CALORIFIC VALUE

Evening Post, Volume CXVII, Issue 114, 16 May 1934, Page 11

CALORIFIC VALUE

GAS BOARD DISCUSSION

THE BEST METHOD

Tho receipt of a letter from tho Minister of Industries and Commerce at last evening's meeting of tho Pctono and Lower Hutt Gas Lighting Board, agreeing to the calorific value of gas being maintained temporarily at 460 British thermal .units, gave riso to a question from Mr. E. T. E. Hogg as to why tho word "temporarily" was used in connection, with the calorific valuo of gas every year.

Tho chairman (Mr. W. G. Lodder) said tho board made an initial mistake when tho Act came into operation in applying for gas at 470 B.T.TJ., which onco asked for, became the, standard make. The board had to write overy year and ask for the calorific value to be maintained-at 460 B.T.U. The board had received a letter from the department stating that the calorific value was to be 470, but; on application being made by the board it was allowed temporarily^ to • maintain the calorific valuo at 460 B.T.TJ.

Mr. Hogg said Mr." James Lowe, of Auckland, recommenced a lower calorifle value. Tho matter was of special importance to the board this year. It would have been better, Mr. Lodder said, if the board had originally asked for a calorific value of 440 or 450 B.T.TJ., and raised it as required. Mr. Lowe maintained that tho importance was not so much in a high calorific value, but in uniformly good quality and pressure of gas. The Lyttelton Borough Council's gas had practically the highest calorific valuo in New Zealand, i.. being 494 B.T.TJ., said Mr. D. W. Campbell. Auckland gas had a calorific value of 450, and Wellington 470 B.T.TJ. In concluding the discussion, the chairman said gas here was used mainly for heating. At Home the calorific value went down as low as 400 B.T.TJ., although the value' did go up much higher when required. Mr. Lowe maintained that the best working standard was at 450 B.T.TJ. When there was a very high calorific value cooking appliances tended to become "sooted."