112 

 Fixed Charge*. 



Gasoline engine plant. Electric plant. Steam engine plant 



(small). 



B. Attendance. 



An electric motor requires a minimum of attendance, small gasoline 

 plants require frequent inspection, and steam engines require a licensed 

 engineer and for that reason can not be economically used for small plants 

 operated during short periods. The cost of attendance for an electric 

 motor pumping plant should not exceed 5 cents per hour, for a gasoline 

 engine plant 10 cents per hour and for a steam engine plant 40 cents per 

 hour. While electric motors and gasoline engines are usually operated by 

 the orchardist or irrigator, his time is valuable and a charge should be 

 made for it. 



7. Final Selection of Type of Plant. 



The final selection of a pumping plant should be based on a careful 

 consideration of the factors stated above. The best size of plant, the period 

 of operation, the kind of engine or driving power, can only be correctly 

 determined by a final consideration of cost of installation and cost of 

 operation. For small plants operated for short periods during the irri- 

 gation season steam engines are not to be considered even where coal is 

 cheap because they must be operated by a licensed engineer whose salary 

 would be excessive in proportion to the saving obtained by using cheap 

 coal. Where electric power is available the choice is between a gasoline 

 engine and an electric motor. The electric motor requires minimum 

 attendance, it is reliable and its first cost is much less than that of a gaso- 

 line engine. For these reasons if electric power is available, an electric 

 motor is preferable to a gasoline engine and will prove far more economical 

 than a gasoline, even should the cost of electrical energy be higher than 

 the fuel cost for a gasoline engine, which is not likely to obtain in British 

 Columbia because of the high cost of engine gasoline or distillate. 



At Grand Forks, British Columbia, electricity was sold for pumping 

 plants at the rate of 3 cents per Kilowatt hour; as far as fuel cost is con- 

 cerned this is equivalent to gasoline at about 19 cents a gallon. This is 

 less than the cost at which gasoline can be obtained and in addition gives 

 the advantages stated above. 



The application of the above information and cost data to any par- 

 ticular case is illustrated by tbe following examples: 



First example: A 20 acre orchard is to be irriagted by pumping. The 

 quantity to be applied is 6 inches per month and the total depth in one 

 season, 18 inches. The lift is 50 feet and the discharge pipe 200 feet long. 

 Engine gasoline costs 24 cents per Imperial gallon. Assuming the pump is 

 operated 1-3 of the time or ten twenty-four hour days each month, this 

 will require a pump capacity of 225 gallons per minute (page 102) which 

 is obtained with a No. 3 centrifugal pump (page 104) and 7 horse power 

 engine (page 107). The discharge pipe will be 4 inches in diameter. The 

 first cost and total cost of operation will be about as follows: 



