Chapter I: Preface

In writing this book, my aim has been (1) to give information which will guide householders in selecting and installing the best cooking and heating devices, and in using them with the greatest economy of fuel and safety against accidents; (2) to explain the construction of lighting fixtures and how to determine the amount of light for health needed in various places; (3) to explain the principles of cooling; (4) to show how to make small repairs which save plumbers' bills; (5) to guide in the choice and care of laundry appliances and cooking utensils; (6) to familiarize women with the construction of electric, acetylene and gas plants and engines, and (7) to furnish tables of measure often needed for reference.

There is a lack of material of this type which is non-technical enough for the use of home economics students and housewives. The material which I have organized applies directly to the appliances with which women work and is of a nature to fill their need in this field.

The book is designed as a text for senior-high school and junior-college classes, as well as for the needs of home-demonstration agents, housewives and other women.

EDITH ALLEN

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The author is particularly indebted in the preparation of this book to John G. Thompson, professor of economics, University of Illinois; J. K. T. Ekblaw, instructor of farm mechanics, University of Illinois, and editor of _Farm Power_; Andrey A. Potter, professor of steam and gas engineering, Kansas State Agricultural College; J. M. Bryant, professor of electrical engineering, University of Texas; Harrison E. Howe, National Council of Research; Miss Minna C. Denton, home economics specialist, United States Department of Agriculture; Miss Marie Dallas, Washington, D. C.; F. F. Good, instructor in applied physics, Teachers' College, Columbia University, New York.

The following is a list of companies furnishing illustrations, data and other information:

American Blower Company.
American Ironing Machine Co.
American Lava Co.
American Radiator Co.
American Stove Co.
Automatic Electric Washer Co.
Baltimore Gas Appliance Co.
Bates & Edmonds Motor Co.
Bissel's Carpet Sweeper Co.
Blake Mfg. Co.
C. Brown Mfg. Co.
B. Bryan Co.
Central Construction & Supply Co.
Central Oil & Gas Stove Co.
Chambers Fireless Cooker Stove Co.
Geo. M. Clark & Co.
Cleveland Metal Products Co.
Coleman Lamp Co.
Consolidated Gas, Electric Light
and Power Co.
Cyphers Incubator Co.
Dangler Stove Co.
Davis Acetylene Co.
The DeLaval Separator Co.
Delco Motor Co.
The Deming Co.
Detroit Heating & Lighting Co.
Detroit Stove Works.
Detroit Vapor Stove Co.
A. B. Dick Co.
W. S. Dickey Clay Mfg. Co.
The Durham Mfg. Co.
Eagle Generator Co.
Fuller, Warren & Co.
General Electric Co.
Hammond Typewriter Co.
Hart & Crouse Co.
Herrick Refrigerator Co.
Huenfield Co.
Humphrey Co.
Hurley Machine Co.
Kalamazoo Stove Co.
Kewanee Water Supply Co.
Klau-Van Pietersom-Dunlap.
Landers, Frary, Clark & Co.
Laundryette Mfg. Co.
Manning, Bowman & Co.
Mantle Lamp Co. of America.
H. G. McFadden & Co.
The Monitor Stove Co.
National Electric Supply Co.
Northwestern Steel & Iron Works.
Pacific Flush Tank Co.
Potomac Power & Lighting Co.
Rathbone, Sard & Co.
Reliable Stove Co.
Remnert Mfg. Co.
Rhinelander Refrigerator Co.
Ringen Stove Co.
Rochester Rotary Washer Co.
Rochester Stamping Co.
Sears, Roebuck & Co.
Sharples Separator Co.
Singer Sewing Machine Co.
L. C. Smith & Bros. Typewriting Company.
Standard Oil Co.
Edward L. Stock.
Thatcher Furnace Co.
The Torrington Co.
Toledo Cooker Co.
Trenton Potteries Co.
United Electric Co.
United Pump & Power Co.
United States Dept. of Agriculture.
United States Radiator Co.
Voss Bros. Mfg. Co.
Walker Bros. Co.
Welsbach Co.
Western Electric Co.
White Frost Refrigerator Co.
White Mop and Wringer Co.
Wilcox & Gibbs Sewing Machine Co.
The Yale & Towne Mfg. Co.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PART I. COOKING STOVES

CHAPTER I. WOOD AND COAL STOVES 15

1. Air supply of fire. 2. The grate. 3. Drafts or dampers. 4.
Starting the fire. 5. Keeping a fire. 6. Heating the oven. 7.
Ashes. 8. Ash chutes.

