# 55FR3253

Federal Register / Vol. 55, No. 21 / Wednesday, January 31, 1990 / Notices 3253

Office of Conservation and Renewable Energy

Energy Conservation Program for Consumer Products ; Application for Interim Waiver and Petition for Waiver of Furnace Test Procedures From Rheem Manufacturing Company (F019)

AGENCY: Conservation and Renewable Energy Office, Department of Energy.

SUMMARY: Today's notice publishes a letter granting an Interim Waiver to Rheem Manufacturing Company (Rheem) from the existing Department of Energy (DOE) test procedures for furnaces regarding blower time delay for Rheem's GDE(-) up-flow models and GLE(-) down-flow models of induced
draft furnaces. Today's notice also publishes a
"Petition for Waiver" from Rheem. Rheem's Petition for Waiver requests DOE to grant relief from the DOE test procedures relating to the blower time delay specification. Rheem seeks to test using a blower delay time of 30 seconds instead of the specified 1.5 minute delay
between burner an-time and blower ontime. DOE is soliciting comments, data, and information respecting the Petition
for Waiver.

DATES : DOE will accept comments, data, and information not later than March 2,
1990.

ADDRESSES : Written comments and statements shall be sent to: Department of Energy, Office of Conservation and Renewable Energy, Case No. F-019, Mail Stop CE-132, Forrestal Building, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20585.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Cyrus H. Nasseri, U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Conservation andRenewable Energy, Mail Station CE132, Forrestal Building, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20585, (202) 586-9127
Eugene Margolis, Esq., U.S. Department 

### of Energy, Office of General Counsel, Mail Station GC-12, Forrestal

# 55FR3253

3254 Federal Register / Vol. 55, No. 21 / Wednesday, January 31, 1990 / Notices

Building, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20585, (202)
586-9507

Background
The Energy Conservation Program for Consumer Products (other than automobiles) was established pursuant to the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA), Public Law 94-163, 89 Stat. 917, as amended by the National Energy Conservation Policy Act (NECPA), Public Law 95-619, 92 Stat. 3266, the National Appliance Energy Conservation Act of 1987 (NAECA), Public Law 100-12, and the National Appliance Energy Conservation Amendments of 1988 (NAECA 1988), Public Law 100-357, which requires DOE to prescribe standardized test procedures to measure the energy consumption of certain consumer products, including furnaces. The intent
of the test procedures is to provide a comparable measure of energy consumption that will assist consumers in making purchasing decisions. These test procedures appear at 10 CFR part 430, subpart B. DOE has amended the prescribed test procedures by adding 10 CFR 430.27 on September 28, 1980

, creating the waiver process. 45 FR 64108. DOE further amended the Department's appliance test procedure waiver process to allow the Assistant Secretary for Conservation and Renewable Energy (Assistant Secretary) to grant an interim waiver from test procedure requirements to manufacturers that have petitioned DOE for a waiver of such prescribed test procedures. 51 FR 42823, November 26,
1986. The waiver process allows the Assistant Secretary to waive temporarily test procedures for a particular basic model when a petitioner
shows that the basic model contains one or more design characteristics which prevent testing according to the prescribed test procedures or when the prescribed test procedures may evaluate
the basic model in a manner so unrepresentative of its true energy consumption as to provide materially inaccurate comparative data. Waivers generally remain in effect until final test procedure amendments become effective, resolving the problem that is the subject of a waiver. The interim waiver provisions, added by the 1988 amendment, allow the Assistant Secretary to grant an interim
waiver when it is determined that the applicant will experience economic hardship if the Application for Interim Waiver is denied, if it appears likely 

## at the petition for waiver will be anted, and/or the Assistant Secretary determined that it would be desirable for public policy reasons to grant immediate relief pending a determination on the petition for waiver. On September 29,1989

, Rheem filed an Application for an Interim Waiver regarding blower time delay. Rheem's application seeks an interim waiver from the DOE test provisions that require a 1.5 minute time delay between the ignition of the burner and starting of the circulating air blower

. Instead, Rheem requests the allowance to test using a 30 second blower time delay when testing its model GDE(-) and GLE(-) induced draft furnaces. Rheem states that the 30 second delay is
indicative of how these furnaces actually operate. Such a delay results in an energy savings of approximately 0.6 percent

