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The Huron Expositor, 1982-10-27, Page 19Lin@egy coffic reO© cmd cgclQ saan THE HURON EXPOSITOR, OCTOBER 27, 1982 — A19 Take a second look at wood Canada is a nation amply blessed with wood, and recent years have seen a return to the use of this renewable resource as fuel for our fires. Already our forest industries make use of their wood wastes to produce energy -in fact, wood pro- duces twice as rhuch second- ary energy in this country as nuclear. Homeowners are also taking a second look at wood, and over 1 million full cords of fuelwood were used to heat Ontario homes and cottages in 1980. If you burn wood, you are likely already aware of the few basic rules - make sure yours ave installation is safe, clean stovepipes fre- quently. and air-dry your wood for at least a year before burning. But are you aware that some kinds of wood give considerably bet- ter heat value than others? Heat value is measured in British Thermal Units (or BTU's), with Rock Elm top- ping the list at 32 million BTU's per cord, and the lowly balsam rating less than half' that value at 15, Generally, the quality hardwoods rate highly in heating value, with white and red oak, sugar maple. beech and yellow birch all' rating in the upper 20's. Ash, soft maple, tamarack and white birch come next. with BTU ratings in the mid -20's. At the I'bwer end of the' scale, below 20, are mernbers of the poplar family and most of the conifers, including hemlock. pine, ce- dar and spruce. WOOD:IS BEING used as an alternate heat source due to the high price of home heating oil. A veteran woodcutter, Carl Siemon of RR4, Walton, used to cut over 200 cord of wood and sell it. He now only cuts enough for his own use, approximately 25 cord, to be burned in a cookstove and combination wood -oil furnace. Son, Paul, at right, demonstrates a hydraulic wood splitter, agreat labour-saving device. (Photos by Ron Wassink) Ontario may be facing a shortage of commercial pulp- wood in the near future, but our firewood supply is enor- mous. In too many cases, the tops of trees harvested for logs are simply wasted, instead of heing cut into fuelwood. Most bush lots can be actually improved by removal of diseased or brok- en trees regularly for fuel. However, it is important to leave a few hollow trees per acre for the benefit of your wildlife, and to resist the urge to clean up completely all the lower value trees. A healthy woodlot is a diverse woodlot, look it over carefully to ensure that un- common species and fragile habitats are protected during any cutting. nerd e ! w.: en yo uy a erator. You could save enough to ffll It with an extra $36O of food. It's time to check furnace, chimney We all tend to take our fur -tutees for granted. But in order for them to do their best job to keep us warm and safe this winter they need lots of fresh air and a good chimney. Most homeowners know that their furnace needs to be cleaned and serviced each year. bur too few check that the chimney is dear of blockages. A clean and clear chimney is vital for your heating system to work efft• ciently and safely. The Ministry of Consumer and Commercial Relations advises that not only your furnace, but also your chim• ney should be checked by a registered contractor either before or after each heating season, "By having a contractor come into your home and take a close look at your system, you can stop any problems before they arise," says Harold Yoneyama, Exe- cutive Director of the Techni- cal Standards Division. Yoneyama says homeowners can also be on the lookout for some tell-tale signs of chim• ney problems. I. White powder or water stains on the chimney above the roof. These are caused by condensation, which can be eating away at the brick and mortar, 2. Dampness or signs of condensation inside the house from the base of the chimney in the basement. 3. Lost mortar or bricks inside the cleanout door at the base of the chimney. These could block safe vent- ing of the furnace. If you notice any of the above signs of deterioration on your chimney you may need a chimney liner. In many homes. tile or transite liners hay, been installed inside the chimney. The liner prevents the old brick and chimney mortar from being eaten away by corrosive condensation from the venting of furnaces. Without the liner, chunks of brick or mortar can fall into the chimney and block it. OVERSEALED HOMES In unsealed homes. there is enough air• leaking in '.through the cracks around windows and doors to pro• vide more than enough oxy• gen needed for a furance to burn properly. However. by oversealing a house (by wcathcrstrippng. caulking and adding tight storm doors and windows) homeowners may reduce the fresh air in their hones too much. Furnaces and fireplaces need air in order to burn properly. If there is not enough fresh air in a hone, the natural flow of gasses up the chimney can sometimes he reversed. The chimney then becomes the passage• way for outside air into the house. If this happens. and the furnace is operating. gasses may enter the house. cre• ating a carbon monoxide danger to the people inside. Fireplaces have a tre- mendous appetite for oxy- gen. and should have an outside source of air supply. especially in a well sealed house. If you think you may have a problem. open a window slightly, as a temporary measure, and consult a regi- stered furnace contractor. DO-IT-YOURSELF RENOVATIONS The consumer and com- mercial relations ministry also cautions that you should get expert advice before adding wood -stove venting systems to existing shim - ncys. And if you are thinking about finishing your base- ment. it is dangerous and illegal to enclose your fur- nace without providing an adequate supply of air for combustion and ventilation. It's hest Io qct expert advice from a registered furnace contrat•tor. . Saturday morning 12 point check Next Saturday morning take a few minutes to do a quick "walk -around" your car. With the cost of car repairs climbing, it makes good sense to in- spect your vehicle regular- ly. By doing this, you can avoid major repairs and save money in the process. Energy Sense (1) Begin by checking the tires to make sure they are properly inflated and not worn, (2) Check your lights: headlights, turn signals, brake lights, tail lights and parking lights. (3) Make sure that your gas cap is on tightly, and (4) That your windshield wipers arc not rough or cracked. (5) Check your oil level and drive belts. (6) Make sure your battery cables arc clean and dry. (7) Check your radiator coolant. and (8) Power steering reser- voir, and (9) Automatic sion fluid level. (10) Check all the gauges and warning lights and step on the brake to make sure that it is firm. (11) Check your parking brake and, finally, (12) Move the car a few feet to check for wet spots which can indicate leaks. The whole inspection takes just a few minutes and you can soon be on your way to complete all those "delightful" chores associated with Saturday That's a lot of groceries for your family. So before you buy any refrigerator, look for the EnerGuide label. It's on all new stocks of refrigerators (as well as freezers, ranges, washers and dryers). The EnerGuide label shows you the number of kilowatt hours used, per month, by each appliance. The difference between EnerGuide numbers translates easily into your savings in electricity costs over the average 10 -year lifetime of your purchase. For example: Difference between Average Months 'Estimated Your overall EnerGuide numbers Electricny In years savings in of 2 comparable Cost per kWh a In elettrldty refrigerators in the area year , use casts 75 x 0.04 x 12 z 10 •- S360.00 That extra $360 of savings can go a long way toward the purchase price of your refrigerator—or go into your savings account—or buy that much extra groceries to put into your refrigerator! Such careful shopping enables you to save two valuable resources—your electrical energy and your money. And as electricity costs increase, that makes more sense than ever. EnerGuide labelling is a program of Consumer and Corporate Affairs Canada, supported by the Canadian Electrical Association and the electric utilities. Seaforth Public Utility Commission 527-0530 Seaforth transmis- ' rfr,td 4 (i'ypl�'4 \P;iR Krtti►r inn T Hulfy Gully and Kero-Sun combine to bring you the best in HELP CONSERVE VALUABLE FUEL! 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