CHAPTER II. GAS STOVES 23

9. Burners. 10. Simmerers. 11. Air mixer. 12. Regulating the
gas. 13. Lighting the stove. 14. Cleaning the stove. 15. Accidents
with gas stove. 16. Pilot light. 17. Pilot for top burners.
18. Gas-stove lighter. 19. Amount of gas used. 20. Cold-process
gasoline gas stoves. 21. Acetylene stoves.

CHAPTER III. OIL STOVES 31

22. Purpose of oil stoves. 23. Mechanical parts of kerosene stove.
24. The burner. 25. The chimney. 26. Lighting the stove. 27.
Management of the flame. 28. Adjustment and care of the stove.
29. When the stoves gives trouble. 30. Construction of gasoline
stoves. 31. To light the stove. 32. Filling the gasoline stove.
33. When a burner blazes and cannot be controlled. 34. Changing
fuel in vapor stoves. 35. Operation of vapor stoves.

CHAPTER IV. ELECTRIC STOVES 42

36. Heating unit of electric stove. 37. Wiring of stoves. 38.
Operation of electric stoves. 39. Care of electric stoves. 40.
Utensils for electric stoves. 41. Detachable cooking devices.

CHAPTER V. ALCOHOL, ACETYLENE, AND CANNED HEAT 47

42. Alcohol stoves. 43. Vapor stoves. 44. Wickless stoves. 45.
Canned heat. 46. Acetylene gas stoves.

CHAPTER VI. FIRELESS AND STEAM COOKERS 50

47. The fireless cooker. 48. The stones of fireless cookers. 49.
Heating the stones. 50. Care of the cooker. 51. Other devices
belonging to cookers. 52. Directions for using the cooker. 53.
Time of cooking food. 54. Gas cookers. 55. Steam cookers.

PART II. HEATING DEVICES

CHAPTER VII. WARM-AIR FURNACES 57

56. Principle upon which a furnace works. 57. The stove part.
58. The cold-air shaft. 59. Hot-air pipes. 60. Location of the
furnace. 61. Air. 62. Pipeless furnaces.

CHAPTER VIII. HOT-WATER SYSTEM OF HEATING 64

63. Equipment for hot-water heat. 64. Heating unit. 65. The
management of the fire. 66. The pipes. 67. Expansion tank.
68. Water. 69. Radiators.

CHAPTER IX. STEAM-HEATING SYSTEMS 69

70. Equipment for steam heat. 71. Steam gages. 72. Safety
valve.

CHAPTER X. FIREPLACES AND HEATING STOVES 74

73. Construction of fireplace. 74. Management of fireplace.
75. Operating heating stoves. 76. Care of the stove.

CHAPTER XI. GAS, ELECTRIC AND KEROSENE HEATERS 77

77. Kinds of gas heaters. 78. Bunsen burner and asbestos-back
heater. 79. Lighting gas stoves. 80. Care of gas stoves.
81. Illuminating flame and bright metal reflector heaters.
82. Gas radiator heaters. 83. Management of gas radiator.
84. Kerosene heaters. 85. Electric heaters. 86. Acetylene heaters.

PART III. LIGHTING DEVICES

CHAPTER XII. ELECTRIC LIGHTS 82

87. Kinds of electric lamps in use. 88. Electrical measurements.
89. Carbon lamps. 90. Mazda or tungsten lamps. 91. Selecting
lamps for a room. 92. Effect of color schemes upon illumination.
93. Distribution of light.

CHAPTER XIII. GAS LIGHT 88

94. Construction of mantles. 95. Care of mantles. 96. Fixtures
for burning gas. 97. Adjustment. 98. Care of lamps. 99. Lighting
a gas light. 100. Cold-process gasoline gas. 101. Acetylene
lamps. 102. Care of burners of acetylene lamps.

CHAPTER XIV. KEROSENE LAMPS 93

103. Construction of kerosene lamps. 104. Management of kerosene
lamps. 105. Lighting a kerosene lamp. 106. To extinguish
a lamp. 107. Care of lamps. 108. Kerosene mantle lamps.

CHAPTER XV. ALCOHOL AND GASOLINE LAMPS 96

109. Classification of lamps. 110. Gravity lamps. 111. Lighting
the gravity lamp. 112. Pressure lamps. 113. Gasoline lamps
with wicks. 114. Alcohol lamps with wicks. 115. Lighting alcohol
or gasoline lamps.

PART IV. COOLING DEVICES

CHAPTER XVI. REFRIGERATORS 100

116. Principles of refrigeration. 117. The construction of
refrigerators. 118. Lining refrigerators. 119. Insulation
of refrigerators. 120. Circulation in refrigerators.
121. Drip from melting ice. 122. Arrangement of food in the
ice box. 123. Filling and care of the ice box.

