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HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News-Record, 1977-11-10, Page 24Kitchen good place to start One of the biggest energy - using rooms in your home is the kitchen. It's a good place to look for ways to save. There are many, many appliances on the market, all promising to make kitchen work lighter. However, before you buy a new item or replace one that's worn out,_ ask yourself three simple questions: Do I really need this new item? How often will it be used? •Do my friends or neighbors have one? Can I do the job manually or with an appliance I already own? Is there an alternative that won't consume energy? Can I avoid those energy - draining frills?- There's no doubt that I need the basic refrigerator and stove. But do I really , need a butter war- mer, an ice -cube dispenser, or a rotisserie?. What will the appliance cost me in energy and cash to operate? What's the power requirement over a year? Is there a more efficient unit with a lower operating cost? At a time when energy consumption is important and many people are questioning the value of gadgets, take a thoughtful moment to honestly assess your needs. Will a host of appliances really liberate you from kitchen work? These are all questions of personal choice and only you can answer them. The biggest user of energy in the kitchen is usually the stove — electric or gas. You can economize and still turn out delicious meals. Using the oven rather than several elements saves energy because once the oven reaches the required heat it shuts off and cooks with stored heat. Elements, on the other hand, are always on. With little forethought, meals can be planned to save energy. How about a total oven meal: casserole, baked potatoes and baked apple dessert. If you have several items that usually cook at different temperatures, select the average tem- perature and remove each as it's done. Cook a larger -then -needed quantity of one meal. Freeze a portion of it for another day (as soon as it has cooled to room temperature). You'll save energy and money. The more quickly you can put an item into a hot oven the less heat will be lost. Did you,.. know that each time you open the,door you lose about 20 per cent of the heat that's inside? Don't peek! If you're toasting or broiling, use a smaller ,ap- pliance such as- a toaster or fry pan. Remember that toasting bread in the oven takes three times more energy than in a pop-up toaster. Usually pre -heating is a waste of energy — except for cakes and pastries. Items that will be cooking for more than an hour do not need a pre -heated oven. And setting the oven temperature higher than required won't make the oven heat up more quickly. Glass or glass ceramic baking dishes transfer heat more efficiently than metal and let you set the tem- perature about 25 Fahrenheit degrees (14 Celsius degrees) lower. Most frozen foods, especially meat, should be thawed before cooking. (Do it in the refrigerator to avoid bacteria build-up.) Cooking frozen food takes longer and uses more energy. Take meat out of the refrigerator about an hour before cooking time to warm up, but be sure to keep it covered. If you're cooking a roast you can save energy by turning off the heat about 30 minutes before it's finished. The remaining heat should be enough to finish the job. At least once a year and preferably more often, check the temperature of your oven with a thermometer. You'll make sure that the dial is accurate and that you're not wasting energy. You can easily warm some items —buns or plates — with retained oven heat, after the main meal is cooked. Now, do you really need an electric bun warmer? The oven is an expensive and inefficient way to warm the kitchen. If you need more heat, a small space heater makes more sense. Here are some ways to save on the top of the stove. Buy pots and pans that are bright and shiny, with straight sides and flat bot- toms and tightly fitting lids. Your foods will cook more quickly, more evenly and more economically. The bottom of the saucepan should cover the element entirely but not extend more than one inch beyond the outer ring of the element. When you're cooking any vegetable, use only a small. amount of water.. You don't even have to cover all the vegetables with water ; the steam will cook them. You'll save energy, vitamins and flavor. Once the water is boiling, turn the dial to the lowest heat that will keep it boiling. A higher setting only creates more steam and doesn't speed up the cooking. Use a double boiler for vegetables, sauces and heating cold food. One element instead of two! A pressure cooker is a good fuel -saver. Use it for stews, soups, pot roasts and almost all your vegetables. A vegetable steamer is another good idea. This small, collapsible metal basket folds or expands to fit most saucepans. Very little water — or energy — is needed to steam food. Another way to save is to turn off electric burners 2 or 3 minutes before the end of the proper cooking time. The elements will stay hot and food will continue to cook. Many families have ga,s stoves, especially in western Canada. Most of the points above apply to both electric and gas stoves, but here are two special points for the gas people. A clear, blue flame is a sign of top efficiency. If the flame is yellow, or has yellow streaks in it, something is probably clogging the outlets. Turn off the gas, remove the burner and clean the parts with a wire pipe -cleaner. If this doesn't improve the flame, call your serviceman. When you have pots or pans on the burner elements, the flame should be just touching the bottom. It's a waste of gas to send the flame licking up the sides. Refrigerators are now an accepted part of Canadian life, and freezers arer'steadily growing in popularity. They are both large consumers of energy, so it really pays to shop around when you're buying a new model. The first shopping decision you'll have to make is bet- ween a standard and a "frost - free" model. If you take the frost -free unit, you'll pay more when you buy it and up to 50 per