. Since current DOE test procedures do not address this variable blower time delay. Rheem asks that the interim waiver be granted. Previous waivers for this type of timed blower delay control have been granted by the Department to the Coleman Company, 50 FR 2710, January 18,1985, the Magic Chef Company, 50 FR 41553, October 11, 1985, the Rheem Manufacturing Company, 53 FR 48574, December 1, 1988, and the Trane Company, 54 FR 19226, May 4, 1989. Thus, it appears likely that the Petition for Waiver will be granted for blower time delay. Because Rheem's Petition for Waiver requesting relief from the DOE test procedures concerning blower time delay appears likely to be granted. Rheem's Application for Interim Waiver on these subjects is granted. Pursuant to paragraph (b) of 10 CFR 430.27, DOE is hereby publishing the "Petition for Waivers" in its entirety. The petition contains no confidential information. DOE solicits comments, data, and information respecting the petition. In addition, pursuant to paragraph (e) of § 430.27 of the Code of Federal Regulations

, the following letter granting the Application for Interim Waiver was issued to Rheem Manufacturing Company.

Issued in Washington, DC, January 25,
1990. 

### J. Michael Davis, Assistant Secretary, Conservation and Renewable Energy.
January 25, 1990.
Mr. Daniel J. Canclini, Vice President, Rheem Manufacturing Company, 5600 Old Green Wood Road, P.O. Box 6444, Fort Smith,
AR 72906-0444 Dear Mr. Canclini: This is in response to

your September 29,1989, Application for
Interim Waiver and Petition for Waiver from the Department of Energy (DOE) test procedures for furnaces when testing the company's GDE(-) and GLE(-) gas-fueled forced-air induced draft furnaces regarding blower time delay. 

### Pursuant to the Energy Policy and Conservation Act, as amended, the Department has prescribed test procedures to measure the energy consumption of certain major household appliances

, including

furnaces

. The intent of the test procedures is to provide a comparable measure of energy consumption that will assist consumers in making purchase decisions

. These test procedures appear in the Code of Federal Regulations at 10 CFR part 430

, subpart B. DOE amended the test procedure regulations on September 26, 1980 (45 FR 64108] and November 26, 1986, (51 FR 42823) by adding paragraph 430.27. These provisions allow the Assistant Secretary for Conservation and Renewable Energy to waive temporarily test procedures for a particular basic model when a petitioner
shows that the basic model contains one or more design characteristics which prevent testing of the basic model according to the prescribed test procedures or when the prescribed test procedures may evaluate the basic model in a manner so unrepresentative of its true energy consumption characteristics as to provide materially inadequate comparative data. The 1986 amendments added provisions allowing the Assistant Secretary to grant an interim waiver for a particular basic model when a petitioner demonstrates the likely success of the petition for waiver

, it is determined that the applicant will experience economic hardship if the Application for Interim Waiver is denied and/or the Assistant secretary
determines that it would be desirable for public policy reasons to grant immediate relief pending a determination on the petition
for waiver. Previous waivers for timed blower delay control have been granted to the Coleman Company, 50 FR 2710, January 18, 1985, Magic Chef Company, 50 FR 41553, October 11, 1985, Rheem Manufacturing Company, 53 FR 48574, December 1, 1988, and the Trane Company, 54 FR 19226, May 4, 1989. Rheem's Application for Interim Waiver does not provide sufficient information for the Department to evaluate what, if any, economic impact or competitive disadvantage Rheem will likely experience abasent a favorable determination on the application
for interim waiver. Rheem feels that its competitive position in the marketplace would be compromised if this Application for Interim Waiver is not granted. However, the Department finds that it would be desirable for public policy reasons to grant Rheem's Application for Interim Waiver. Specifically, in those instances where the likely success of the petition for waiver has been demonstrated based upon DOE having granted a waiver for a similar product design. it is in the public's interest to have the similar products tested and rated for energy consumption on a comparable basis. Therefore, Rheem's Application for an Interim Waiver requesting a change from the DOE test procedures for its GDE(-) and GLE(-) gas-fueled forced-air induced draft

