Energy Conservation Program for Consumer Products: Granting of the Application for Interim Waiver and Publishing of the Petition for Waiver of Rheem Manufacturing Company From the DOE Furnace Test Procedure

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

[Case No. F-089]

Energy Conservation Program for Consumer Products: Granting of

the Application for Interim Waiver and Publishing of the Petition for

Waiver of Rheem Manufacturing Company From the DOE Furnace Test

Procedure

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

Energy.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: Today's notice grants an Interim Waiver to Rheem Manufacturing

Company (Rheem) from the existing Department of Energy (DOE or

Department) test procedure regarding blower time delay for the

company's GFD upflow residential, modulating type, gas-fired 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

furnace test procedure relating to the blower time delay specification.

Rheem seeks to test using a blower delay time of 20 seconds for its GFD

upflow residential, modulating type, gas-fired 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

May 5, 1997.

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

of Energy, Office of Codes and Standards, Case No. F-089, Mail Stop EE-

43, Room 1J-018, Forrestal Building, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW,

Washington, D.C. 20585-0121, (202) 586-7140.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Cyrus H. Nasseri, U.S. Department

of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Mail

Station EE-43, Forrestal Building, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW.,

Washington, D.C. 20585-0121, (202) 586-9138, or Mr. Eugene Margolis,

Esq., U.S. Department of Energy, Office of General Counsel, Mail

Station GC-72, Forrestal Building, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW.,

Washington, D.C. 20585-0103, (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 Title 10 CFR Part

430, Subpart B.

The Department amended the test procedure rules to provide for a

waiver process by adding Section 430.27 to Title 10 CFR Part 430. 45 FR

64108, September 26, 1980. