OCR Text |
Show Citizen, Review. Press, Wed., H eat efficiency Have you realized that the glow may be the warmest part of your standard masonry fireplace. Specialists at Utah State University point out that the average masonry fireplace delivers only five percent of the fire's heat to the home. The other 95 percent goes up the chimney. A vigorously burning fire draws enough air to empty a 1,400 square foot home in about 20 minutes. In the process, outside air gets drawn into the home under windows, around doors and through cracks in the floors. It happens in even the best-constructed homes. This all means that a fireplace can actually hinder, rather than help in heating the home and cutting cut-ting utility bills. Yet, most persons who own a fireplace still want to use it. The following tips are given by the USU specialists to help to increase in-crease fireplace efficiency. First, check the chimney for obstructions and creosote buildup. Clean any buildup before starting a fire to avoid a chimney fire that may result when a high flue temperature tem-perature ignites the creosote. Be aware that creosote is a flammable substance. It condenses out of flue Avoid animal winter damage With snow piling on the ground, it's high time to start winterizing trees, shrubs and other ornamentals against deer and rabbits, says Gar Workman, extension wildlife specialist, Utah State University. "Deer damage to fruit trees, especially apple and cherry trees, and to ornamentals, will be severe unless preventive measures are taken. The doe does became trained two years ago to come down to the valleys to seek food. Last year they trained their fawns and they all come down. This year the snow is already pushing them down," Workman said. Rabbits don't move far into the communities, but they can do a lot of damage eating the bark of trees and shrubs in areas on the outskirts and near the mountains. Workman says the same preventive measures apply to them and to the deer. He recommends either using a repellent such as Hinder sprayed on the trees and shrubs or mechanically protecting them with a covering of burlap. The repellents and coverings can be purchased at some farm and garden stores. Workman suggested applying the repellent as high as the deer reach in browsing. Repeat the application after a wet storm since the repellent can wash off. Experience with the Hinder indicated in-dicated that it wouldn't be necessary to spray every tree in an orchard. Good results were obtained ob-tained by spraying the trees on the perimter and a patchwork of trees inside. . Avalanche forecasts now available Mountain weather and backcountry avalanche forecasts are once again available from the Utah Avalanche Forecast Center. The daily forecast will be provided through telephone recordings at Provo by calling 374-9770. Callers receive a report that is updated each morning at 7:30 a.m. Forecasters begin receiving field reports at about 5:30 a.m. each day. Those reports are combined with data provided by the National Weather Service to issue each forecast. Additional forecasts are provided as conditions warrent Special advisories are also released to the news media. The forecast is designed to serve the backcountry user. It is most heavily used by cross country skiers but is also of value to snowmobile users. III I ij I S Year Guarantee I S -Jr 40 Gallon Water Heater I aA u Average Installation I m I $240 I m includes Labor and Parts I XX L Durham j " V Plumbing I J & Heating 1 162 W. 960 N. "i I 225-3400 ffl tS J !SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSfl ' " " '" " Dec. 7, 1983 - Page 20 gases from burning wood, forming hard, flaky, dark deposits in the chimney. Smoldering, low level fires and soft woods promote this creosote buildup. Burning well seasoned hardwoods will minimize the creosote buildup. If smoke tends to back up into the room when you start the fire, warm up the chimney. Do this by carefully holding a lighted piece of kindling or rolled up newspaper toward I ho top and rear of the fireplace. Then use kindling (never lighter fluid) to start the fire. Realize that ashes act as insulation. in-sulation. They can help the fire burn more efficiently. Allow them to accumulate to at least an inch deep on the hearth. Add new logs to the rear of the fire. There they will serve to reflect light and heat into the room. You can double the efficiency of your fireplace from five to 10 percent by installing well sealed glass doors. These doors will also keep home heat from escaping up the chimney when the fireplace is not in use. Efficiency of the fireplace can be up in smoke? increased further by installing and using an outside air source that feHs directly into the fireplace. It avoids using the interior air that has been heated by the regular heating system to feed the fire. It greatly reduces cold outside air being pulled into the house Consider a fireplace insert. Weigh its cost against the Ix-nelils Though expensive, it can increase fireplace efficiency up to 4(Mil percent making it a more significant heal source. Some inserts arc essentially wood Put new drive into life Driver education courses for adults who have never driven or who do not now have a license will begin Jan. 9 at Utah Technical College at ProvoOrem. Students from over 55 countries have taken the course, which can In-used In-used as training for stale or international in-ternational drivers' licenses. The course lasts for one month, and fees for the class are $87. stoves designed to fit into masonry fireplaces. These ourn wood efficiently ef-ficiently and radiate heat to the surroundings. Some have air circulations cir-culations systems added that heat the room air. Air circulation grates are also available to help fireplace efficiency. ef-ficiency. Those equipped with an air blower force more heat out into the room II you are shopping for an insert, examine the construction, tightness of door seal, absence of gaps, thickness of walls, oMTalion of air inlet and ease of oMTalion. Utah law now requires that an approved course be taken prior to l he initial issuance of a drivers' license. This course provides instruction in-struction on both simulators and on-t on-t he-road experience. The Drivers' Education Department Depart-ment is located on the Provo campus, in the south wing. Classes are held Monday through Thursday, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. It will pay off in energy dollars. Have you looked around the house lately? Chances are, you'll find a lot of little "energy wasters" waiting to eat up a lot of your energy dollars. Sometimes they're just little things, Tech class on English as Second Language offered Courses designed to instruct students in English as a second language will begin winter quarter at Utah Technical College at ProvoOrem, with registration to begin immediately every afternoon. English speaking neighbors, friends and relatives are encouraged en-couraged to inform non-English speaking persons of the courses available at the college. Both day and evening courses will be offered daily for a limit of 90 students. During the one quarter New system announced for campground reservations Pleasant Grove District Ranger Harry Opfar announced today that a new group campground reservation reser-vation system for the 1984 recreation season will be implemented im-plemented on Jan. 9, 1984. Reservations Reser-vations for group campsites can be made by telephone only, 785-6264 beginning at 8 a.m. on Jan. 9, 1984. Opfar said it became necessary to abandon the previous system of letter application, drawing and written notification to applicants Sid like dirty furnace filters, or uncaulked windows. Sometimes they're major, like old worn gas appliances or poor attic insulation. They add up to higher gas bills something you don't want. Least expensive energy. Natural gas is the least expensive form of energy, and Mountain Fuel's rates remain among the lowest in the nation. In fact, the percentage of income Utahns pay for natural gas also ranks among the lowest in the nation. Even so, wasting energy is like throwing money out the window. We can help. We have some ideas which can help you control your energy costs. We've put together a packet of energy saving ideas and information that will help you "tighten up" your energy efficiency at home. There's information about how to insulate properly, things you should know about energy efficiency, and more. Get your free "Energy Saver's Homework" today. Call or stop by any Mountain Fuel office. section, students will be instructed in conversation,reading, writing, grammar and lab work. The purpose purp-ose of the course is to prepare students for work in trades and for adjustment into local society. The three instructors currently instruct students from Laos, Taiwan, Japan, China, Spanish-speaking Spanish-speaking countries, Cambodia and Vietnam. Additional information can be obtained through the Learning Enrichment Center on the Orem campus. because it had become unwieldy and expensive. The new system should produce cost savings. Opfar went on to say that the date of Jan. 9 for phone calls is new this year also. Previously drawings had been held on the first work day after New Year's Day. The change to Jan. 9 will help alleviate the impacts of people trying to rush for a campground reservation the day immediately following the holiday. MOUNTAIN FUEL Supply Company |