Controlling Water-Heaters

Radio Record, Volume III, Issue 32, 21 February 1930, Page 27

Controlling Water-Heaters

HE Palmersten North Borough ia introducing a novelty in the control of electric hot water heaters. The. system being installed is the first of this kind in New Zealand. From the supply point of view it is imperative that current used for water-heating purposes should in the main be consumed at periods off the peak load, Some system of control to achieve this is therefore necessary. Some supply authorities use time switches to effect this. Another system, more popular at Home than in this country, is to have a readily controlled switch on each individual heater, with’ control wires running through each street linking up with each house with a water-heater. This control wire enables the operator at the power-station to supeivise the consumption of power at peak periods. In the case of Palmerstoh North, an adaptation of this system is being in troduced. Instead of their Yeing a relay switch for each water-heater installed in each house, one large switch will be installed on a pole in the streets, controlling probably as many as 80 to 40 houses. By this means the capital expenditure -will be reduced from approximately £1200 necessary for 600 to 700 switches to about £200 for apprcximately 30 switches.