THE CHANGE OVER

Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 136, 5 March 1929, Page 12

THE CHANGE OVER

POSITION IN CITY AREA SUITING REQUIREMENTS The process of change-over from lower to, higher voltage in a city like Wellington is not one which can be pu through in a few weeks. It is a lengt y and complicated business requiring four or five years to carry through from start to finish, but; it has been pushed along at greater speed than was at first anticipated, sb that the woik is well ahead of the estimated time. In the suburbs it. has been possible to carry out the change-over systematically, that is, the taking of properties one after the other, and rewiring or otherwise making them conform to_the new requirements. This door-to-door method 'is now in use at Wadestown, Mornington, and Vogeltown, another gang of workmen is operating in Newtown, and there is a fairly big gang in the city. It is in the city area that it is not possible to do the whole of the change Over work on systematic lines. The mixture of residential buildings, shops, commercial offices, warehouses, factories and workshops make the change-over a formidable task. Where new four to eight story buildings have been erected in the last few years, the change has already been made, for the Department is anxious for the changeover to be made where the necessary conditions exist, For instance, the new supply is available along Wellington Terrace, where Medical Chambers, Employers’ Federation, Mayfair and Braemar Flats, the Masonic Hail, and other large buildings are on the new voltage, but the residences in between are not. On the other hand, If it is desired to have the change-over effected because of electric cooking or other reason, it is only necessary to make application to the department and it will be dealt with. Another aspect of the matter, and one which is not quite realised by many consumers is this: There are several small terraces running off Wellington Terrace with private access ways. There may be only ten or a dozen houses in the terrace, and probably only a couple of them are wired for the change-over. To complete the change-over for the two would require special mains to be laid down, whereas if the whole of the residents are willing to have the rewiring br whatever is required done at one time, this work is carried out and the change-over then only involves adjustment of the existing mains, thus saving a good deal of expense. Even in such cases as these, if there are urgent reasons why the change-over should be made the department will put down the necessary mains, and where the houses are wired it is desired to get them on to the new voltage ns soon as possible. It is the big buildings that affect the load, and this is the reason for changing over the multi-storied premises as quickly as possible.