## 55FR3253 Federal Register / Vol. 55, No. 21 1 Wednesday, January 31, 1' / Notices

furnaces regarding blower time delay is granted. Rheem shall be permitted to test its model GDE(-) and GLE(-) induced draft furnaces on the basis of the test procedures specified in 10 CFR part 430, with the modifications set
forth below. (i) Section 9.3.1 of ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 103-1982 is deleted and replaced with the following paragraph:
Gas- and Oil-Fueled Central Furnaces. After equilibrium conditions are achieved following the cool-down test and the required measurements performed, tarn on the furnace and measure the flue gas temperature, using the thermocouple grid described above, at 0.5 and 2.5 minutes after the main burner(s) comes on. After the burner start-up, delay the blower start-up by 1.5 minutes (t-), unless: (1) The furnace employs a single motor to drive the power burner and the indoor air circulation blower, in which case the burner and blower shall be started together, (2) the furnace is designed to operate using an unvarying delay time that is other than 1.5 minutes, in which case the fan control shall be permitted to start the blower, or (3) the delay time results in the activation of a temperature safety device which shuts off the burner, in which case the fan control shall be permitted to start the blower. In the latter case, if the fan control is adjustable, set it to start the blower at the highest temperature. If the fan control is permitted to start the blower, measure the time delay, ( t-), using a stopwatch. Record the measuredtemperatures. During the heat-up test for oilfueled furnaces, maintain the draft in the flue pipe with ±0.01 inch of water gauge of the manufacturer's recommended on-period
draft. This interim waiver is based upon the presumed validity of statements and all allegations submitted by the company. This interim waiver may be revoked or modified at any time upon a determination that the factual basis underlying the application is
incorrect.
The interim waiver shall remain in effect until the Department of Energy issues a
determination on Rheem's Petition for
Waiver. Sincerely,
). Michael Davis, 

### Assistant Secretary, Conservation aad Renewable Energy.
September 29, 1989. 

### Assistant Secretary, Conservation and Renewable Energy, United States Department of Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue SW., Washington,
DC 20585. Gentlemen: This is a petition for waiver and petition for interim waiver submitted pursuant to 10 CFR 430.27. Waiver is requested from the furnace test procedure found at appendix N to subpart 8 of part 430. The test procedure requires a 1.5 minute delay between burner on and blower on. Rheem is requesting authorization to use a 30 second delay instead of 1.5 minutes. Rheem is manufacturing a series of induced draft furnaces which include the (-)GDE npflow models and (-)GLE downflow models. Maximum energy efficiency is achieved by fixed ,timing controls installed in these models that activate the circulating air
blower 30 seconds after the burner is on. Under the appendix N procedures, the stack temperature is allowed to climb at a faster
rate than it would be with a 30 second blower on time, allowing energy to be lost out the vent system. This waste of energy would not

occur in actual operation. If this petition is granted, the true blower on time delay would be used in the calculations. Proposed
AS3-IRAE Standard 103-1982R of 9/25/87 paragraph 9.5.1.2.2 specifically addresses the use of timed blower operation. The current test procedures do not give Rheem credit for the energy savings which averages approximately .6 percent. This improvement is an average reduction of 3 percent of the energy loss. Rheem is of the opinion that a 3 percent reduction is a
worthwhile energy savings. Current prescribed test procedures prohibit Rheem from taking credit for the saved energy, thus providing inaccurate comparative data. Rheem has been granted a waiver permitting the 30 second blower at., time to be used in the efficiency calculations for our (-) GEB and (-)GKA series condensing furnaces.
These furnaces use the same blower time control as the (-)GDE and (-)GLE series
furnaces. Several'other manufacturers of condensing furnaces have been granted a waiver to permit calculations based on timed blower operation. Confidential comparative test data is available to you upon your request, confirming the above energy savings. Manufacturers that domestically market similar products are being sent a copy of this petition for waiver and petition for interim
waiver. Sincerely,
Daniel ). Canclini, Vice-President, Product Development & Research Engineering.

[FR Doc. 90--2159 Filed 1-30-90; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6450-01-N 

## 3255