WATER HEATING

Evening Post, Volume CXXXII, Issue 75, 25 September 1941, Page 5

WATER HEATING

MAIN POWER PROBLEM

DISCUSSED BY ENGINEERS

METERING SYSTEM

Electric water heating, engineers attending the Dominion Power Board and Supply Authorities' Conference are agreed, has become a major power problem, and steps must be taken to bring in some system of control. The engineers yesterday afternoon decided to forward a recommendation to the main conference that all electric water heaters should be thermostatically controlled and j metered as soon as possible. Figures were quoted to show that ! in some districts over 50 per cent. I of all units consumed were used in'water heating at low rates. Mr W. A. Waters (ManawatuOroua) said that water heating in future had to be metered to cut out waste. Not only was the Public Works Department up against the problem of peak load, but it was facedwith the continuing problem of unit supply. In his area 52 per cent, of units went into water heating. METERS IN HUTT VALLEY. The Hutt Valley Power Board had had five water heating rates, said Mr. E. F. Hollands, but now had only a meter rate for new consumers, though existing consumers were not penalised. He,thought that metering was the solution. An important contribution to the war effort of the country would be made if waste in water heating could be reduced, said Mr, L. Mandeno (Bay of Islands). Huge quantities of coal and oil were being burned to meet power demands, at a cost stated by the Controller of Electricity at £1000 a day. A saving of power would assist in reducing the drain on manpower, fuel, and material. The Bay of Islands board had last winter brought in a general reduction, and that had been accepted by the majority of consumers, though some were not satisfied with the service from heating elements of 20 per cent, lower power. SHOULD PAY FOR CONVENIENCE. Three hundred and fifty million horsepower hours went into water heating in New Zealand every year, said the president, Mr. M. Cable. Every unit of electricity did as much work as a man could do in a day. Certainly water heating was a wonderful convenience^ but people who enjoyed wonderful conveniences should be willing to pay for them. "It is prostituting electric units —doing as much work as a man in a whole day —to sell them at as low as one farthing," said Mr, Cable. There were in the country thousands of antiquated and inadequately lagged and badly placed systems, said Mr. R. H. Bartley (Auckland). These were in themselves an enormous source of waste, but he believed that efficient water heating service could be given if the position was properly handled. Water heating had put most of the power boards on their feet and could keep them on their feet; they must come to metering, to thermostatic control, and finally to some system whereby the water heating load could be regulated in accord with other requirements. Other speakers said that metering ; rates must give a service at a cost appproximating that of flat rates, for it .was not desired to deprive consumers of the service, but to cut out waste and the pouring of hot water down the sink, and the waste that followed from poor and badly placed installations. The problem had been spoken of as a war problem, said Mr. R. S, Maunder (Wellington), but it was wider than that, and the position would be far worse in ten years' time unless it was tackled now and tackled from now on. The recommendation as to metering and thermostatic control was adopted for reference to the main association.