HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1980-06-26, Page 25,.. ,
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AR oil fIgnace atrofit — that
is, upgrading your furnace so it
works more efficiently .— can
save you up to 20% on your fuel
bill; A qualified furnace service-
man can make these improvetrints relatively easily &gin the
annual furnace servicing.
ENERGY' CONSERVATION SUPPI.EMENT•-•
An PId..fra:me .,Ftekirnated:
efficiently through better mixing
of the combustion air and oil. A
retention head automatikally re-
quirehe installation of a smal-
ler noule and together they can
PrOVide a 10%-irr4nerease in
efficiency. Unfortgkertely, owing
to a lack of CSA certified equip-
,
If you lower your home (or
your office) temperature from
72PF (22°C) to 68°F (20°C)
v.ing the day and ent it back
another. 5°F (3°C) at night, you,
can save, 159/0 on your annual
fuel bill.
• ,
A thorough, furnace servicing
by •a qualified serviceman can .
• save as much as 1007o on your an-
nual fuekbill.
•
A dusty or clogged furnace air
filter forces -the heating system to
work overtime. During the win-
ter, the -filter should be cleaned
once a month and, if its the dis- •
posable type, replaced every two
- to threemonths. - • -•.
"Does a retrofit.require major
changes to my furnace?"
A retrofit is relatively•simple.
It includes changes to the,btrinet
such as reducing the size of the
nozzle, adding a• retention head .
and installing a delayed action
solenoid valve. Are you corn-
pletelY lost now?' If yott .are'like
many Canadians, you're probab-
ly not too familiar with the inner
workings of your furnace. A.
brief explanation:
Sntaller Nozzle Saves•7%-10%
Most furnades'•ate 'oversized
"Compared to he aetrial 'heating
requirements of the house (esne-
cially if the' hOuse bas beeit re-'
insulated). A srnaller nbzzle
i:,ow s the furnace to stay on long-
er which results in less'fuel being
burned more efficiently.
••••. • n
,
•10%-15%' Savings From
Retention Head' •
Fitting on the end Of the ,buin- •
er, the flame retention head all
lows the burner to operate More
merit and trained servicemen, the
flame retention head is still not
available in most areas. How-
ever, ' this should change in the
near, future. •
Reduce Pollution and Save
Energy ,
• Installation of a delayed action
solenoid valve saves energy' by
ensuring 'complete combustion.
This has the added advantage of
• reducing the amount of soot,for-
mation and the, production of
other polIntants 'which escape up ,
the chimney. •
• A vvord to the wise
If you are planning to retrofit,
• your furnace, ensure that all ret- •
rofitnerns have been certified by
theVanadian Standards Associa-
: tion (CSA).-Makeurethat your
'serviceman iS Properly trained in
, • energYefficient retrofits. Many
, of , the . provincial. goverrirrierris ,
• are 'beginning to. sponsor .furnaee,• .
retrofit training „courses, '
'
instruct 'servicemen' On. how • to •
correctly' carry out retrofit. '
Energy
Conapetition
in P.E.I.
• As oil pries soar, Marty.Cana-r
dians in both, rural and urban
areas are considering Hie fuet of
their forefathers --- wood.:
However, the sitnation has
changed since those earlier days.
Citiesare larger, while woodlots
are not only smaller but further
from the population centres. js,
wood heat still a viable option?
Like any heating fuel, wood has
its advantages and its disadvan;
tages.
- a
• Can Re ExPensIve
At its worst, unless a reason-
ably priced source of firewdod is
available wood heating can be as
expensive as heating with oil or
electricity. Wood, cut with a
chainsaw, and transported tong
distances, many also have a•high
energy cost, Harvesting- "Wood
can also be very dangerous, even
' for the experienced.
' Wood heating could cause
some environmental pollution in
A competition- in prince.
Edward Island has pitted six
architects against each other as
they try to design the bestenergy-.
conserving house that $38,000
can buy.
