Fix leak first
Water meters? Then I would hope that the service would improve. There has been a substantial leak on Simmonds Crescent for over two months. There is a steady flow across the driveway and along the gutter, covering a few square metres of (now) algae. It was reported to council over two weeks ago but nothing has been done. I suspect this is a mains problem so hopefully there is no contamination.
MADGE McQUIRE
Rotorua
Pellet fires safe and reliable
The mayor at a recent council meeting discussing heating appliances wondered if the price of pellets could induce some people to try alternative fuels in pellet fires. Without elaborating on what alternatives they would likely try, it is hard to fathom her concerns.
After 10 years of using a pellet fire, I cannot see what she was driving at. Because of the way they are constructed there are no alternatives, being designed to only use pelletised fuel.
Unlike a wood burner, a pellet fire stores pellets in a hopper which are then fed in very small quantities to a little fire box, via an auger. This is done automatically and is then ignited from the ones already burning. A draft of air ensures their ignition in a continual process.
Wood chips or sawdust would cause damage by clogging the auger with costly repairs to put right. Used properly, cleaned and serviced regularly like other heaters, they are very safe and reliable, making any concerns groundless. Raising alarms, though perhaps unintentional, does not help people who use them and may lead to unnecessary expense for removal, when in fact they are a proven, well thought out form of heating. In cost comparison, they are about equal with firewood or electricity. Today all forms of heating are expensive and there are no cheap alternatives anymore.
A.J. MacKENZIE
Rotorua
