WATER HEATERS

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 150, 21 December 1929, Page 10

WATER HEATERS

A LONG DISCUSSION

MR. CABLE TO INQUIRE

SUDDEX LOAD PROBLEM

The decision reached during the committee stages of the City Council that the General Manager of the Electricity [.Department, Mr. M. Cable, should visit Sydney to make first-hand investigations into the operation of "instantaneous" electric water heaters in tliat city is the outcome of a long and sometimes oxtremely heated discussion at council and committee tables, which discussions were paralleled by others by local authorities in other centres, and at the annual conference of the Power Supply engineers. '

This new style of water heater has thrown a bomb into the calculations of [all supply authorities, for though from the consumer's point of view it has a [great deal to recommend it, it is regarded with anything but pleasure by [supply engineers. The Engineers' Coujference, after a long debate and a demonstration of the system voted against it; so did the Wellington. City Council, but later the subject was revived on two grounds: that the council was takling a wrong step in prohibiting the installation of an appliance so desirable [from the consumer's point of view, and that, desirable or otherwise, the council had no power to make such a ruling. The decision against these heaters still stands, but is subject to alteration should Mr. Cable change his present opinion after his investigations in Sydney. This type of heater is ruled out in Victoria, and limitations in the powerconsuming capacity of such appliances are imposed in Perth, Adelaide, Hobart, and Ipswich (Queensland). Brisbane permits their installation.

The new heaters are the electrical cousins of the gas caliphont, that is, they deliver unlimited hot water—and by reducing the flow somewhat it can be delivered at boiling point—as long as they are turned on. The whole affair is very compact, and is a neat looking job. On the other hand the large size heater for baths, eat up something like 12 kilowatts, say 15 horse power, and the problem that engineers fear is that of meeting the treimendous demand for power which would follow were this class of appliance to become popular, for, they state, the street wiring, transformers, etc., would be unable to handle the power required should half a dozen houses in a street install appliances which require as much power as a small industrial motor. Smaller capacity heaters are quite acceptable to supply authorities, and are, indeed, encouraged by most of them, but in Wellington the instantaneous heater is at present ruled right out, though, as stated above, it may be permitted when Mr. Cable's report of his inquiries in Sydney has been considered.