57FR23396

23396 Federal Register / Vol. 57, No. 107 / Wednesday, June 3, 1992 / Notices

Energy Conservation Program for

Consumer Products; Granting of the

Application for Interim Waiver and

Publishing of the Petition for Waiver of

Furnace Test Procedures From Clare

Brothers(Case No. F-047) =

AGENCY: Office of Conservation and

Renewable Energy, Department of

Energy.

SUMMARY: Today's notice publishes a

letter granting an Interim Waiver to

Clare Brothers (Clare) from the existing

Department of Energy (DOE) test

procedure for furnaces regarding blower

time delay for the company's MEMO,

HEDF, HEHF, HEG, and HEMB lines of

gas furnaces.

Today's notice also publishes a

"Petition for Waiver" from Clare. Clare's

Petition for Waiver requests DOE to

grant relief from the DOE furnace test

procedure relating to the blower time

delay specification. Clare seeks to test

using a blower delay time of e0 seconds

for its MEMC. HEDF, HEHF, HEG, and

HEMB lines of gas furnaces instead of

the specified 1.5-minute delay between

burner on-time andblower on-time.

DOE is soliciting comments, data, and

information respecting the Petition for

Waiver.

OATas: DOE will accept comments, data,

and information not later than July 6,

1992.

ADDRESSES: Written comments and

statements shall be sent to: Department

of Energy, Office of Conservation and

Renewable Energy, Case No. F-047, Mail

Stop CE-90, room 6B-025, Forrestal

Building, 1000 Independence Avenue,

SW., Washington, DC•20585, (202) 586-

0561.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Cyrus H. Nasseri, U.S. Department of

Energy, Office of Conservation and

Renewable Energy, Mail Station CE43, 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-41, Forrestal

BuiIding,1000 Independence Avenue,

SW., Washington, DC 20585, (202)

586-9507.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 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. 3286, 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 amended the prescribed test

procedures by adding 10 CFR 430.27 on

September. 26, 1980, creating the waiver

process. 45 FR 64108. Thereafter DOE

further amended the 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 the waiver.

The Interim Waiver provisions added

by the 1986 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

that the Petition for Waiver will be

granted;-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. An Interim Waiver

remains in effect for a period of 180 days

or until DOE issues its determination on

the Petition for Waiver, whichever is

sooner, and may be extended for an

additional 180 days, if necessary.

On January 30,1992, Clare filed an

Application for Interim Waiver

regarding blower time delay. Clare'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, Clare

requests the allowance to test using a

80-second blower time delay when

testing its MEMC, HEDF, HEHF, HEG,

and HEMS lines of gas furnaces. Clare

states that the 60-second delay-is

indicative of how these furnaces

actually operate. Since current DOE test

procedures do not address this variable

blower time delay. Clare asks that the

Interim Waiver be granted..

Previous waivers for this type of

timed blower delay control have been

granted by DOE to 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, 55 FR 3253,

January 31, 1990, and 56 FR 2920,

January 25,1991; Trane Company, 54 FR

19226, May 4,1989, and 56 FR 6021,

February 14,1991; Lennox Industries, 55

FR 50224, December 5,1990; DMO

CAS-RM-79-104 COMMENT 83
57FR23396

Federal Register / biol.'57, No. 107 / Wednesday, June 3, 1992 / Notices 23397

Industries, 56 FR 4622, February 5, 1991;

Heil-Quaker Corporation, 58 FR 6019,

February 14, 1991; Carrier Corporation,

56 FR 6018, February 14, 1991; Inter-City

Products Corporation, 55 FR 51487,

December 14, 1991, and 56 FR 63945,

December 6, 1991; Amana Refrigeration

Inc., 58 FR 27958, June 18, 1991, and 56

FR 63940, December 6, 1991; Snyder

General Corporation, 56 FR 45960,

September 9, 1991; Goodman

Manufacturing Corporation, 56 FR 51713,

October 15, 1991; Armstrong Air

Conditioning, Inc., 57 FR 899, January 9,

1992; Thermo Proucts, Inc., 57 FR 903,

January 9, 1992; and The'Ducane

Company, 56 FR 63943, December 6,

1991. Thus, it appears likely that the

Petititon for Waiver will be granted for

blower time delay.

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 interest

to have similar products tested and

rated for energy consumption on a

comparable basis.

Therefore, based on the above, DOE is

granting Clare an Interim Waiver for its

MEMC, HEDF, HEHF, HEG, and HEMB

lines of gas furnaces. Pursuant to

paragraph (e) of § 430.27 of the Code of

Federal Regulations part 430, the

following letter granting the Application

for Interim Waiver to Clare was issued.

Pursuant to paragraph (b) of 10 CFR

430.27, DOE is hereby publishing the

"Petition for Waiver" in its entirety. The

petition contains no confidential

information. DOE solicits comments,

data, and information respecting the

petition.

Issued in Washington, DC, May 20, 1992.

J. Michael Davis,

Assistant Secretary, Conservation and

renewable Energy.

Mr. Kenneth R. Maci-ityre,

Director of Engineering, Clare Brothers, 223

King Street East, Cambridge, Ontario,

Canada N3H4T5

Dear Mr. Maclntyre; This is in response to

your January 30, 1992, Application for Interim

Waiver and Petition for Waiver from the

Department of Energy (DOE) test procedure

for furnaces regarding blower time delay for

Clare Brothers (Clare) MEMC, HEDF, HEHF,

HEG, and HEMB lines of gas furnaces.