The competitiop 'is a joint
project of the Architects' ciationof
, 'tute of Man '& .Resource, an
organization imerested in devel-
oping practical, renewable ener-
., gy sources, • •
ore
oesJp
Than Smoke
The Chimne
' The , traditional firepifte is
•eozy, romantic and fascknating
,to wateh, but it wastes energy. Iii ,
fact using a fireplace each night
can raise a monthly heating pill .
• by about 10%. , ,
Even' with the: darnper:dosed "
• and the,fire out, a considerable
.• aniount .Of heat escaPes • up, the
• chimney: 'Once 'the -damper .is -
opened, the heat lOss is, substan-
' tial. As the fire builds to a
• ; healthy c'rnekle• it draws More'
•and More roornittup thrthin•F:
ney, replacing it -with' Colder 'Air,'
from outsider This colder air
, drawn into the housethrough the
• cracks 'around doors and win--, '
dow. The tolder the outside Air,
the greater the heat.loss. •
• "Reduce Heat L ss.
• You can reduce-, ohr ,heat .loss
by: • ,
•
1.• Using fireplace covers such
• as.,glass doors or an•inexpensive
insulated, fire-resistant Plug that -•
you can make • yourself. 'These
Energy tri runthcrefrigeratbr,
' the stove:the blender and kettle,
• the electric, frypan, toaster,. pop-
eorn maker and bun:Warmer
•• We often forget' to. add the. cost
of the energy we use in preparing
',Pur foocrio ,t,weeklyfoodbill, •
Renewable Fuel ,r•
At its best, wood heating can
e economical, reliable, : arid -
comfortable. If forests are well-
managed, 'wood is a renewable
fuel. Harvesting fuel wood in the
right manner can Also improve
the quality of a woodlot.
forest. Money spent on fuelwood
stays within the local economy. '
• There can also be personal
benefits such As exereise, fresh
,
•air and a sense of self-reliance '
when you heat your home With
the wood from your own wood -
int. • .
heavily populated areas, Wood
heating unless carefut, installa-
tion standards and maintenance
procedures are followed, . can
" pose a fire hazard. ,
•
Before you iluy
• .1f after weighing t4ePros and
• cons you've decided that wocid
heat is suitable for all or. part of
, your heating needs, you must.
• ndw serout tdacquire the skills
And knowledge' that •our fore -
"fathers , (and mothers) : took for .Canadians, ' consume ' more "
r d energy per personthan an other,
Here are some ,points to con-. .country in the World.,
shier when choosing and instal-
ling a wood stove or furnace:
• Do you have access to a reli-
able source of wood at a reason-
able price?' •
• Is your home svitable for heat-
ing with wood? Will you, for
example, have to install a chim-
ney? If this..isthe case, a building
• permit my be necessary.
• Have You determined whether
a wood•stove or furnace is best• .
for .your needs? A: fireplace, -
pleasant as it may be, is not an .
• efficient way to produce heat, jrt
fact, because cold outside
• drawn in to replace warm room
air that, is sucked up the chimney,
a fireplace contributes little or no
heat to a room. •
• -Is ;the heater 'You're consider-
ing well !Dade and airtight?
• Hive you considereei•tall
aspects of the heating systeln?
This includes not only the heater
but also the strive pipe, chimney,
oorAnd-wall-protection-as-Weli..
as any modifications that may he
required, Look for the Canadian
Standards Association or..;:the
1.1ndervvriters' Laboratory= of
• Canada stamp of approval,, •
• For safe, efficient, wood heat-
• ing, correct installation proce- •
dure is essential. The Canadian
Heating, • Ventilating and Air
. Conditioning Code sets out spe-
• cific guidelines for installing all
types ofwood heaters. •
• Your insurance agent must, be •
•notified 'if you install a wood
• heater. • Since insurance ' pre-
miums for wood heated homes ,
can vary;.you may want to do •
sortie comparative shopping.
• There are a growing number of
,books on wood heat that,can be
hel ful to the new buyer Talkin
to reliable dealers and the owners
of wood heaters is also a good
• 1.•rve..
"DIH YOU KNOW'. '.
