HOME HEATING Gas gaining popularity HOMEOWNERS HAVE been heating their houses with gas siace 1896 when a Torontc resident became the first Canadian to in- stall a gas furnace. Today, gas is the choice of 44.3 per cent of Canadian households. In Alberta, nearly 95 per cent of ail homes have gas furnaces, and, in the other provinces where natu- ral gas is available, gas is the preferred heating fuel in every region but Quebec. According to the Canadian Gas Asscciation, natural gas furnace shipments in 1987 were about six times greater than their electric counterparts and over 10 times greater than oil furnace shipments. In addition to space heating, versatile natural gas is used for Sawdust can starve plants MANY GARDENERS swear by sawdust and ground bark for mulching and soil conditioning. They find that this material aerates and helps the soil retain moisture. It also retards erosion, imhibits weeds, reduces water evaporation and holds warmth in the soil. It should be pointed out, how- ever, that sawdust and bark have little fertilizer value and in fact draw nitrogen from the soil as they decompose. To counteract this ac- tion and prevent nitrogen starva- tion in their plants, gardeners are advised to add nitrogen fertilizer at the rate of 20 Ib. per ton of wood waste, Of course, the lost nitrogen is once again available to growing plants once the material is fully decomposed, You can safely use sawdust and bark from most B.C. tree species. There are, however, two excep- tions. Red and yellow cedar con- tain certain water soluable compo- nents that have proven toxic to young plant roots. GLASS STEINS reg. 4/59.95 SALE 4/39.95 (Also av. pilmer, highball, old fash.) β€œ14” GLASS PLATTER reg. 4795 34.95 water heating, cooking, clothes drying, barbecuing, pool heating and decorative lighting. Natural gas is the most econom- ical way to heat a home and it looks as if it will remain so in the forseeable future. It is clean, abundant, dependable and non- toxic and, thanks to research and development programs of the in- dustry and the Canadian Gas Research Institute, natural gas equipment and appliances, incor- Porating the very latest in high tech components, are as modern and efficient as any units on the market today. The most commonly used natu- ral gas furnaces, known as conven- tional furnaces, were designed many years ago and obtain be- tween 65 and 70 per cent efficiency from the energy of the natural gas they use. The newest high efficien- cy condensing furnaces achieve ef- ficiencies of over 95 per cent through the use of special second- ary heat exchangers, and solid state ignition devices which replace the traditional pilot light. This means that 95 per cent of the natural gas energy introduced into one of these new high effi- ciency furnaces is returned to the house in the form of heat. The remainder is vented to the outside in the same manner as moisture from a clothes dryer. The elimination of a chimney for these new high efficiency gas furnaces results in considerable construction savings in new houses . I: addition, the use of the night set-back thermostat which remembers to turn the heat down by several degrees each night while you're sleeping, will knock about eight per cent off your heating bill each month. Fixtures for every occasion! Beautiful Brass, : 103 Riverside Dr., N.Van. β€˜Let The Sunshine in!! AVAILABLE; BLINDS Skylights & Solariums , You'd be surprised how little the cost | , Industries Ltd. Srarkling Crystal, Kitchen to Bath we W@ have & all β€” from the most respecte: names in the Lighting Industry. 50-70% OFF EVERYTHING iN STOCK! HURRY WHILE SELECTION NORTH VANCOUVER > 1400 MARINE DRIVE 984-0341