Energy Conservation Program for Consumer Products: Granting of the Application for Interim Waiver and Publishing of the Petition for Waiver of Consolidated Industries From the DOE Furnace Test Procedure (Case No. F-082)

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

Energy Conservation Program for Consumer Products: Granting of

the Application for Interim Waiver and Publishing of the Petition for

Waiver of Consolidated Industries From the DOE Furnace Test Procedure

(Case No. F-082)

AGENCY: Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Department of

Energy.

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: Today's notice grants an Interim Waiver to Consolidated

Industries (Consolidated) from the existing Department of Energy (DOE

or Department) test procedure regarding blower time delay for the

company's USA and UCA series furnaces.

Today's notice also publishes a ``Petition for Waiver'' from

Consolidated. Consolidated Petition for Waiver requests DOE to grant

relief from the DOE furnace test procedure relating to the blower time

delay specification. Consolidated seeks to test using a blower delay

time of 30 seconds for its USA and UCA series furnaces instead of the

specified 1.5-minute delay between burner on-time and blower on-time.

The Department is soliciting comments, data, and information respecting

the Petition for Waiver.

DATES: DOE will accept comments, data, and information not later than

December 22, 1995.

ADDRESSES: Written comments and statements shall be sent to: Department

of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Case No.

F-082, Mail Stop EE-43, Room 1J-108, Forestall Building, 1000

Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20585, (202) 586-7140.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Cyrus H. Nasseri, U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy

Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Mail Station EE-431, Forestall

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

586-9138

Eugene Margolis, Esq., U.S. Department of Energy, Office of General

Counsel, Mail Station GC-72, Forestall Building, 1000 Independence

Avenue

[[Page 57855]]

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, as amended, (EPCA), 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.

The test procedure rules provide for a waiver process and allow the

Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency 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. 10 CFR Part 430, Sec. 430.27. 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.

An Interim Waiver may be granted 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, 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. 10 CFR Part 430,

Sec. 430.27(e). 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 April 26, 1995, Consolidated filed an Application for Interim

Waiver and a Petition for Waiver regarding blower time delay.

Consolidated 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,

Consolidated requests the allowance to test using a 30-second blower

time delay when testing its USA and UCA series furnaces. Consolidated

states that the 30-second delay is indicative of how these furnaces

actually operate. Such a delay results in an average furnace AFUE

improvement of 1.0 percent. Since current DOE test procedures do not

address this variable blower time delay, Consolidated asks that the

Interim Waiver be granted.

The Department has published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on

August 23, 1993 (58 FR 44583), to amend the furnace test procedure,

which addresses the above issue.

Previous Petitions for Waiver for this type of time 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, 56 FR 2920,

January 25, 1991, 57 FR 10166, March 24, 1992, 57 FR 34560, August 5,

1992; 59 FR 30577, June 14, 1994, and 59 FR 55470, November 7, 1994;

