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HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News-Record, 1976-10-28, Page 50701 har t energy. satin You saw ee+cticit and iia MAW -eases you also save the coal;en hr natural gas. used at the generating station, Even hydro sites are now limited. Developing future nuclear and hydro facilities will he very expensive. So, yes, turn out those lights, Incandescent: This is the familiar light bulb found in most homes. Light is produced by heating a tiny filament until it glows. Unfortunately it produces much more heat than light — about 95 percent heat and 5 percent light. This heat is usualty wasted because it's generated at the wrong place." - It's easy to be confused by all the different incandescent lamps on the market — general service, eye saver, shadow ban, extended ser- vice. ervice. 4 Most . light lumens) fer e wattle cunsu?med. Strange as it may seen; one lamp, of higher Wattage will give more light than the samewattage fro m two smallerps+,Ple one 100 -watt lamp Will give more light than two 60 -watt lamps (1740 VS. 1720 Iumens'). Most fluorescent lights are found in offices- and schools, however they can bring important energy -savings to the home as well. Fluorescent lighting is over 5 times as efficient as in- candescent lighting. It produces about r30 percent light and 70 percentheat. Fluorescent lighting can also be confusing. There are two main types on the market: "cool white' and• "daylight" (or "warm white"). Cool whito produces the most lumens, while daylight is a softer light. Cool white also .produces` more glare unless shaded. Fluorescent tights are best arm and in iatchens and neat Vis.. leave a room bes turn off the lights ehia l ou, even If it's only fora short time, There's a general misconceptionthat leaving. lights on saves more elec tricity than turning them off and then on_again. Not true! There's a momentary surge of power when a light is turned on, but it's equal to only a second or two of lighting time. How much light do you really need? Try putting lower wattage bulbs in hallways, basements, bedrooms and wherever close work isnot done. For reading, sewing, cooking, -games- or Lobbies, use good localized lighting from lamps or specially in- stalled fixtures. When you're renovating or =tailing new lighting, try fluorescent fixtures. They're much more efficient. A barely visible ac- cumulation of dust will lower Move heat around efficiently (continued from page 14 and check to be sure you didn't disturb the alignment of the two pulleys. To increase the flow of warm air through the house, increase the fan speed by adjusting the variable diameter pulley on the motor. Change the filters. Usually they're attate back of the furnace, , Meeh d- _-.aa panel': Inspect them at least once a month. If they arm -dirty, replace the disposable fiberglas type or wash out the semi-permanent type. (You might try vacuuming the disposable type and using - them again.) Dirty fitters block the circulation of air, reduce ' the furnace's of-. ficiency and cost you money. You'll find disposable filters in your hardware or department store. The sizes are marked, such as 16 x 20 x 1". The filters fit on ledges behind the back door of your furnace and installing the right size is important. Some of the semi-permanent ones can be cut to size and washed out once a month. (But do it in cold water, pleased ) If you don't need extra heating in your basement, all the exposed ducting should be taped at each joint and in- sulated with fiberglas or mineral -wool insulation. (Warning: Never use foamed plastic insulation because it's a fire hazard.) - A warm -air register can be accidentally blocked by simply drooping a newspaper on it. The warm air That should be corning into the room will go elsewhere, and your furnace will have to work overtime. If the registers are under a window and you happen to close the +i rtains:.r ,apes m front of cit,, , .. • ,gra- merely heats the' widow. What a' waste! .,8b be Sure to keep registers clear of such heat. robbers as CUrtai#ts, drape, furniture and Almost any will have pia tic deli Ors for hot-air registers. They shoot the heat away from the cooler outside walls and into the main living area. Hot-water heating is the -- most common alternative to warm air. Water is pumped through tubes in the turna+ e and heated to a maximum of 180 degrees F (82 degrees C), then.sirculated= through the house in, pipes. After giving up heatlo the radiators, the cooled water returns to the pump and starts the cycle all over again. The systemalways has an expansion tank and pressure relief valve to prevent ex- cessive pressure build-up. A flow -control valve stops the water when the. circulating pump isnot working. The expansion tank has an automatic water feed. Relief valves should be checked and the water drained off to provide an air space for expansion of the heated water. Different systems use slightly different methods to restore the air cushion in the tank, so look in your owner's manual for these instructions and the location of drain taps. Hot-water pipes going to and from radiators should be well insulated, especially in areas that don't need heat. To run efficiently, the system needs water in all radiator& and ' in the boiler. each fall, before start-up, check your water -level gauge on the boiler. In the fall, when your system goes on <for: the first time, bleed the air from each 'radiator. If:ou don't, air will stop the wa er flow and the radiators wi I stay cold. Open. the vent screw at • one ez)d of the radiator and keep it open until hot water spurts out into a handy cup or glass. You'll need a screwdriver or small wrench to open the vent, and when you''re finished, be' sure the water isn't dripping. Wio away dust and dirt to let More heat out. Don't set bookshelves, chairs or drapes directly in front or on top because they also slow up the heat flow. Let the heat out at bothtop-andbottom. Stay away from metallic paints and glossy light colors. Use a matte or satin finish. A sheet of aluminum foil against the wall, behind -the radiator, will direct the beat into the room. ,Steam heating is found mainly in older homes and is similar to the hot-water the lighting level.. And may cam you to turn on more hts. Dust tops regularly. Think about a dimmer for the dining, room You'll be able to tum the lights} down %ow for a romantic touch, especially If you have candles on the table. The ideal shade is white or near - white andconceals the lamp bulb. both when you are standing and sitting. The shade should be dense enough to keep the bulb from glaring through Out not opaque) and should reflect the light. The light should be sent upwards as well as downwards,with the, shade wide enough at the bottom to spread light over a fairly wide area. Light paint finishes on both ceilings and walls will reflect the light and perhaps reduce the number of gimps you need. . Use a long -life or extended service lamp in those awk- ward hallways and cupboards where it's tough to replace a bulb.. This type will cost a little more. Keep in mind that a long -life lamp produces oieeeo system, but uses steam at 212 degrees F (100 degrees C). Water is heated to boiling in a boiler, and the steam rises through pipes to radiators in each room of the house. Here the steam is condensed to water, releases heat to the room, and returns to the boiler by gravity. - Water in the boiler should be kept at the level recom- mended by yourmanufac- turer. Check the glass gauge usually found on the boiler. If lower lumens than an equivalent wattage general service type. Be sure that Iigbting equipment does not reflect on shiny surfaces the television screen or a pile of .glossy magazines. The glare will tire your eyes. Do youreally need a 100 - watt lamp in the light stan- dard at the end of the driveway? Wouldn't a G0 -watt or maybe a 40 -watt do just as well? Are floodlights necessary in front or back? Can you reduce the quantity or size? Think about an automatic timer to control the time when they are actually in use. Christmas lighting has become a tradition in Canada, but that doesn't mean we can run wild. Keep your lights to a modest display, unless of course your electrical utility recommends a total ban. Don't put them up too far ahead of Christmas and take them down as soon (continu .d on page 23 there isn't enough water in the system, the heating unit will shut off; too much water will reduce the boiler's ef- ficiency. Once a month through the heating season, ,,.flush out and clean the boiler. Open the "flushing" valve (find it with the help of your instruction manual) and strain the water until it runs clear. Then refill -the boiler to its proper level. • If you have leaky joints, both steam and heat will escape. Repair them yourself 'or call a plumber. SALES AND SERVICE 5 2 4 797 5