction and installation.