THE GAS STOVE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVIII, Issue 17853, 6 August 1921, Page 4 (Supplement)

THE GAS STOVE.

Do what we 'will, the gas bill is ;1ways bigger than we meant it to be. Some" women, of course throw all the blame on the gas company. The pressure is to great, there is air mixed with the gas, the meter is not accurate—these are some of the absurd reasons advanced for gas bills that are heavier than they ought to be. But the woman who s strictly honest with herself sets herself to discov<ir what she has doDe to cause the extravagant expenditure. Fust of all, be careful to keep tho stove. clean. 'Kl% :.bars and ton should La scrtvped and washed and polished, the burners should be remove frequently and cleansed, and still more frequently thef should be pricked with a skewer to prevent, their getting clogged. The inside cf the oven should he scrubbed with sod i and water, the shelves should be kept sc-rupulousiy clean, not even flour being allowed to remain on thein. No pot should ever be allowed to boil over, for this means the partial clogging of the burner, as well as waste of gas in burning up the overflow. And it means, too, that an unnecessary amount of gas has been used under the pot. Burners should never be left full on after the contents of a vessel have been brought to boiling pnintt. Only as much gas should be turned on as is necessary to keep the pot simmering or boiling. Most housewives would be surprised .f they could realise how much gas they waste in little unconsidered ways. It is ,i common practice, for example, to leave the gas burning while tea is being made. I lie teapot is warmed and the tea is put in, then the kettle is lifted from the aas to fill the teapot, and replaced on the gas to keep hot in case the teapot needs more vvater presently. It hardly seems worth while io turn off the gas for the few seconds it takes to fill the teapot. But that process is gone through six or seven, or even more, times every day. •■ ml in the course of a month it accounts f r a considerable addition to the gas bi'l. And it i 3 only one of a number of little wasteful practices that o-o on all •be time. How many women, for uxamnle, turn off the meter when the stoi-e is not used for a couple of hours ? The majority of gas stove meters are never turned off at all. Yet there may be .i tiny unsuspected leak in the pin that is letting gas escape all the time. If the gasstove is set m a speciaJ recess, there will ' be practically no smell from a tiny leak as trie gas.all escapes through the" chi'-i----ruLT™"? ab °' B tbe •*«*•• So the onlv Posavbte safeguard against lots of thi'a kind ,s to turn the £.. off at, the mete Wid b ta S° f * ! i the 66 Potions *