QUERIES RE VOLTAGES

Taupo Times, Volume III, Issue 120, 14 May 1954, Page 1

QUERIES RE VOLTAGES

EXPLANATION RY MR SHERWOOD The Borough Council's electrical inspector, M. J. M. Sherwood was present at the Council's recent meeting, and answered a number of queries with regard to power scheme matters. Cr. Stanley mentioned reports of voltages being low at times in certain areas, other councillors also mentioning reports of cooking ap- j pliances and toasters being slow at certain times.

Mr Sherwood stated that, in the first place, some of the trouble arose from the fact that the automatic voltage regulator was not yet installed at the power house, as mentioned in the Engineer's recent report, and- that this resulted in some voltage drop at times in the high tension line. However, much of the trouble in certain areas arose from voltage | drop in low tension lines, due to the fact that numbers of consumers were not yet connected to their proper transformers. In order to expedite the supply of current to waiting consumers, some were connected up temporarily to certain transformers, although these were not the ones to which they would be connected later. Such temporary connections were a usual procedure, in reticulating a given area but temporary trouble mjght be experienced for short periods, too many consumers connected to a given transformer.

For example, a temporary influx of visitors at Easter had resulted in some such drop in voltage in a Rifle Range Road area. However, the balancing of transformer loads j by the altering of transformer connections would remedy such temporary troubles. Such balancing of load was a matter requiring attention from time to time in all reticulated areas as the load grew. Replying to a query by Cr. K. E. Young, Mr Sherwood stated that for the period April 30 to May 4, the peak load was 306 KW, the previous peak loads ranging from 312 KW to 297 KW. The peak load atJ Easter was 339 KW. The present

Wairakei peak load was from 40 to 45 KW. Replying to Cr. K. O. Lewis, Mr Sherwood stated that power would be available in Taharepa Road adjacent to Golf Links Road within a few days.