CHAPTER XVII. ICELESS REFRIGERATORS; WATER COOLERS 105

124. Comparative efficiency of iceless refrigerators. 125. Iceless
refrigerator. 126. Small cooler. 127. Covered pail. 128. Unglazed
earthenware. 129. Cooling with running water. 130. Refrigerating
plants. 131. Water coolers. 132. Care of water coolers.

CHAPTER XVIII. FANS AND VENTILATORS 110

133. Selecting a fan. 134. The construction of the fan in common
use. 135. Ventilator.

PART V. WATER SUPPLY AND SEWAGE DISPOSAL

CHAPTER XIX. PUMPS AND WATER FILTERS 112

136. Suction pumps. 137. Care of pumps. 138. Force pumps.
139. Compressed-air pumps. 140. Water filters.

CHAPTER XX. PRESSURE TANKS; PLUMBING FIXTURES 117

141. Pressure tanks. 142. Construction of the pressure tank.
143. Care of pressure tanks. 144. Hot-water kitchen tank.
145. Instantaneous water heaters. 146. Heaters for tanks. 147.
The elevated water tank. 148. Faucets. 149. Valves.
150. Overflows. 151. Traps for bath tubs and basins.

CHAPTER XXI. CESSPOOLS, SEPTIC TANKS AND CITY SEWER SYSTEMS 124

152. Releative value of cesspool and septic tank.
153. Construction of the septic tank. 154. The size of tank.
155. Disposal of waste in cities.

CHAPTER XXII. WATER CLOSETS 128

156. Construction of water closets. 157. Siphoning the trap.
158. The flushing tank. 159. Repairing the flushing tank.

PART VI. LAUNDRY EQUIPMENT

CHAPTER XXIII. WASHING MACHINES 132

160. Kinds of washing machines. 161. Suction machines. 162.
Cylinder washers. 163. Rotary washers. 164. Machine with
an oscillating washing device. 165. Oscillating washers. 166.
Locomotive washer. 167. Centrifugal washer. 168. Care of
washers.

CHAPTER XXIV. WRINGERS 138

169. Roller wringer. 170. Care of wringers. 171. Centrifugal
wringer or drier. 172. Care of the machine. 173. Combination
washer and wringer.

CHAPTER XXV. MANGLES AND IRONS 141

174. Construction of mangles. 175. Cold mangles. 176. Heated
mangles. 177. Care and use of mangles. 178. Flat, or sadirons.
179. Charcoal irons. 180. Electric irons. 181. Gas irons. 182.
Acetylene irons. 183. Alcohol irons. 184. Gasoline irons.

PART VII. HOUSE-CLEANING EQUIPMENT

CHAPTER XXVI. VACUUM CLEANERS AND CLEANING TOOLS 147

185. Principle upon which vacuum cleaners work. 186. Different
kinds of vacuum cleaners. 187. Nozzle of vacuum cleaner. 188.
Cautions in using vacuum cleaners. 189. Difference between hand
and power cleaners. 190. Carpet sweeper. 191. Mop wringers.

PART VIII. DEVICES FOR PREPARATION AND
CONSERVATION OF FOOD

CHAPTER XXVII. POTS, PANS AND OTHER DEVICES 155

192. Materials from which Utensils are made. 193. Aluminum
alloy. 194. Cast-iron utensils. 195. Earthenware. 196. Aluminum
and graniteware. 197. Mixing spoons.

CHAPTER XXVIII. PARERS, SEEDERS, GRINDERS, SLICERS, ETC. 159

198. Fruit and vegetable parers and knives. 199. Parers which
grate off skins. 200. Seeders and Stoners. 201. Cherry stoner.
202. Grinders. 203. Choppers or meat grinders. 204. Choppers.
205. Slicers. 206. Lard and fruit presses, sausage stuffers.

CHAPTER XXIX. MIXERS, BEATERS AND CHURNS; COFFEE POTS 165

207. Use of mixers, beaters and churns. 208. Care of these
devices. 209. Freezers. 210. Care of freezers. 211. Churns.
212. Drip coffee pots. 213. Percolator coffee pots.

CHAPTER XXX. DISH-WASHERS, CANNERS AND DRYERS 170

214. Dish dryer. 215. Cleaning silver. 216. Canners. 217.
Water seal. 218. Pressure canners. 219. Use of the canner.
220. Dryers. 221. Care of dryers.

CHAPTER XXXI. SEPARATORS AND EMULSIFIERS 178

222. Cream separators. 223. Different types of separators. 224.
Washing the machine. 225. Oiling. 226. Whey separator. 227.
Emulsifier.

PART IX. SUNDRY DEVICES

CHAPTER XXXII. DUMBWAITERS AND OTHER HOUSE FURNISHINGS 183

228. Dumbwaiters and window adjustments. 229. Check valves.
230. Door fastener. 231. Window shades. 232. Hinges. 233.
Sliding doors.