GAS MAKES COMEBACK

Press, Volume CV, Issue 31057, 12 May 1966, Page 14

GAS MAKES COMEBACK

Five or six years ago gas, many assumed, was on the way out, at least for domestic use. But with a sudden burst of activity the manufacturers of gas appliances redesigned stoves, heaters and central heating systems.

Now the housewife may have a stove as easy to clean as an electric one, a heater that looks like a television set and a shiny white water cistern. These appliances have little in common with the brass—green, greasy and smelly—that one expected gas to come out of a few years ago. Speed The speed of gas and its controllability leads many cooks to favour it New Zealand has about 30 gas works. In 1964 they produced 6,047,566,000 cubic feet. There are now gas heaters which light when the control knob it turned. These work on batteries. Some imported makes have generators which give the ignition. Gas stoves may have thermostat control and automatic timers, which are usually associated with electric stoves. The Christchurch Gas

Company has set new records for output each year for the last few years. In Britain the use of nataural gas has come to the fore. Liquid gas is imported from the Sahara. A big reduction in price was promised. Gas and some other interests in New Zealand are urging the use of the natural gas at Kapuni as a domestic fuel. If a decision in this direction is taken by the Government it will greatly affect the future of gas use as a domestic fuel in the country. Nationally, the use of gas as a domestic fuel has one great advantage over the use of electricity: it can be stored for periods of peak demand. As New Zealand’s hydroelectric resources become exhausted, the question national planners are facing is whether to insist on the use of gas, or to build fuel or nuclear-powered generating stations.

Radiant Heat Many industrial concerns are turning to radiant gas heating. These heaters employ a system whereby the gas-air mixture is expelled evenly, and without special blowers, through a large number of tiny holes in the ceramic plaques which form the burner surface. This mixture is ignited on the surface, attaining a temperature of up to 900 degrees Centigrade, thereby transmitting infra-red rays over a wide area, warming persons and objects, irrespective of air temperatures. Where a mounting height of 10ft or over is available, they may be suspended horizontally ensuring maximum radiant efficiency. In this position they may be installed at heights of up to 60ft from the ground and still maintain effective and widespread warmth over the floor area.

Running costs are kept to a minimum. No long warming up period is necessary, and the heaters may therefore be turned on and off as required. There is no high cost of maintaining air temperature above the working level as in air heating systems.

Installation is simple and the cost is low. It is only necessary to secure the heaters and connect gas supply. The heaters can easily be disconnected and moved to other locations, as required. Horizontally suspended, or wall mounted, these heaters can be arranged to give planned selective comfort exactly where and when it is required.

Control Individual control of the units enable most economical operation of the overall installation. Those heaters not required are not brought into use. Heater positions may be inexpensively altered at any time to suit variations in layout of work-benches, machines, etc., and additional units installed if a factory is being extended.