• In addition,•because the homes
are .so well finsulated, the heat
The ,Luck, of •tlie Draw produced by ;,,slicif activities as
•-• •Six lots are situated at the end Coong;. electrical lihiing and
Of A cril-de-sac:in Hillsborough a e'enthe heat generated by the in-
.
suburb pf Charlottetown. The 'habitants "• bodies will•contribute
. lot that, each architect received , to heating the hoUses:. In faet, the
. fry his building was'. determined'''. heat ' producedr,1irr.this manner
by a draw': Becarisethe lofs, farm May. SupplMs; Much., AS, 501 of, •
, A semi circle • the; placement and the total lAtifig requirements..
• design, Of each house., N/arie's. gra(- Efficiently .• designed • Wood ,
cart heelbserl while aliredieS out: ly, aS', the -"architects 'attempt 'to'• stoves will„be installed in at' least
and when the fireplace i4 not in .maximize s.plar heat gain, by .• three of the homes as the active
use, • , - ' • , designing -t4 homes to face - source, of heat: A standard sized
, , _ , ,, • ,,_
2 Using one Of the new grates or south' ' • . hot water neater, which supplies
metal' fireplace liners; which in- Tr' the regular domestic hot water,
creases he -efficiency of , yqur, ,Share Common Features will also be .abli, to provide baek- •
•fire, ' ., . ; 'Although each house is clearly •up space heating. In one of •the
,, . , ;
• , , , - 1 • unique, they all share certain hornes:, the hot water heater will
3: Partiallyclosing the flue once • common energy saving features.. be the main source of 'spate heat. '
the fire is steadily burning -and--- -FOr---example,,,..--they-• are all - .i/artely,ig the Spice
well banked : (Keep the opening extremely well insulated (R-20 in • ' There' is an
it estinariety
large /enough to allow alsmoke
the walls and.R-40 in the ceiling); ' in the Six hOmes'. Design features
erg vl•'
to 'esc'ape•up the chimney.), ' • •, 'They all use passive solar design h as ' the placerneflt of '
-47-Sealing-off-Tan unused-fire'--7-Tfeatures ' such---as-/ruttlizing7--the---dows, the-dutside-ihaPe-and the-.
;place. ' '• ,. s'i ,,. ' , srin's heat by placing the major- , • internal layout are all onite, iiif--,
.5,•:h'e•;.,A,1-terii•‘ ativ.e, . _....... _2.ity of the windows on the south:. ferent
T . ,, . .:. ,. .
.. „.__ ...,. sjOg,,_and the planting o coni , • One)home, for example, has:
If yett( would really like the ferous trees on the north side as a- 'no . baserrienfr''' but . has been .
block against prevailing ,winter
, winds; " . dcreesaigtinriegdtwwoitahdditthioen option
s'oinf
' woOd• You burn to contribute to
heating your home, then consid-
' ' . ' ' ' ' r'' ' ' 'al O "
.er an air tight controlled com- , , • ' the attic', The archifect felt a.' .
• .
42ustion Wood stove that can be 11--P to 70°70 Heal Supplied . lbasement is 'usually an %over-
ifitted to the existing chimney. Martha musgrove, spokes-. heated storage 'space or a damp '
These 'air -tight stoves come in ' person for the Institute of Man & ....t,,I.t.t
,.
er ea c living area.
many ,aesthetically , pleasing • ' Resources, said that it is felt at One butlding is awo-story
,
20 per cent' of the homes'
expert Advice for insrallatiein and ' , heat will be suPPlied•
Cube, another' a split entry, a
shapes and, sizes but do require ' least
use ' ' •
. by the i_
the d A ,single•story, Most of the
liornes were built on` the site'but,
passive solar .featur.es,. •
,
two are modular homes, built in • THOSE,LITTLE HABITS . .
