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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1981-10-28, Page 42Heating with wood Use common sense with wood As energy costs con- tinue to climb, many people are rekindling an old flame -- wood fires. With proper forest management, wood can provide a cheap, clean, renewable energy source. But don't forget you're playing with fire. An improperly installed or maintained fireplace, stove or combination wood -oil unit is a • fire hazard. Use common sense and follow a few simple guidelines: + Install only units that have been certified for use with wood by the Canadian Standards Association, or Under- writers' Laboratories of Canada. Combination wood -gas units are not approved. + Stoves, • including grates, should be in good condition. Doors and dampers should fit tightly so you can control the rate of combustion. + Hire an expert to make sure the flue pipe and chimney are in good repair and can handle the higher temperatures produced by wood fires. -F If you originally had a coal or wood -burning furnace in yourhome and later converted to a gas or, oil unit, restoration should be relatively simple. However, some chimneys are designed specifically for oil or gas and may not be adequate. + Masonry of ULC - certified, factory -built chimneys are safe for use with wood. But masonry chimneys should: have a fire clay flue liner. Flammable materials should not be. left closer than two in- ches (five centimetres) from the chimney. Chimneys should extend at least three feet (90 centimetres) above a flat roof and at least two feet (60 centimetres) higher than any part of a sloped roof within ten feet (three metres) horizontally of the chimney. + If flue pipes must pass through combustible walls, a heat -dispersing thimble at least 18 inches (45 centimetres) in diameter should encircle the pipes. + Contact your in- surance agent before. adding a new heating system. It may be con- sidered an additional risk resulting in higher Check choke system All American Cars nowadays have automatic chokes, and most of the later models have a preheated air system. It's important that both systems.- choke and pre -heated air - function well. If they don't, the result can be hard starting, stumbling and hesitation while the engine is warming up, and decreased fuel. economy. A sticking choke and a loose or missing hose from the pre -heated air system are two fairly common problems on cars that have ac- cumulated some mileage. Fortunately, you can check both items quickly. Here's how : AUTOMATIC CHOKE The purpose of the automatic choke is to provide a richer fuel -air mixture during startup when the engine is -cold. It does this by blocking off most of the area of the carburetor where the air. enters. As a result, less air than usual travels with the fuel into the combustion chambers, making the fuel -air mixture richer, and more combustible. As the engine warms up, the choke opens up, allowing the normal amount of air to enter along with the fuel, so the mixture of fuel and air is then leaner. To check -the choke, the engine should be cold. If it has not been run for a few hours, say overnight, for example, it will be cold. • Remove the top from the air cleaner. It's usually held on by a wing nut. Just unscrew the nut and lift the top off. In the middle of the air cleaner you'll see the carburetor throat. At the top of the throat will be a plate that pivots on a rod. That's the choke plate. Have a friend press the accelerator pedal down and release it. The plate should snap shut. Now have your friend start the engine. As, the engine starts the plate, should open just slightly. , Now let the engine idle, and watch the choke plate. At this point the choke plate, though open slightly, will be almost closed. But as the engine warms up the choke plate will gradually open until it's in a vertical position. If it does this, you can assume the choke is okay. If it doen't, . it probably needs adjusting. Have it checkedby,a mechanic. THE HEAT -PIPE CONNECTOR To meet emissions standards, modern car- buretors are carburetted lean. Pre -heating the intake air to the car- buretor during warmup lets the carburetor be calibrated leaner. Hydrocarbon em issions are reduced. On a cold day when a cold engine is started, the vactrim diaphragm (see illustration) pulls up the air control valve in the air cleaner's snorkel. That shuts off the cold outside air. Air can now enter the snorkel through the flexible pipe (or hose, depending on your ter- minology) that is con- nected to a shield that's around the hot exhaust manifold. The air passing over the hot exhaust manifold is warmed and enters the carburetor as pre -heated air. Sometimes, though, the hose or pipe that connects the shield .. (also sometimes called a heat stove) around the exhaust manifold to the air -cleaner snorkel is not connected - or was ac- cidentally knocked off, purposely disconnected in the mistaken belief it would improve per- formance, or missing altogether. If the hose is discon- nected or missing, cold air enters the air cleaner`' through the passage that would ordinarily admit warm air. Cold air is more dense than hot air. So an already lean carburetor gets leaner, and hesitation and stumbling develop during warmup. When the engine warms up, though, • it behaves normally - because the sensor in the air cleaner that passes vacuum to the vacuum diaphragm doesn't let any more vacuum by; the air -control valve then closes off the passage for the prehated air, and everything performs normally. The stumbling problem occurs only when the engine is cold and warming up. premiums. 11 you do not notify your agent and a fire occurs, your in- surance may not apply. + A building permit will probably be required. Check with your municipality about this before work begins. Because of the additional fire hazards, consider installing a smoke detector. The Ministry of Con- sumer and Commercial Relations has published an information sheet, titled "Guide for homeowmers : heating with wood fuels," tnat covers installation, lighting and maintenance of wood -fired eequipment which is available from the Consumer Infor- mation Centre at 555 Yonge Street, Toronto, Ontario M7A 2116. Save with wood Many Canadians are switching to wood as a pri- mary or supplemental source of home heating. This has two advantages. First of all you can save money compared to other heating methods and se- condly wood is a renewable energy and reduces the re- quirements of other natural resources. Heating with wood has many different aspects compared to other conven- tional methods. It must be available, seasoned, stored and hand fed into a fire- place, heater or furnace. Remember also• that if you are away fo; any length of time other means are re- quired tq heat your home. Many improvements on wood heating appliances as well as new types have been introduced to the market. Many people are not aware that wood heating appli- ances are .theimostically controlled and will allow heating periods of up to 12 hours with one fill of wood. If one is to heat with wood naturally it is most important to assure your- self of a continuous supply of fuel and also make the cost comparison with other heating methods. Wood is available from your own wood lox, gov- ernment wood lots, farm - cis, local sawmills, regular wood suppliers, door-to- door salesmen, fuel yards, local ,newspaper ads and yellow pages. When purchasing wood the` following points are most important: the cost, the quantity, delivery point, type off wood and whether it is seasoned. Proper storage is a must, well seasoned, air dried wood will ignite better, is lighter to carry, has more heat value and causes less smoke and creosote than green wood. If you are able to .pur- chase hard wood at $100.00 per cord your fuel costs would he 25% less than heating with oil, 38% less than electricity, 18% less than coal, 20% less than softwood but slightly more than natural gas. If you are not planning on wood heating as a pri- mary source of heat it would be well worth your while to supplement your current heating with wood. It will still give you savings. We have a complete selection of brand-name auto parts for your car's winterizing • Larry Gibbing: Our store manager. Larry has over 11 years experience In the automotive parts field. Linda Bosnian Bookkeeper Jerry Cox Sales Representative Rad Shop Poremon Alh CUNT0N AUTO PARTS LTD. We also offer a BRAKE' LATHE SERVICE COMPLETE • MACHINE SHOP SERVICE COME IN ANO SEE OUR • COMPLETE LINE OF TOOLS New home of THE RAD SHOP. "A Good Place to *aka a Leak" *BOILING *REPAIRING IDE -CORING •RADIATORS for all makes of Cars, Trucks, Tractors Randy Middleton Counter Soles Jack Reid Delivery Garry Elliott Rad Shop Technldan AUTOMOTIVE • TRUCK • FARM IMPLEMENT PARTS 482.3934 THE RAD SHOP 482-9393 24 Klnq Sfr••f, Clinton OPEN: Monday - Friday a a.m. - Sal p.m. Saturday a.m.-1,p.m.