The Present-Day Pumping Engine for Water-Works

In the development of the modern water-works pumping engine, the refinement of tools, reduction in cost of manufacture, better and more appropriate designing, more efficient and economical shop management, have gradually led to higher and higher steam economy with lessened first cost. The commercial element has interfered more or less with the professional; nevertheless the general results show a marked improvement during the past twenty years. With the larger plants, more of a specialty in designing to suit the conditions would have produced better results. In the older and wealthier communities there is a growing conviction that low first cost is not the paramount consideration, while low cost of maintenance and high economy of fuel are. The commercial pumping engine for water-works purposes has been brought to a high level, and has been divided into four distinct types, each to suit conditions imposed, including pressure, quantity, location, first cost, fuel, maintenance, etc.