Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-06-09
1O4NCH PRESSURE
IN GAS LINES ASKED
Companies Seek Higher Max
imum to Supply Consum-
ers' Demand.

The Washington and Georgetown Gas
Utilities Commission today that they
are incapable Of supplying gas to con-
sumerS in the District under 6-inch
maximum and pinch minimum pres
sure and urged that pressures be in
creased to a 10-inch maximum and g.
inch minimum.
To bring the gas system into condi-
ton to comply with the existing two
inch to siX-inch rule" the companies
pointed out, would cost about 5000, 600.
This they declared, would constitute
a profitless undertaking from which
no one would receive benefit"
The companies contended that under
a 6-inch maximum pressure customers
would be more unsatisfactory served,
that complaints would be generated,
and that business would be harmed
through inability to deliver gas at pres
sures and quantities which the Gus
toners have every right to expect and
demand"
Temporary Change.
The existing 6-inch maximum, p
inch minimum rule, the companies eX
planned, was adopted II years ago and
since that time fundamental develop
ments have taken place in engineering
problems concerned with gas distribu
ton and the character and design OF
gas appliances.
The only change In the rule was
made last January. when the commits
sion authorized a temporary 8-inch
maximum pressure.
This increase was allowed so that the
companies could meet heavy demand
fer gas for house heating purposes,
pending Improvements in the distribu-
ton system. There have been recent
indications that the commission would
soon order a return to the six-inch
maximum.
Tie recommendations Of the gas
companies were contained in a volu-
ninous l74-page report on pressure con-
ditionS. The report gave an exhaustive
description of the gas distribution sys-
tenn, technical data in support of high
er pressures and an analysis of pressure
conditions during the Winter when the
commission and Peoples Counsel Rich
mond B. Keech were confronted with
wholesale complaints over excessive gas
bills.
Pressure Not Blamed.
The companies denied NOSE emphati-
cally that the complaints over high
bills were due to increased pressures,
which were found by commission en-
gineers to be as high as IA inches-9
inches in excess of the then 6-inch
| maximum allowed. Moreover, the COM
panies declared they were pleased"
! because the complaints came from less
than four out of every 100 customers.
During the Winter of 193O-3l, when
the companies were being criticized fol-
existing pressure conditions and during
the four and one-half month per!od
covering such criticism. which included
a six weeks period of daily front page
and editorial adverse newspaper criti-
cism. the companies received complaints
from less than four out of every hun
dred of their customers. These COM
plants were analysed according to the
pressure areas, which had been de-
termined by the commissions engineer
ing bureau the report said.
The report contained an analysis OF
the domestic uses of gas with discus
SIGN of the effect of pressure upon each
such use. This analysis is designed to
indicate that with a pressure variation
of SO per cent from normal. which is in
excess of any variation which has eX-
listed in Washington, the consumption
of an average domestic customer could
not be increased by as much as l per
cent, even though no appliance ad-
justments were made.
Didn't Decrease Bills.
Certain local situations were ana
lyzed in which during the past Winter
unsatisfactory pressure conditions, COM
prising high pressures and wide varia-
tionS, were corrected. These analyses
indicate conclusively that the resulting
corrections, with their lowered pres
sures without coincident appliance adj
! JUSTIN nts, did not decrease the Gus
toners bills" the report continued.
1T must be recognized that as a
customers requirements vary through
out the seasons of the year, their bills
will vary. Also that customers without
knowledge of the companies many
times bring about wasteful application
of their service which causes their
bills to vary Also that mistakes will
occur in any business, no matter how
we'll organized and regulated. ThesS
conditions are occurring at all times.
When widespread publicity is brought
about, even though such publicity may
be without warrant, those customers
whose bills at the particular time are
higher may complain and will be joined
in their complaints by others who hap
pen at the moment to be DESTROYS Of
eEecting living economies. The ma
jcrity of such complaints are sincere
and some are justified. The companies
are pleased that the efforts made last
Winter resulted in less than four COM
plants for each 100 customers on the
average"
The companies argued that the ex-
penditure of 100000 to bring their sys-
tenn into conformity with the commits
sions pressure requirements not only
would be profitless expenditure but
would also preclude them from earning
upon the additional investment. They
also contended that an order to make
the necessary expenditures would be in
effect an order requiring the company
to confiscate it's property "in profitless
undertaking, from which no one would
receive benefits"