HEATING OF FACTORIES.

Press, Volume L, Issue 14991, 11 June 1914, Page 5

HEATING OF FACTORIES.

SO TH_ ZDITOB OT "MT- TKtSS."

Sir, —In the notice you were kind enough to give of tho heating system just installed by Messrs C. and J. Colville -into our Colombo street printing works, you stated that a hot water radiator system has/ been in. use in your building since its erection, and no doubt it has given you satisfaction. Indeed, there aro quite a number of hot water radiator systems in use in various buildings in Christchurch, but that is quite a different proposition to heating an enormous space such as is occupied by our factory. One has to take into consideration that there are thousands of feet of glaass and wall space, lareelv perforated with ventilators, which makes the heating of a building of this kind a very great difficulty. No doubt there are many large factories in Christchurch built on a somewhat similar plan to ours.

When we erected our first factory, many years ago, we had a hot water system in use, and it was very effective, but when we erected the second factory, we found that the heating was ineffective, owing to the space that had to be covered. When we erected our present factory in Colombo street, we were told that it would be absolutely impossible to heat such a largo space by means of hot water radiators, so we tried heating by means of a number of stoves, but, whilo the heat was felt within a spaco of, say, 20ft. beyond that the works wero quite cold, so that that system was not a success. Wo then approached two engineering firms in Christchurch, and were told that, while it was possible to heat a building of the size of our factory by means of hot water radiation, it would probably not be very efficient. We then got a professional engineer to draw out a scheme, and tendors were called, but this scheme involved the tearing up of our concrete floors, sinking a deep pit, and erecting a further building to take the boiler, and then, after all this tremendous upheaval, wo were assured that its efficiency would be doubtful, owing to the enormous space that had to be covered.

The present installation is entirely different to any scheme now in use in the Dominion, because of its method_ of conveying the hot water and returning the cold by means of overhead pipes. The most distant radiator from the boiler is no less than 400 ft, and yet it throws out a generous heat. That, we think, speaks volumes for the whole system.

*In conclusion, we would like to express the opinion that, we feel sure that the reasons that more factories in Christchurch are not heated, has been owing to the difficulties to be surmounted more than the question of capital involved. We have ourselves for years been trying to obtain a satisfactory system, and we feel now that we have got it. Our thanks are largely due to Messrs C. and J. Colville, "who evolved the scheme. AYe would be very pleased to give every information concerning the system to employers who may desire information on the subject.—Yours, etc.. WHITCOMBE AND TOMBS, LTD. Juno 10th.