What causes the chattering frequently heard when a faucet is opened?

It is the vibration of some part that is loose within the faucet. Oftentimes it is simply the packing that is loose.

Why is the cold water pipe taken to the bottom of the boiler through a tube?

That the cold water may at once be taken to the coldest part of the boiler, and not mix with the hot water.

What precautions are sometimes taken with pipes running between floor and ceiling, to prevent damage from bursts and condensation on the pipe?

They are sometimes laid in lead or tin troughs.

Why does the flow pipe give out oftener than the return?

The constant expansion and contraction in the flow pipe, due to heat, weakens the pipe in time, and even at a constant heat, where there is no expansion or contraction, a heated pipe is not as strong as a cold one.

What is the usual cause of the bursting of a water front?

Stoppage, due to the collection of rust, is probably the most common cause.

Why should a room holding the tank that supplies the house with water, be ventilated?

Water very quickly absorbs any impurities that may be in the air, and ventilation, of course, is an efficient means of purifying the air of a room.

What is a good size for the supply tank to the cistern boiler?

A good size is twenty-four inches, by sixteen inches, by fifteen inches.

To pipe range boiler when range is on floor above boiler.

The location of range above boiler is to be avoided whenever possible, as such an arrangement is directly opposed to the principles of circulation. Where obliged to make such connections, the following will give good results. Carry the flow pipe from the range as many feet up as it is desired to drop below the water front in inches, the pipe forming a loop. It is not usually possible to carry the pipe as high as this, but the nearer such height can be obtained, the better the result. At the top of the loop an air cock should be placed, or a pipe connected leading to some nearby fixture. To supply the house fixtures, it is well to take the supply from the top of the loop.

Leading small pipes.

In leading a joint, particularly if on small pipe, always put the lead onto the male end rather than inside the fitting. If otherwise, the lead is liable to be forced into the pipe and obstruct the opening. Many times a small pipe is completely closed up by carelessness of this nature.

Water hammer.

This is a very common trouble and it may arise from a number of causes. The most common cause is a sag in the flow pipe, which should always have a constant rise. Water hammer may be caused by an obstruction in the pipe, which may result from rust, dirt, the gasket in a union, etc. Very often the water front becomes choked up with rust and sediment. Still another matter to be considered is the relative size of range and boiler, as too much heating surface is liable to raise the temperature to the steam point, when hammering is apt to be caused. In the latter case a temporary relief may be obtained by opening the hot water faucet at one of the fixtures, thus allowing a sufficient quantity of cold water to enter the boiler to reduce the temperature. Often relief can be obtained by running a line of circulating pipe above the boiler.