42 N. H. Agricultural Experiment Station [Bulletin 266 



open until this had been dischargred. The heated water itself was 

 tempered considerably due to the long run of cold pipes so that luke- 

 warm water was usually delivered except when large quantities were 

 drawn. When the faucets were closed, the pipe lines were filled with 

 heated water from the tank which, of course, cooled rapidly. At the 

 same time so much water had to be drawn off before the warm arrived 

 that the tank of the lieater was constantly having its contents renewed 

 with cold water which kept that unit working a large proportion of the 

 time. 



High current consumption, high electric bills, and lukewarm water 

 as a result of faulty installation rather than inferior equipment caused 

 this project to be a complete failure. In many cases of this kind such 

 an experience (and the equipment or process in general is usually 

 blamed) on the part of one farmer rapidly becomes common informa- 

 tion in his community, and it is frequently impossible to get other 

 farmers to even consider the same appliance for their own places. 



Observation of similar occurrences on other farms demonstrates the 

 unusual importance of proper installation of equipment at all times, 

 but more particularly the first installation during the initial years of 

 rural electric development in each community, in order that well de- 

 signed equipment and processes developed for the rural field will not 

 be unjustly condemned, thereby not only retarding the use of equip- 

 ment which is economical to the farmer and revenue-producing to the 

 utility, but also developing an artificial resistance factor which re- 

 flects on any legitimate electrical equipment which may be introduced. 

 This is one of many reasons pointing to the importance for each utility 

 to have at least one man in its organization well informed in rural 

 problems, to safeguard its own and its consumers' interests. 



SEASONAL USE 



A factor which influences the type of load curve developed is the 

 more or less inherent quality of some applications to produce greater 

 consumption at one time of .year than another, as a result more of sea- 

 sonal or living conditions rather than activities in the work schedule. 

 Dividing these into three groups (See Table 8) it has been found that 

 those developing maximum current use in winter, Group 1, are the 

 house, barn and poultry lights, which account for 20.5% of the total 

 kw.-hr. load developed on the seven farms. 



Those working heavily in the summer. Group 2, are the combination 

 range.* hot water heater, house refrigex-ator, large portable motors for 

 hay hoisting, wood sawing and concrete mixing, and the dairy refrig- 



*The combination range is believed more certain to produce a greater 

 electrical load, and that load is more certain to be a summer one, than where 

 a standard range is used in conjunction with a coal or wood range. Where 

 this latter is the case, local conditions and individual characteristics play a 

 more important part, as will be seen in the cases of Farms Nos. 5 and 7. 

 In one case the electric range is a summer load, and in the other a neutral 

 or year-around load. Where a standard range does all the cooking as on 

 Farms 1 and 6, it becomes a positive year-around load. Such is also the 

 case with water heaters. Installed alone they are used throughout the year. 

 If used as booster heaters, they tend toward maximum use in summer. 



