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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1993-11-17, Page 14FIREPLACES Pate 14 Times -Advocate, November 17,1993 � et these CXIX S yelp you ;et read for winier Advances in technology add value to the home rom the comfort of an easy chair, a homeowner pushes a button on a remote control - but it is not the television set or J the VCR that responds. It is a gas -fueled fireplace. Technol- ogy is making the hearth more convenient and more efficient. Home- owners who have not looked at stoves or fireplaces lately are surprised at the developments. A gas fireplace company introduced the remote control that makes it more convenient to regulate the 'company's gas -fueled units. Wood -burning and gas -fueled fireplace systems can be installed in any home, and one gas -fueled fireplace doesn't even require a chimney. A direct -vent fireplace, requires only a small vent to the outside and can be installed on any exterior wall. Homeowners can have a fireplace in locations, such as under a window or in a basement family room, that would not be possible with traditional units. Now technology also permits the homeowner to improve the effiency of an existing open fireplace. Recent studies have documented the ex- treme inefficiency of open fireplaces. They exhaust huge quantities of air up the flue, resulting in drafts that pull additional heat out of the home. These studies place the efficiency of an open fireplace at only 5 to 6 percent. The homeowner can dramatically increase the efficiency of an exist- ing open firplace by installing a gas -fueled or wood -burning fireplace insert. Inserts fill the existing fireplace opening and connect to the ex- isting flue. Wood -burning fireplace inserts use a catalytic combustion system, ensuring clean burning and 78 -percent efficiency. A fan provides natu- ral convection heating and thermostatic control ensures steady, even heat. Gas -fueled inserts offer the added convenience of a remote con- trol for the ultimate in hassle -free fireplace enjoyment. Stoves have also changed for the better. Today's wood -burning stoves are equipped with glass, fie -viewing doors and can be fitted with a screen to allow for open -fire viewing. Installing a stove or fireplace also increase the value of the home. According to recent statistics, a fireplace can return as much as 140 percent of thehomeowner's investment. Fireplace inserts dramatically increase the efficiency of an open fireplace, and they come in all sizes. Some fireplaces are designed to fit smaller fireplace openings. And shown above, as an added convenience, a new remote control can regulate gas -fueled units from the comfort of an easy chair. Ways to be energy wise 1. Thermostat; turn it down a few degrees during the day and a couple more during the night! Automatic set -back thermostats can be pro- gramgted to do this for you. 2. Furnace Maintenance• have your furnace serviced regularly and replace the filters often. A furnace that's operating efficiently will use less energy. 3. Drapes and curtains: keep them closed.at night to keep warm air in, keep them open on bright sunny days to help to insulate and make the floors feel warmer. • 4. Rugs: laying them on any cold floor will help to insulate and make the floor feel wanner. • 5. hastuEns. make sure the kitchen fan filter is clean and the flap on the outside fan vent closes tightly. 6. Doors and windows: keep them dosed as much as possible. "Draft - proof' them with weatherstripping and caulking. Choose your winter firewood very carefully Whether you have a fireplace or a woodstove, you need wood to keep them burning. You should choose your wood carefully so there won't be any disagreeable surprises when it comes time to use it. The first consideration is the greenness of the wood. Wood that is too green provides a poorer energy return. It doesn't turn as well and leads to rapid accumulation of creosote deposits in the chimney. When buying wood ask when the logs were cut and split. It is better to choose logs from a cord piled in a single line, They will be drier if they have been left out in the open, sheltered of course from the rain. There are a few things to look for to recognize wood that is dry enough 'to burn well. - 1t will be lighter than a greener piece of wood of the same type and .dimension. It will likely be rather greyish looking. If you only want a fire that gives off a lively flame, it's better to use softer wood. On theother hand, if the wood is being used mainly to heat your house then a hard wood will burn for a much longer time. It's also possible to choose a combination of both types of wood. As soft wood is easier to get started, it can beamed fast. Then bard wood can be used later, particularly overnight. Benefits of an R2000 home Join a growing number of energy and environmentally conscious Canadians, Invest in an R2000 home- the better built home - and move into the 21st century today. The builder: Builders receive specialized train- ing and must prove their competence before they can be registered as qua I i- fied R2000builders. Even when these initial requirements have been met, each R2000 house they build is fully tested and inspected before itis certi- fied. R2000 builders also receive on doing training to keep them up to date in this constantly evolving field. Testing and certification: Every R2000 house must meet cer- tain performance standards, the most important of which is a comprehen- sive energy performance target. This target is determined during the Plans Evaluation Stage, using the HOT - 2000 computer program. .When test and inspections are successfully com- pleted, the home is issued a num- bered certificate that identifies it as R2000. Insulation: Higher levels of insulation help reduce heat loss and maintain con- sistent temperatures while providing some sound proofing against outside noise. Air barrier: Carefulsealing against air leakage reduces drafts and heat loss through wall, ceilings and floors, and helps keep dust and pollen out of the house. A continuous air barrier is -used to block the -uncontrolled leakage of air in and out of the house. As part of a certification process that is exclusive to the R2000 Program, this barrier is performance tented to ensure that a high degree of airtightness is achieved. Mechanical ventilation system: A mechanical ventilation system is required to deliver a continuous sup- ply of fresh air throughout an R2000 home and to ensure a healthy indoor environment all year long. In most R2000 homes, this job is done effi- ciently by a heat recovery ventilator (HRV) that captures most of the heat from stale air leaving the house and uses it to pre -heat fresh incoming air. All this translates into a healthier more comfortable living environ- ment. improved heating systems: R2000 homes are equipped with high efficiency space and water heat- ing equipment no matter what type of fuel is used. Energy efficient windows and doors: Energy-efficient windows and in- sulated doors increase the comfort level of a home and cut down heat loss. These are important character- istics of R2000 homes. Window fea- tures that reduce air flow and heat Ios&. These are important character- istir* of R2000 homes. Window fea- ture.S that reduce air flow and heat loss may include low emissivity coat- ings, triple glazing, inert gases be- tween the glazing, and special frame materials. Energy efficient appliances and lighting: R2000 builders will choose and install lighting fixtures with energy performance in mind. And when sup- plying new appliances with the house 82000 builders select the most en- ergy efficient models. Solar orientation: R2000 houses are designed to maxi - mize passive solar heat gain wher- ffinUaZZZZZ ever possible and desirable. Site ori- entation window size and placement (more window area on south walls and fess window area.on the north) and the design of roof overhangs are all important considerations in an R2000 house. Environmental benefits: Many of the materials and prod- ucts used in building and equipping a house can cause environmental prob- lems. By limiting the use of materials that cause harmful emissions, by re- ducing waste during both the con- struction and operation of the house and of course, by using less energy, an R2000 home can provide an ex- ceptionally environmentally respon- sible living space. Hot -2000 Computer Program: R2000 designers and contractors use a comprehensive heat loss simu- lation program called HOT -2000 to ensure that their designs will meet the R2000 energy performance tar- get. 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