Trane Company, 54 FR 19226, May 4, 1989, 56 FR 6021, February 14, 1991,

57 FR 10167, March 24, 1992, 57 FR 22222, May 27, 1992, and 58 FR

68138, December 23, 1993; Lennox Industries, 55 FR 50224, December 5,

1990, 57 FR 49700, November 3, 1992, 58 FR 68136, December 23, 1993,

and 58 FR 68137, December 23, 1993; Inter-City Products Corporation, 55

FR 51487, December 14, 1990, and 56 FR 63945, December 6, 1991; DMO

Industries, 56 FR 4622, February 5, 1991, and 59 FR 30579, June 14,

1994; Heil-Quaker Corporation, 56 FR 6019, February 14, 1991; Carrier

Corporation, 56 FR 6018, February 14, 1991, 57 FR 38830, August 27,

1992, 58 FR 68131, December 23, 1993, 58 FR 68133, December 23, 1993

and 59 FR 14394, March 28, 1994; Amana Refrigeration Inc., 56 FR 27958,

June 18, 1991, 56 FR 63940, December 6, 1991, 57 FR 23392, June 3,

1992, and 58 FR 68130, December 23, 1993; Snyder General Corporation,

56 FR 54960, September 9, 1991; Goodman Manufacturing Corporation, 56

FR 51713, October 15, 1991, 57 FR 27970, June 23, 1992 and 59 FR 12586,

March 17, 1994; The Ducane Company Inc., 56 FR 63943, December 6, 1991,

57 FR 10163, March 24, 1992, and 58 FR 68134, December 23, 1993;

Armstrong Air Conditioning, Inc., 57 FR 899, January 9, 1992, 57 FR

10160, March 24, 1992, 57 FR 10161, March 24, 1992, 57 FR 39193, August

28, 1992, 57 FR 54230, November 17, 1992, and 59 FR 30575, June 14,

1994; Thermo Products, Inc., 57 FR 903, January 9, 1992; Consolidated

Industries Corporation, 57 FR 22220, May 27, 1992; Evcon Industries,

Inc., 57 FR 47847, October 20, 1992, and 59 FR 46968, September 13,

1994; Bard Manufacturing Company, 57 FR 53733, November 12, 1992, and

59 FR 30578, June 14, 1994; and York International Corporation, 59 FR

46969, September 13, 1994, and 60 FR 100, January 3, 1995.

Thus, it appears likely that this Petition for Waiver for blower

time delay will be granted. 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 Consolidated an

Interim Waiver for its USA and UCA series furnaces. Consolidated shall

be permitted to test its USA and UCA series furnaces on the basis of

the test procedures specified in 10 CFR Part 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 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 time delay

(t-) using a

[[Page 57856]]

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 removed 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.

Consolidated's Petition for Waiver requested DOE to grant relief

from the DOE furnace test procedure relating to the blower time delay

specification. Consolidated seeks to test using a blower delay time of

30 seconds for its USA and UCA series furnaces instead of the specified

1.5-minute delay between burner on-time and blower on-time. 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. The Department solicits comments, data, and information

respecting the Petition.

Issued in Washington, DC, November 13, 1995.

Christine A. Ervin,

Assistant Secretary, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.

April 26, 1995.

Assistant Secretary of Conservation and Renewable Energy,

U.S. Department of Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue SW., Washington,

D.C. 20585.

Gentlemen: This Petition for Waiver and Application for Interim

Waiver is submitted in compliance with Title 10 CFR 430.27. This

request is for modification to the Test Procedures for Measuring the

Energy Consumption of Furnaces found in Appendix N to Subpart B of

Part 430.

The current test procedure uses a 1.5 minute time delay between

the burner start-up and the blower start-up. Consolidated

Industries' USA series and UCA series furnaces utilize a 30 second

nonadjustable fixed time delay between the burner ignition and

blower start-up. For the USA series and UCA series furnaces,

Consolidated Industries is requesting that the fixed time delay be

substituted for the current test procedures' 1.5 minute time delay.

We submit that the test procedure using 1.5 minute blower start-

up time delay requires a bypass of the furnace safety limit switch

and does not represent the true product performance and efficiency.

The USA and UCA series furnaces have lightweight, compact heat

exchangers that were designed to heat up very quickly with an

ensuing blower start-up time optimized at 30 seconds. The advanced

heat exchanger design along with improved operating controls has

improved the efficiency of this furnace in such a way that the

current standard does not credit Consolidated Industries for the

true efficiency improvements to this furnace. The product

performance will be more accurately depicted using the proposed

ASHRAE Standard 103-1993 that accounts for the design flexibility

and improvement without the penalty incurred by using the current

test procedure. The test results show an average of 1.0% improvement

in AFUE using the 30 second fixed time delay.

Other manufacturers have been granted similar waivers for

similar reasons.

Data and documentation can be supplied at your request.

This waiver request letter has been sent to GAMA and gas furnace

manufacturers that market similar products.

Sincerely,

Gerald K. Gable,

Vice President of Engineering.

[FR Doc. 95-28552 Filed 11-21-95; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6450-01-P