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Show n THE SAN JUAN RE CORD Wednesday November 30, 1994 -- tory of those ratings twice each year. Your local heating dealer should have such a directory and will be able to show you the rating for the system youre considering. If your present furnace is 10 years old or more, its probably in the 0 percent AFUE range. In effect, that means youre wasting 30 to 40 cents out of every dollar you spend for heat. By replacing an old, low efficiency unit with a new high efficiency model, more of the fuel you pay for is turned into heat. Pago 12 Know ABCs of AFUEs when looking at gas furnaces If youre in the market for a gas furnace, AFUE, BTU and GAMA should be familiar initials to you. If theyre not, the Trane Home Comfort Institute, a consumer information service on heating and cooling, says you probably need to do a little more homework before you buy. AFUE stands for Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency, which is the efficiency rat- ing of the furnace. The higher the AFUE, the more efficient the furnace. The more efficient the furnace, the lower the heating bill. Btu stands for British Thermal Unit, a unit of measure of heat. The higher the AFUE, the more Btus youll get for your heating dollar. The capacity of a gas furnace is measured in Btus per hour of operation. GAMA stands for Gas Appliance Manufacturers Association, the national trade association whose members produce over 90 percent of the gas appliances made in the U.S. It verifies the AFUEs of the furnaces made by its members. According to the Trane Home Comfort Institute, the AFUE is a rating method developed by the U.S. Department of Energy that indicates what percent of the energy consumed is converted to useable heat. It measures the average annual seasonal efficiency of the furnace including on and off cycling. The rating is determined by dividing the total energy used into the total heat produced. AFUEs for gas furnaces range Gas heaters provide more hot water Natural gas water heaters provide more hot water faster and at lower cost than electric water heaters. Comparing the annual operating costs before buying a water heater can pay off in substantial money savings, because the water heater is the biggest energy user in a typical home, after the heating and cooling system. Water heaters are required by federal law to carry an EnergyGuide label that shows the average annual cost of energy for the unit. Although electric water heaters are often less expensive to buy, operating a gas water heater will cost less than opabout one-haerating an electric water heater, depending on local utility rates. Because electric water heaters do not heat water as lf quickly as gas water heaters, larger tanks are required. The best way to select the proper size water heater for a home is to look at the first hour rating on the label, which is the maximum amount of hot water that can be supplied in a period. To get maximum efficiency from a water heater: Drain a pail or two of one-ho- ur water from the faucet cated at the bottom of the heater several times a year. Keep your water heater lo- set at normal, or about 120 degrees, in order to save energy. However, dishwashers that do not have water heating boosters as part of the automatic cycle require hot water of at least 140 degrees to properly clean and sanitize dishes. Burners should be kept clean. If the pilot light goes out, follow the appliance instruction and relight it. If any difficulty occurs, however, turn the controls off and call a plumber or heating dealer. If you smell gas, call your gas company. from 57 to 948 percent. The federal government requires that all new furnaces meet or exceed an efficiency level of 78 percent AFUE. It also requires that all new furnaces be tested according to its standards 60-7- that consumers can compare the efficiency ratings so of various units. GAMA publishes a direc- - Natural gas For example, replacing an old 60 percent AFUE furnace with a new 92 percent AFUE unit can' trim nearly 35 percent off your heating costs. If youre paying $800 per season, youll save $278. If youre paying $1,000 per season, youll save $348. Multiply that lifeover the 15- - to time of the new furnace and youll quickly realize how much money is involved. The AFUE ratings of gas furnaces have increased burns cleaner Natural gas is the cleanest-b- fossil fuel, and when used in place of other urning fuels, can actually help reduce air pollution, according the the more-pollutin- g American Gas Association. g Natural gas is than other fossil fuels because it is composed chiefly of methane - a 20-ye- ar cleaner-burnin- molecule made up of one carbon atom and four hydrogen atoms. When methane is burned completely, the principal products of They clude a high ratio of carbon, as well as various sulfur compounds. Therefore, oil and coal emit more pollu- If tants into the atmosphere when burned, AG.A. says. with AFUEs in the 90 percent range. Currently, oil holds the largest share of U.S. energy consumption about 40 percent. Natural gas accounts for 25 percent of U.S. consumption, coal 23 percent, nuclear 8 percent and hydro - 4 percent. Natural gas energy heats 57 percent of the nations homes and serves more than 174 million American consumers. Oil, coal and natural gas are fossil fuels. Natural gas is composed almost entirely of methane and bums much more cleanly than oil and coal. PROPANE 3MCQ(i9SDa!ED(El!IiI& smog. ii o , hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides than other fuels, the emissions furnaces you are beyond the mains, Use clean, efficient Using natural gas instead of gasoline in cars, trucks and buses can help reduce urban pollution and principal densing APPLIANCE SALES & SERVICE in- This is because natural gas emits less reactive designs are induced-draf- t furnaces with AFUEs in the 80 percent range and con- 0n v combustion are carbon dioxide and water vapor. In comparison, oil and coal compounds are far more complicated molecu- lar structures. over the past few years because of new furnace designs that allow the heating units to recover heat that otherwise would be wasted. Included among these new re- sponsible for smog, A.G.A. says. We carry them all aiOGDtfTO Speed Queen Whirlpool HOME X APPLIANCES Home Appliances L'SF367PEYQ i $mGinm MAYTAG Model Sale Price Regular Price - $759 Natural Gas Headquarters GAS APPLIANCES HOMETOWN BRAND CENTER 154 S Main Blanding 801-678-22- 67 wvw JE IMIS! AIR -- DDCdhieiTnAXScfl range of natural gas ranges, dryers, and wall ovens Full oss TV & Appliance 444 S Main Cortez 303-565-71- 01 |