Previous waivers for this type of timed

blower delay control have been granted by

DOE to Coleman Company, 50 FR 2710,

January 18, 1985; Magic Chef Company, 50 FR

41553, October 11, 1965; Rheem

Manufacturing Company, 53 FR 48574,

December 1, 1988, 55 FR 3253, January 31.

1390, and 56 FR 2920, January 25, 1991; Trane

Coo,mipany, 54 FIR 19226, May 4, 1989, and 56

FF. 8021, February 14, 1991; Lennox

Industries, 55 FR 50224, December 5, 1990;

DMO Industries, 56 F 4622, February 5, 1991;

Heil-Quaker Corporation, 56 FR 6019,

February 14, 1991; Carrier Corporation, 56 FR

6018, February 14,1991; Inter-City Products

Corporation, 55 FR 51487, December 14,1991,

and 56 FR 63945, December 6, 1991; Amana

Refrigeration Inc., 56 FR 27958, June 13, 1991,

and 56 63940, December 6, 1991; Snyder

General Corporation, 56 FR 45960, September

9, 1991; Goodman Manufacturing

Corporation, 56 FR 51713, October 15, 1991;

Armstrong Air Conditioning, Inc., 57 FR 899,

January 9, 1992; Thermo Products, Inc., 57 FR

903, January 9, 1992; and The Ducane

Company, 56 FR 63943, December 6, 1991.

Clare's Application for Interim Waiver

does not provide sufficient information to

evaluate what, if any, economic impact or

competitive disadvantage Clare will likely

experience absent a favorable determination

on its application. However, 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

interest to have similar products tested and

rated for energy consumption on a

comparable basis.

Therefore, Clare's Application for an

Interim Waiver from the DOE test procedure

for its MEMO, HEDF, HEHF, I G, and HEMI3

lines for gas furnaces regarding blower time

delay is granted.

Clare shall be permitted to test its MI-MC,

HEDF, HEHF, HEG, and HEMB line of gas

furnaces on the basis of the test procedures

specified in 10 CFR parf 430, subpart B,

appendix N, with the modification set forth

below.

(i) Section 3.0 in appendix N is deleted and

replaced with the following paragraph:

3.0 Test Procedure. Testing and

measurements shall be as specified in section

9 in ANSI/ASHRAE 103-82 with the

exception of sections 9.2.2, 9.3.1, and 9.3.2,

and the inclusion of the following additional

procedures:

(ii) Add a new paragraph 3.10 in appendix

N as follows:

3.10 Gas- and Oil-Fueled Central

Furnaces. After equilibrium conditions are

achieved following the cool-down test and

the required measurements performed, turn

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; or (2) the furaace 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

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 time delay, (t-), using a stop watch.

Record the measured temperatures. During

the heat-up test for oil-fueled furnaces,

maintain the draft in the flue pipe within

±0.01 inch of water column 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

for a period of 180 days or until DOE acts on

the Petition for Waiver, whichever is sooner,

and may be extended for an additional 180-

day period, if necessary.

Sincerely,

J. Michael Davis, P.E.

Assistant Secretary, Conservation and

Renewable Energy.

30 January 1992

Assistant Secretary. Conservation and

Renewable Energy, United States

Department of Energy, WOO

Independence A venue, SW, Washington,

DC20585, U.S.A.

Gentlemen: This is a petition for waiver

and petition for interim waiver submitted

pursuant to Title 10 CFR Part 430.27. Waiver

is requested from the furnace test procedure

found at Appendix N to Subpart B of Part 430.

The test procedure requires a 1.5 minute

delay between burner "ON" and blower

"ON". Clare is requesting authorization to

use a 60 second delay instead of 1.5 minutes.

Clare will be manufacturing series of furnace

models with an electronic blower control that

controls blower operation on a timing

sequence as opposed to temperature. The.

Clare models which will incorporate these

controls are noncondensing MEMC series

upflow, and condensing furnace series HEDF

downflow, HEHF horizontal, HEG lowboy

and HEMS upflow. Improved energy

efficiency on these models is achieved by the

fixed timing controls installed in these

models that activate the circulating air

blower 60 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 with a 60 second blower

"ON" time, allowing energy to be lost to the

vent system. This waste of energy would not

occur in normal operation. If this petition is

granted the true blower "ON" time delay

would be used in the measurement of AFUE.

Proposed ANSI(ASHRAE 103-1988,

paragraph 9.6.1 specifically addresses the use

of timed blower operation.

.Current prescribed test procedures prohibit

Clare from taking credit for the saved energy,

thus providing inaccurate comparative data.

Several other furnace manufactureres have

been granted a waiver to permit calculations

based on timed blower operation.

Confidential comparative test data is

available to you on request, confirming that

there are energy savings.

Manufacturers that market similar products

are being sent a copy of this petition for

waiver and interim waiver.

CAS-RM-79-104 COMMENT 83
57FR23396

23398 Federal Register / Vol. 57, No. 107 / Wednesday, June 3, 1992 / Notices

Yours sincerely,

Kenneth R. Macintyre,

Director of Engineering.

[FR Doc. 92-12968 Filed 6-2-92; 8:45 am)

LUNG CODE 0450-01-M

CAS-RM-79-104 COMMENT 83