THE CAS SUPPLY.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2638, 21 October 1909, Page 6

THE CAS SUPPLY.

A WEAKNESS EXPLAINED

For some time past a number of Gis r borne householders have been complaining of what has generally been describe ed as a “weak pressure” .of-gas, resulting in occasional inadequacies of light, and popular opinion put the defect down to inadequate supplies from the mains. . -■ f _ : > - Interviewed on the subject Mr H. Hoare, the Gas Company’s manager, explained to at“Tixne&” representative the real cause of “the. [trouble, which it would seem datesvba'ck to a period some time before Mr. Hoare took control of the business. - When the early customers of the company had the gas laid on to their houses or business premises, as the case might (be, they were served with an ordinary f-inch pipe, which, at the time, was quite, adequate for the purpose. But later on, when someone in an adjoining building wanted a' gas supply, pipes were, for the sake of economy, attached to the neighboring i-inch service pipes, instead of being ‘taken direct from the main itself. The result has been that as gas ovens have increased. in popularity, and gas waterheaters have come into use, the smallbore pipes have become'’ unequal - to keeping the burners supplied. 1 . • Of course the Gas Company have been largely to blame for this false economy in the past, but to a certain extent it is a case of the new things supplanting the old, for in addition to the water-heaters, and increasing number of stoves in use, the later patterns of incandescent burners, require a much higher pressure than the old-fashioned fish-tail or flat gas jets/. ' One of the many cases m point occurred recently, when the company wanted to replace a 5-inch with a IJinch pipe for supplying a .Gladstone Road shop, whex-e there were 46 burners in use. It was expected that the pipe would start from the main, but it was found that it was simply a branch from, the. next door service pipe. Gisborne has many such instances of past mistakes, that account for a weak, and inefficient light, and it is satisfactory to note that Mr. Hoare is putting matters to right by laying new pipes as quickly as the other work the company has- now in hand will permit.