cent more for the electrical energy to run it. Example: A standard 12 cubic -foot model that con- sumes 850 .kilowatts a year adds about $20 to your electrical bill. A similar frost - free model could use about 1,200 kilowatts, and cost $28. The same holds true for freezers, with the frost -free model using a good deal more energy. Before you buy any model, check the quality of in- sulation. In a cheaper unit that - is poorly built, the compressor will run more Turn to page 5 • e Page 3 Move heat around efficiently It's one thing to produce heat efficiently, but that's only part of the battle. The next important topic is moving it to where you want it. There are four basic types of heating systems: Warm air. Air is heated and then circulated through the house with the help of a fan or by gravity. Hot water. Water is heated and pumped through pipes and radiators. Steam. Water is boiled to produce steam which then circulates through pipes and radiators. Electricity. Electricity is supplied directly to each 'room in the house and sup- plies heat through heating elements and radiators. Warm -air heating is the most common system in Canada. Cool air is drawn from the house through the cold -air registers. 'It- is filtered and a fan forces it over the heat exchanger where it picks up heat from the firepot. It then circulates in ducts to air registers throughout the house. The fan usually starts after the burner, and is controlled by a thermostat that measures, the temperature of the air in the heat exchanger. You'll notice that the fan often keeps running after the burner has cut out. Air is still being heated; energy in the furnace would be wasted if it shut down right away. The warm -air temperatures at which the fan cuts in and out are easily set by a control switch on the front or side of the furnace. The serviceman usually sets the fan to cut in at 175-200 degrees F (80-93 degrees C) and out at 140-150 degrees F (60-65 degrees C) . This is a high range. To extract more energy from the furnace, set the fan to cut in at 120 degrees F T49 degrees C) and out at 100 degrees F (38 degrees C). The fan will start to circulate the hot air sooner and will run longer after the thermostat has cut off the burner. For the last minute or so of fan operation, the circulating air may feel a little chilly to someone sitting close to a register. You want the best setting for your needs and may prefer the cut-out -temperature higher than 100 degrees F (38 degrees C). Lubricate the fan motor. Give it a squirt of oil two or three times during, the heating season. Check . belt tension and alignment. There must be proper alignment between the pulleys of the electric motor and the fan. Belt tension ' is also important. These items should be in- cluded in your annual ser- vicing, but you can check them yourself as well. (The diagram of the warm -air , heating system shows you the location.) Before you do anything, turn off the master power switch. Oil the motor and then Turn to page 4 • 416 Is Your Old Furnace Costing Extra $$$ With Rising fuel Costs • • • • IF SO INQUIRE ABOUT A NEW EFFICIENT SUNOCO FORCED AIR UNIT HERE'S WHY: When the burner is fired, the heat from the Combust- ion Chamber (A) is forced upwards and through the welded steal Pre -heating Tubes (C). The unusually large area of the Heat Ex- changer (B) plus the unique Pre -heating Tubes (C) of the Secondary Heat Exchanger are good reasons for maxi- mum heat output and econoc.ical operation, Com- plete heat transfer with for less wasted heat up the chimney` wast. 10 YEAR HEAT EXCHANGER WARRANTY Heat exchangers are made of heavy gauge steel for durability, sturdiness and quiet operation. Scientifically designed and proved to give maximum efficiency, long-ltfe and dependable, trouble-free service. BACKED BY OVER 3S YEARS' EXPERIENCE IN WARM AIR HEATING! % PER ANNUM Conserving Energy is something every Canadian Should do. If your energy saving project is going tobe expensive -- home insulation, home improvements, or a new car that will save on gas and oil -- come in and see us. Our low-cost loans can help save you money. Reminder! Clinton Community Credit Union ANNUAL MEETING in the Ministry of Agriculture Board Room, Clinton • • Adaptable For Air Conditioning BRILLIANT, DURABLE BAKED ENAMEL SOLID ZINC -BONDED STEEL II NEOPRENE MOUNTED OIL BURNER II SIMPLICITY OF DESIGN II STRONG WELDED STEEL 1 PERFECTION IN HEATING COMFORT 1 PERFECTION IN EFFICIENCY 1 PERFECTION IN ECONOMY MINIMUM AIR POLUTION ALSO AVAILABLE — OIL FIRED WATER HEATERS SUNOCO SLANT FIN BOILERS FOR H2OT WATER SYSTEMS FINANCING AVAILABLE If You Have A Woodlot, Be A Winner With WEDNESDAY, NOV. 23 ate:oon.m. REKINDLE AN OLD FLAME HEAT WITH WOOD Carmor Downdraft Space Heaters A revolutionary new concept in wood burning space heaters. Air tight construction combined with the downdraft principle produces an extremely efficient heater. WOODBURNING CARMOR DOWNDRAFT SPACE HEATERS SOLD BY: for the purpose of receiving reports and financial statements for the year ending on September 30th, 1977; electing Directors and Credit Committee officers, appointing auditors; for the purpose of amending By -Laws and of transacting all other business of an Annual Meeting. Lunch will follow the meeting. Door Prizes. 1 nwmc Wood & 011Combination FarnacQ SAVES MONEY EASY TO INSTALL RELIEVES FUEL PROBLEMS AND COSTS For Estimates CaII HAROLD WISE LIMITED 262 Bayfield Road CLINTON 482-7062 CREDIT UNION 25 Years of Service 70 ONTARIO ST. 430 MAIN ST. S. CLINTON EXETER 482-346723546110 fl) * Burns wood and oil in separate combustion chambers "r Switches from wood to oil automatically • Extra large fire door 171/2" x 171" -"r Twin 10" blowers for quiet efficient - operation Large fire box will take up to 24" wood Burns wood completely to a fine powder Heavy stainless steel fire box liner Can be fired with wood when power is off • Positive draft control for greater efficiency • Both wood and oil fires thermostatically controlled * Easily serviced, quiet efficient flame retention burner CHISHOLM FUELS 529-7524 LUCKNOW 524-7681 GODERICH Ir.