PRAY , pbs re a AW EN t the lowdown on winter heating YOUR FURNACE is as much a part of your family as your dog and, like dogs, some furnaces are cleaner than others. At Energy, Mines and Resources Canada (MR), scien- tists are developing technology to build more efficient residential furnaces. When you burn less fuel to heat your home, you lessen the contribution to air pollution, while cutting down on energy costs. Gas furnaces ; It is often difficult to decide which of the different kinds of furnaces on the market is best suited to your needs. A conven- tional gas furnace foses heated house air up the chimney, when the furnace is running and when it is not, Generally, conventional gas furnaces operate with a scasoaal efficiency of 60%. A vent damper-equipped fur- nace offers fuel savings of 3% to 10% but this furnace loses most of that savings if a conventional gas-fired water heater is con- nected to the same chimney. The gas-fired water heater keeps the flue open and the house heat goes up the chimney. Another furnace which is about 25% mtore efficient than conven- tional gas furnaces is the in- duced-draft) fan furnace, other- wise known as the mid-attic fur- nace. Its seasonal efficiency is around 80%. The highest efficiency furnace now on the market is the condens- ing gas furnace. Depending on the particular design, fuel savings can ‘be from 26 to 38% when com- pared to a conventional gas fur- nace, Research scientists at EMR have developed a ‘‘retrofit’’ con- densing furnace deisgned to fit onto an existing conventional gas furnace. The seasonal efficiency of this type of modified furnace is 90%. Another feature is that no chimney is required. The flue gas is merely. carried via a plastic pipe to an exhaust vent on the ontside wall of the house. As it is produced by Ca- nadian manufacturers, this appli- ‘ance is approved for sale in both Canada and the U.S. One of the barriers for high- efficiency furnaces has been the cost. EMR scientists are working -on new and retrofit condensing systems that will be cheaper and even more efficient than existing systems. The pricey stainless steel cur- Arbutus likes as much sun as possible From page 17 robust specimen, give it as much sun as you can, ‘ It is. extremely important that you remember this tree’s prefer- ences for acid, lirne-free soils. You should avoid planting in the lawn as our climate demands the yearly application of dolomite slime for healthy grass. , - Neither do they appreciate regu- lar applications of high-nitrogen fertilizers and they especially hate Weed and Feed. Don’t we all?. The best way to feed an arbutus is to simply apply one or two in- ches of ‘compost over the root zone in spring and fall. You could add a small amount of a commercial rhododendron and azalea food in spring if you are compelled to opt’ for the chemical solution. rently being used in condensing furnaces has been replaced by new, less expensive material, like plastics. Three prototype furnaces with this plastic condensing system are now in the test stage, In the near future, the plastic bottles you throw away could be used to pro- duce a better furnace. Wood heating A farge number of Canadian stoves, This is being used as the basis for a CSA standard for cer- tification and labelling now under final development. Heat pumps Air source heat) pumps are another popular addition to con- ventional heating systems. Al- though they are very efficient when temperatures are above freezing, as temperatures fall, so too does the heat pump’s efficien- 44 Conventional fireplaces... supply little if any energy to the home, particularly if temperatures drop. 99 households have wood as their main heat source, or have their heaters supplemented by wood- burning stoves. Although wood can be a useful energy source, to be efficient it has to be used carefully. Conventional fireplaces, so popular in residential homes, sup- ply little if any energy to the home, particutarly when temperatures drop. These attrac- tive additions can be between minus 5% and 5% efficient. Glass doors, ‘‘heatilator’’-type heat exchangers and even outside combustion air only marginally improve the efficiency of such fireplaces to a high of about 20%, The problem with fireplaces is that they need a large amount of air to burn effectively; this warm air is generally drawn from inside the house. On the othe: hand, if you are going to burn wood, you should do so in a well-designed airtight wood stove that is located in a major living area and vented di- rectly into the fireplace chimney. Remember, bigger is not neces- sarily better. Using a small, ad- vanced combustion design stove with glass doors has a seasonal ef- ficiency of 65%, higher than that of a conventional gas or oil fur- nace. EMR has developed an efficien- cy/emissions standard for .wood-- buming appliances for wood ey. Therefore, another system — either fossil fuel-fired or electric ~—- is required to heat the home. You should keep this in mind when making a decision about the type of heating system you are go- ing to use. New ground source heat pumps affer a means of ob- taining efficiency over the whole heating season, but can be some- what expensive, Oil furnaces Oil is still a heating option for many Canadian homes. Standard oil furnaces with a cast-iron head burner have a seasonal efficiency of about €0%, Changing to a high-pressure drop flame reten- tion head burner, sing technologies developed by EMR, can have a major effect on fur- nace efficiency. They yield fuel savings of 20% or more. Energy, Mines and Resources Canada is currently looking into more efficient oil furnaces, The condensing furnace may not be the best way to achieve high effi- ciency with oil. EMR scientists are currently working on prototypes of forced or induced draft systems. They eliminate the barometric damper that will improve the seasonal oil furnace efficiency to nearly 90%, Combined space and tap water heating systems offer further potential for saving energy. All these energy efficiencies lead to a reduction in carbon dioxide emis- sions, So whatever your choice, keep in mind that, although fossil fuels contribute to changes in the at- systems mosphere, we will probably be burning them for years to come, By burning less fossil fuel more efficiently, you can contribute to improving our environment, THE LEGEND JUST GOT BETTER. Purchase a Valor Legend and receive $100 in accessories FREE. ® Inserts for existing fireplaces * Free standing, zero clearance fireplaces * Heat your house for up to 10¢ per hour with clean burning gas ¢ BC Gas financing available FREE ESTIMATES SHOWROOM HOURS: Mon. “Fri, 8am-3pmM NOVA HEATING and Sheet Metal Ltd. “Serving the North Shore since 1945" 663 West 3rd, North Vancouver Solid Rosewood Dining Table (7 pes. set), Reg. $3,600......Now $1,850.00 988-3922 Oriental Furnishing & Home ’ Accessories ‘UP TO OFF Also, wide selection of rosewood and lacquer furniture, porcelain wares, table lamps, etc, on sale now. 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