| Show Well We'll Have to Stretch Our Fuel If H Were We're Going to Keep Warm Serious Shortages of Coal Wood and Oil on Make Heat Con serving Practices Necessary for All I Coal coke oil gas or wood wood wood- what whatever ver you burn for fuel- fuel will be short in supply this winter winter winter win win- ter as they all have been for forthe forthe forthe the last three years They may maybe maybe maybe be even scarcer The reason is familiar enough its enough its it's the war There are fewer men mining coal or making coke or cutting wood On the other othe hand Industrial industrial industrial indus indus- trial uses soft o of all fuels and particularly particularly particularly par par- soft sou coal have doubled and md trebled Transportation difficulties difficulties difficulties dif dif- further complicate a abad abad abad bad situation Overburdened railroads cannot haul the usual volume of fuel and war war plants get the first chance at what does come to market It is estimated that we will b be short 38 33 million tons of this coal coal this w winter Wood will be extremely scarce So will coke charcoal and gas gas all all products by-products of these primary primary primary mary fuels While the production of crude oil will be 15 per cent higher high high- er than last year very little of it itcan itcan itcan can be spared for heating Most of it will have to go to the gasoline refineries Nevertheless nobody needs to be cold There will be enough fuel to keep everyone warm if it is intelligently intelligently intelligently intelli intelli- gently used This means that all leaks that cause loss of heat will have to be closed The best possible possible possible ble combustion methods must be used to get every possible heat unit out of the fuel One way to spread the available coal and wood on an equitable basis among the 45 million families of the nation would be to ration these fuels This has already been done with oil But the government believes it itcan itcan itcan can avoid this step As an alternative alternative alternative tive a fuel conservation campaign is being launched by the War Production Production Production Pro Pro- board the Solid Fuel administrator administrator administrator ad ad- the Office of War Information Information mation and other agencies Booklets Book Book- Booklets lets advertisements feature articles and radio programs will be employed to instruct householders in ways to get the most out of their coal wood or oil I Expert Advice I IThe The heating industry which includes includes includes in in- dealers and jobbers and many thousands thousands of manufacturers manufacturers manufacturers is volunteering its help Drawing on their years of experience experience experience ence with heating problems many manufacturers have prepared booklets booklets booklets book book- lets on fuel saving The War Production board recent recently cent cent- ly that raw materials are being made available for the production of of automatic temperature tempera tempera- temperature ture controls thermostats controls thermostats and similar similar similar sim sim- ilar devices devices on on the basis that the fuel saved will more than compensate compensate compensate sate for the small amounts of steel and other materials necessary to tomake tomake tomake make the instruments The automatic automatic auto auto- matic matte controls will make possible possible- fuel savings of 15 per cent on the average the government agency said Enough materials to make residential commercial institutional institutional institutional in in- and industrial heating plants have been released for the third and fourth quarters of 1944 One company the Minneapolis- Minneapolis Honeywell Regulator Co has made electric thermostats in the first three quarters of this year compared with an average production production production tion of about over the same period in average time peace-time years The electric janitors for use on hand fired coal heating plants save save up to 20 per cent on fuel consumption consumption tion lion by accurately and automatically ly maintaining temperatures at the level selected by the householder nOW How to Save Fuel Some of the ways to save fuel are the following recommendations of heating engineers Have your heating plant thorough thorough- ly lq cleaned Remove all scale from hea heating ting surf surfaces aces in furnace or boil boll er Clean the stack and chimney Every two or three weeks be sure all soot and ash is removed from boiler flue surfaces Soot deposit of sixteenth one-sixteenth inch thickness results in 34 per cent waste All air leaks in h heating plants sho should ld be sealed or caulked after cleaning Seal stack smoke connection connection connection tion with cl chimney m y Repair insulation insulation insulation tion on hot water and steam pipes as aswell aswell aswell well as boilers Be sure chimney is in good repair Periodically throughout the heating heating heating heat heat- ing season remove all air from radiators radiators radiators radi radi- in hot water systems You Youcan Youcan Youcan can do this by opening the air valves In a steam heating system make sure the automatic bleed valves are in working order Use your fireplace but see that fireplace dampers are closed when not in use If the temperature at the bottom of the casing in the vicinity of the cold air return on gravity warm air furnaces gets above 75 degrees a baffle battle should be installed in the furnace furnace furnace fur fur- nace to eliminate heating of the cold air return This will promote better better better bet bet- ter air circulation through th the furnace fur fur- furnace nace and thus make your home easier easier easier ier to heat Keep Air Filters Clean Clea Air filters on forced air heating systems must be kept clean A good rule is to change the filter every every ev ev- ery year The dirt that accumulates accumulates lates lites on the filter even in com comparatively clean neighborhoods interferes in in- with circulation of the warm air In any warm air system keep rugs and furniture away from warm air delivery ducts and cold air ii re returns returns re- re turns so that free circulation of oI t air can take place This may seem elementary but it is disregarded in many homes Insulate the heating plant if the basement of your home is warmer than the upstairs rooms You will thus save heat which otherwise is being being being be be- ing wasted Cut off heat in unused rooms If rooms are subject to temperatures below freezing have a plumber drain the radiators Shut Shutting off ff registers in a warm air air system may disturb the distribution of heat to other rooms particularly in a forced air system In this case have your dealer re-balance re the tem All glass in both regular and storm window sashes should be tight and should not rattle Keep the storm sash closed as much as pos pos- V sible Experiments of government fuel conservation agencies prove that storm windows ar are are- arean an important aid to fuel saving Seal all chimney openings not in use The women of the household may object but remind them that considerable heat loss can can be saved by closing the kitchen ventilator for for forthe the winter Sleep With Windows Closed Many people prefer to keep the bedroom windows closed at night and close off the heat supply This really conserves fuel fuel and and after all if the windows are opened for a few minutes before retiring there will be bea a sufficient fresh air supply with normal normal nor nor- nor normal mal infiltration to last throughout the night If If bedroom windows are left open all all night doors should be closed and the space under the doors sealed The cold air ajr passing under doors will cool the rest of the house and require the use of more fuel A Afelt Afelt Afelt felt strip which can be attached to bottom and sides of doors can be purchased in most hardware stores Turn of off all and close warm air registers Keep shades Venetian blinds and drapes drawn at night and as much muchas as possible during the day Warm room air chills quickly when it comes in contact with colder win dow surfaces Maintain U as low a temperature as consistent with health Uncle Sam figures that you will have to keep your house at 65 degrees under under under un un- un- un der average conditions if you are going to have enough fuel to last all winter Tests show that each degree the temperature is raised above 65 degrees results in a 3 per percent percent percent cent increase in fuel consumption If II you heat your home with stoves you can still apply most of this advice ad vice with benefit A well-insulated well house will save a great deal of heat And by keeping the house a little less warm than you are accustomed to you can stretch out your fuel considerably If we all follow the program of fuel conservation we will get through the winter in com com- fort |
