 | |
|
About the Museum History of Gas Making gas Gas distribution Lighting Cooking Heating The all gas Kitchen Strange but true! Return to Home Page |
|
| Gas in the Home - less well known devices |
There were many innovative uses for gas in the home, prompted partly by increasing competition from electricity. For example, in an attempt to counter the convenience of switching an electric light on using a switch on the wall, gas switches were developed. (Some are displayed in the museum)
 Some examples of unusual appliances are on display; hairdryer (left), trouser press, greenhouse heater, photographic enlarger, fans, projectors and a gas powered radio (below). An important advance was the development of water heating. A hot water circulator and a Geyser can be seen in the kitchen display. The circulator stored hot water heated in the kitchen in a tank upstairs. Central heating developed as an extension of this, by adding a pump and radiators, hot water could be circulated throughout the house, providing instant, clean and efficient space heating. Some early radiators are on display in the museum. 
In addition to gas uses in the home, gas for transport is an idea that has been around for some time. The picture shows a coal delivery lorry with it's own town gas supply on top. Now that clean natural gas can be used (and engineering advances make the storage tank more practical!), gas powered vehicles are becoming a reality today. |