Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1915-07-02
COST Of METER
MAINTENANCE IS
MOST IMPORTANT
Purchase Price Not so Vital as
Upkeep Charges, Declares
Superintendent Murray

| Superintendent Harry Murray OF the
| water and sewer works department
maintains that the city should use
great care in selecting the type OF
/ meter for general use throughout the
city, and that the operating expense OF
! a meter should be the main issue in
! selecting the type, and not the pur
chasing price.
! The life OF a good water meter is
about 20 years and the cases in which
| they need repairs before running their
natural life is generally due to some
accident or other external cause" Mr..
Murray declared.
"A matter of importance in selecting
a meter. is the ease and cheapness
with which it may be maintained.
|" When a service is to be metered
the best result will be obtained from
a meter having capacity in proper
ton to the flow to be measured, rather
than of size the same as the pipe on
which it is to be installed.
The maximum demand of the con-
sumner should be estimated and a me-
ter selected having greatest proper
capacity with reasonable margin in
excess of the maximum demand.
If there is a large continuous flow
for several hours each day the life of
meter will be prolonged if operated
at say so per cent of its greatest
proper capacity, that is an oversize
meter should be installed when work
ing under these conditions.
! The size of a meter for the prem.
Uses occupied by a single family is
usually a $-inch meter. This size is
large enough for the average house
hold. ~.s.. = ~. 49,. Il
Large grounds, or where two or
more families are living, or tenements,
lodging houses, etc, require a q or a
Einch meter "..*.
The maximum capacity of standard
meters are as follows: 3s-inch, 22k;
gallons per minute; II inch, 371a gal
Ions per minute; finch, 60 to 67A gal
Ions per minute; IN Inch, 80 to los
gallons per minute; 11s-inch, $50 to
1879 gallons per minute; Pinch, 24O
to 300 gallons per minute. |
The relative merits of different
styles and makes Of meters can be de-
termined only by comparison of ac-
tual service records. In order that |
should be used. On the card should |
be entered the, meters size, name,
make, model, number, date it was set
the date removed, the amount regis
tered, reason for removal, the repairs
or work necessary, the cost of new !
parts and the. cost of labor. " +
The usual test required of new
meters is SO to 100 per cent on full t
and intermediate flows, and from 80.
to 100 per cent of the water passed |
for sensitiyeness. ......
''The test for sensitlveness should
be a flow at the rate of l to per
cent of the maximum safe capacity OF
the meter. Example: A 5s-inch meter
has a maximum safe capacity of 1850
gallons per hour; its test for sensitive
ness should therefore be on a flow
between 1914 and q gallons per hour.
I'm the purchase of meters writ
ten guarantee should be demanded
against all defects of material or work.
for period of one year from
date of purchase, all parts broken or
T6Hu0E0Q useless Ill Iu6 OTuludi9
course of service during such time to
be replaced, piece for piece, without
charge to the department. This guar
antee is not applicable to damage from
external causes, hot water or freezing,
nor in cases where the quantity Of wac
ter registered exceeds the maximum
of the meter. .@
The cost of the standard makes OF
meters is approximately as follows:
All bronze outside case; 5s-inch, S.;
q inch, $12; Inch, SIS. "... r.
Il have no doubt that the first or
der for meters may be purchased on
a three months trial. At the end OF
that time the meters to be paid for If
otherwise reshipped to
the manufacturer II
The advantage of purchasing the
number of meters for the city
is that the adjustment
may be made allowing the city to fix
an equitable rate both for water and
sewerage rather than allow affairs to
drag along for another year" i
~...