[Illustration: STEAM AND WARM AIR COMBINED.]
I once knew a church building committee who planned and built quite
a large church, and when I was called in to arrange for heating the
building with a large furnace, the furnace committee were astonished when
told that the building committee had forgotten the fact that the hot-air
furnace required a chimney.
The construction of many houses suggests that houses built in the hot
months of summer needed no special provision for heating. This is an
important subject, and should be carefully considered in the construction
of the plainest house. Always take climate, location and fuel into
consideration. The open fire place, with fire on the hearth, is without
doubt the most cheerful and healthful. This is the favorite and best mode
for plain country homes. But in all instances, for churches and public
halls, the open fire-place is not to be depended upon. There is a variety
of good steam-heaters and hot-air furnaces to choose from. Consult
the parties from whom you buy as to the size of heater required; its
location, size of cold-air duct, register, pipe, etc.
For small rural churches that have no basement, construct a small room
under the front entrance or vestibule; eight feet square, inside measure,
is sufficient. Near its floor have a cold-air entrance leading to the
furnace. Cover the opening with wire netting to prevent the entrance of
mice. Use brick for the room, building the walls eight inches thick;
leave openings 2½ × 4 inches, about one foot apart all around the bottom
next to the floor. Carry the wall close to the ceiling, and make it tight
by plastering carefully inside and out where it joins the ceiling.
Cover the ceiling, by nailing to joists, with bright sheets of tin, and
white-wash the brick-work inside. For entrance make a door 6 × 3 feet.
A plain wooden one will answer. In the aisle of the church, immediately
over this room, put a large grating, such as your furnace-men will
suggest. In this room place your furnace, and have it _large enough_
to heat the room above during the coldest weather _without excessive
firing_. With a larger capacity than necessary, the furnace will last
longer, burn less coal, and give better results in every respect. As the
furnace will radiate considerable heat, this can be utilized by running
a pipe of proper size from the room to the vestibule or some other room.
The objection to using this heat in the church is the noise of firing
up, which would be annoying during church service. However, a furnace
properly attended will not need firing during church service. Remember, a
large volume of _warm_ air is what you want, and _not_ a small volume of
_hot_ air. Never cover the grating or close the cold-air duct to cool off
while there is fire in the furnace, but open the doors or windows of the
church and check the fire. The closing of the grating or cold-air duct
will injure the castings of the furnace by overheating them.