STARTING A FIRE.
You must make up your mind that it will take half an hour to an hour or so to get up steam in any boiler that is perfectly cold. The metal expands and shrinks a great deal with the heat and cold, and a sudden application of heat would ruin a boiler in a short time. Hence it is necessary for reasons of engine economy to make changes of temperature, either cooling off or heating up, gradually.
First see that there is water in the boiler.
Start a brisk fire with pine kindlings, gradually putting on coal or wood, as the case may be, and spreading the fire over the grate so that all parts will be covered with glowing coals.
When you have 15 or 20 pounds of steam, start the blower. As has already been described, the blower is a pipe with a nozzle leading from the steam space of the boiler to the smoke stack, and fitted with a globe valve. The force of the steam drives the air out of the stack, causing a vacuum, which is immediately filled by the hot gases from the firebox coming through the boiler tubes. Little is to be gained by using the blower with less than 15 pounds of steam, as the blower has so little strength below that, that it draws off about as much steam as is made and nothing is gained.
The blower is seldom needed when the engine is working, as the exhaust steam should be sufficient to keep the fire going briskly. If it is not, you should conclude that something is the matter. There are times, however, when the blower is required even when the engine is going. For example, if you are working with very light load and small use of steam, the exhaust may be insufficient to keep up the fire; and this will be especially true if the fuel is very poor. In such a case, turn on the blower very slightly. But remember that you are wasting steam if you can get along without the blower.
Examine the nozzle of the blower now and then to see that it does not become limed up, or turned so as to direct the steam to one side of the stack, where its force would be wasted.
Beware, also, of creating too much draft; for too much draft will use up fuel and make little steam.