The following instructions on the care and management of steam and hot-water heating plants is printed with permission of the American Radiator Co. They were prepared as a guide to the successful operation of the Ideal heating plants but apply with equal force to other plants of a similar character.

General Advice

No set rules can be given for caring for every boiler alike - chimney flues are not alike - some have strong draft, some are average and some are weak. There is much more difference in the heat-making qualities of coal than is commonly known, and it is important that the right size coal for the draft be used. These rules apply to most all fuels. A little trying of this way or that way of leaving the dampers (when regulators are not used) often discovers the better way. It is well to vary from the rules a little if any of them do not seem to bring about the best results.

With good, average chimney flue draft and the right kind of fuel, these rules will govern the large majority of cases.

The Economy Of Good Draft

In many cases a boiler with sluggish draft will burn more coal than a boiler with good draft. In the first case the fuel may be said to "rot" - in lacking air supply the gases pass off unburned. The "nagging" which a boiler has to take under these conditions increases the waste of fuel. A boiler under sharp, strong draft maintains a clear intense fire and burns the gases - getting the larger amount of heat from the coal.