Around about Christmas 1879 a certain prominent person installed electric lighting in his home in Porchester Gardens using a battery of Grove Cells. This was not a very successful power source so a portable generator was then used.
Indeed, though electric ignition of gas lights did not need mains electricity. A battery would serve. Two systems existed, high voltage and low voltage.
The high voltage system used an induction coil to produce thousands of volts from a couple of dry cells. This produced a spark to ignite the gas.
The low voltage system used a platinum filament heated by dry cells to ignite the gas. Both systems used the gas pipe as one conductor.
Alternatives included self igniting gas mantles, these contained finely divided platinum, that caused a reaction between oxygen in the air and hydrogen in the town gas. This produced heat, which speeded up the reaction until it ignited. Only worked with town gas, did not work with natural gas, or petrol vapour, or LPG.
The simplest was was a continually burning pilot light, but this added complexity, wasted gas, and produced unwanted light in say a bedroom.
Indeed, though electric ignition of gas lights did not need mains electricity. A battery would serve. Two systems existed, high voltage and low voltage.
The high voltage system used an induction coil to produce thousands of volts from a couple of dry cells. This produced a spark to ignite the gas.
The low voltage system used a platinum filament heated by dry cells to ignite the gas. Both systems used the gas pipe as one conductor.
Alternatives included self igniting gas mantles, these contained finely divided platinum, that caused a reaction between oxygen in the air and hydrogen in the town gas. This produced heat, which speeded up the reaction until it ignited. Only worked with town gas, did not work with natural gas, or petrol vapour, or LPG.
The simplest was was a continually burning pilot light, but this added complexity, wasted gas, and produced unwanted light in say a bedroom.