.sectiorrs. at a nearby factory. •
The energy usage am„, es
'• •
The Winner? living in identical houses was
•
The actual cash prize seems to • • coMpared. Personal habits such •
have 'faded in importance. In , Mhow warm they . kept' their:
faet, Me Winners are many. ,,hOme, how efficiently they used
• The six architects have had ,an , washers and dryers, whetheitthey
excellent opportunity to increase, 'showered or bathed; and for hovv
, their knowledge of ' energy-effi- .long,, Were the only varia6les; ••••
Clem building techeiques:, ' ;The energy bill of one family
• The builders, whowereorig- was double that Of the otheri '
quite coin
Y sniti-ted
ptiietat'. to Ryi f
hamvaehet)* the
.eneigy conserving' ideas'used in TO PLAY WITH FIRE
the houses'. , ;, • AND NOT GET BURNIEH' •
• The riew • owners wilf have• •
acquired an attractive moderate; safety • 'and efficiency; ,
ly priced home, , WhicKTbecause • wafiitore.o.dpdriaiect:eoatarniwsdotoohdabsvieeo'vbaeurs..nmheod:isiditnii..br.ate '
of its low heating cost is a built
in cushion .against inflation In
addition, the owners ,' of :thecontent 01 approximately 20°7°-
wood -heated ' -heated Itiomesare not
• '• To avoid the possibility of
' •-,t,.
vulnerable 16 fuel supply inter- -getting "green" new vvood, 'pur-;
rantions. • , • chase (or cut) your wood a year
. The cgmmunity, which novi-.4eFore•yoll Flan to uselt-
has access' to six new detailed
• plans for energy efficient homes,' •EvRTHER INFORMATION
• has also benefitted. . '
•,
• And most importantly;‘ since more information on renew..
• the homes are 'eff.i..le,ntly de" able'' -energy is. contained in the
• signed and use wood heat, Can- • free 'publication "Conservation
• ada has saved approimately and Renewable Energy: A Guide
3,000 gallons of oil per year.
The Science Couricil of Can-
ada has estimate:11'11M ,Canada
'wastes approximately .46% ofthe
,energy it '
to Sources Iriformation"l This.
guide is available from: Energy
Comm unicatioilSt DiVisicirt;'• PA;
licationi, Energy, -Mines' and
Resources, 5$0 Booth Street,'
Ottawa,. Ontario K IA 0E4
jahances• Do they Really Save Energy?
Yet a full 30'o oll,:the.„energy re -
quired to supPOrt „Onfood sYS-
tem is crinsemed in the home: -
Much of that energy is wasted.
Each tirne the oven door' is open-
ed; for example, 20% of the heat,.
is lost. If you forget to Maw the -4'C
Sunday roastbefore putting it in
• the oven cooking time increases
by 11/2 — adding to the energy ,
and dollar cot of the roast. ,
.. Many af-rlies of--th
„chen'S high energy bill -can bp eli-
,Minated by simply • following
comMon sense. Using h-ot ' water
wisely, opening the oven- door
only When•necessary and closing
it quickly; (dititi for the refrigera- •
ior door),, cam do a' lot to reduce
sdaring energy bill. •
,Hciwever; follpWing the energy
saving method'11s not always ,so
for instance, ..!which uses ' less
energy? The oven? The stove?
Tire, fry -pan? ,c,Yr What about a
slow cooker? Or a microwave
oven? 4 •
• The answer depends On such
considerations as length of cpok-
ing, quantity of food., as well as
the enetgy efficiency of the vari-
• oils appliances, For example: ;
.0 The oven is -the mast energy
wasteful way to•cook, This is be-
cause not only the food but the
entire oven cavity must be,heat-
-ed.'there IS' also substantial heat
loss through the walls, And door.
• If you douse • the oven, „then
I•make. good use -the 'heat .by
-cocikin,g , a ;,`,total tOven
., When pisibleyadapt foods usu-
ally cooked in the oven to the top
0 the stove. , • .•
.
• An 'electrie,•frypan, When it is
full, • uses less • electricity than
. • cooking the same quaritity on the
stove. But .when cooking small
quantities, much of the area is
• unused and the„etectfic .frypan.
'wastes energy. Cooking two pork
chops in an electric frypan con,
'sums 60% more electricity.than
• Would cooling them on the small
element or the t ove. •
•
• A microwave oven uses less eri-
ergy than a conventional oven.
1