16 — Friday, October 19. 1990 - North Shore News HOME & GARDEN Home heating source is Earth-friendly, safe and free! IMAGINE AN inexhaustible energy source that is universally available, environmentally benign, safe and — here’s the best part —~ free. Sounds too good to be true? Well, you’re standing on it. The earth is a giant solar collec- tor, sopping up 47 per cent of the sun’s energy that reaches it. That’s a lot of energy. By some estimates, the first 30 metres of earth beneath a typical urban lot in Canada contain encugh energy to heat, cool and supply all the hot water needs of 10 single-fami- ly homes year-round. In recent decades scientists have developed a way to tap this enor- mous reservoir of energy. Ground source heat pumps (also called earth energy systems, or EES) are designed to collect the earth’s natural heat, upgrade it and use it to provide space heating. In summer, the machines operate in reverse, drawing heat and humidi- ty from warm indoor air and dumping it into the earth or a groundwater ‘‘sink.’’ The technology was first devel- oped in Sweden towards the end of the Second World War to meet that country’s growing energy needs. Today, Sweden has more than 134,000 EES installations. Canada has about 15,000 installa- tions, representing an investment of more than $100 million. Because the EES don’t create heat (they simply move it from one piace to another), operating costs are minimal. Of course, electricity is needed to run the condenser, pumps and fans, but the system produces three times as much energy as it uses. Earth energy systems cost about twice as much to purchase and in- stall as a gas, electric or oil-fired furnace with add-on air condition- ing. Installing the collectors, whether open- or closed-loop, ac- counts for most of the difference. Additional costs can be incurred by the need for some form of supplemental heating (most of the EES are designed to provide 70 per cent of a home’s heating needs and 100 per cent of its cooling needs), and other modifications. In most cases, however, the ad- ditional cost of an EES is recov- erd in the form of energy savings within five years. On average, heating and cooling costs, using an EES, are 50 to 70 per cent lower than a conventional oil- or gas-fired furnace with add-on air conditioning, and 50 per cent lower than a modern, high-effi- ciency gas furnace. Actual savings will vary, depending on the local climate, the costs of fuel and electricity in your area, the size of the heat pump installed, and its perfor- mance rating. Most of the EES installations provide hot water heating as an added bonus. Hot water heating is always available during the cool- ing cycle and during the heating cycle in mild weather, when the EES is not working to full capaci- ty. This feature can reduce a water heating bill by as much as 50 per cent. The EES, if properly installed, require little attention apart from a yearly cleaning of coils, filters and fans. The pipes of an open- loop system may — occasionally become clogged by mineral depos- its. Regular cleaning with a mild acid solution is enough to remove the build-up. Best of all, an EES is casy on the environment. Nothing is burn- ed, no gases are released and no waste is created. And every new EES installation displaces the need for other non-renewable, polluting forms of heat energy. Advanced as the technology is, i continues to get better. Recent developments in this field include: °* A ‘smart’? system with solid-state, programmable con- trols. Homeowners can pre-set iheir EES to provide more or less heating and cooling at different times of the day. © An energy-storage system that allows excess heat to be stored for use during hours of peak demand. ¢ Improved antifreeze solutions with better heat transfer charac- teristics. e A revolutionary copper or plastic ground collector in the form of a vertical spiral. Prelimi- nary results indicate that the col- lector, which is being developed by the National Research Council with Energy, Mines and Resources Canada suppert, will reduce, by three-quarters, the quantity of underground pipes required by an See Pumps page 17 Asphalt shingles ROOFS O% olf New or Repairing 919° cat $150 cate installed Tar & Gravel Plus preparation STORMTITE ROOFING 929-6361 Fall Sale — Up to 25% Off Every piece of Thomasville is specially priced.. plus... And when we say every piece of Thomasville we mean everything! Every Thomasville bedroom, dining room, living room, accent table, wall system and entertainment center . . . everything, at very special savings. . . and because we are the Number 1 Thomasville retailer we can show you a complete selection — it’s almost like having Thomasville’s complete inventory to pick and choose from. And best of all, it’s all on sale! As shown 7 piece Regular $12,400.00 Sale $9,200.00 COLLECTORS CHERRY DINING ROOM SUITE Has 4 tables: small, medium & large. Chippendale or Queen Anne Chairs. Three chinas, servers, buffets and silver chest. Sixteen different pieces to choose from. All in solid cherry with 27 finishing steps. All on sale at 25% off. Mystique expresses and embraces oriental culture and western fashion. Constructed of pecan solids and swirly pecan veneers and combined with Thomasville’s 27 finishing steps. Many pieces to choose from. As shown Square cocktail 40'x40°. Regular $1499.95. Sale $1199.00 End table regular $999.95. Sale $749.00 Curio not available. 84" sofa. Eight way hand tied. Good selection of fabrics. Regular $2499.95 Sale $1999.95 685-8414 1080 Mainland Street at Helmcken Downtown Vancouver, BC. CANADA'S LARGEST THOMASVILLE GALLERY SF Oollirs THOMASVILLE GALLERY ae Mg ae : sepeat Ae FY SEES ANESS 3 Diet eee ning hewmen alle A Contemporary Look Constructed in oak solids and fine oak veneers. Two finishes of white ivory or fatural golden oak. Available in 18 different pieces. Headboard sizes 3'3°, 5° or 6'6" in wood finish or mirrored back. As shown 74° dresser, trifold mirror. queen mirrored headboard and a 2-door and drawer night table Regular $6399.95 Sale Price $4999.00 Replicas 1800 A magnificent collection of antique reproductions (over 100 pieces}. Each piece reflects the original details of English, Irish and early American furnishings. As shown — 6-piece. Regular $14,999.95. Sate $11,999.09 Can be bought in single pieces. Wing back chair — 8-way hand tied, good selection of fabrics Sale from $799.00 Three piece sectiona! — 21‘ of sota — solid colours Sale from $2999.00 435-5566 4240 Manor Street Burnaby, B.C. (Half a block west of Sheraton Villa Hotel) MONDAY TO SATURDAY 9 A.M. TO 5 BM. SUNDAY NOON TO 5 P.M.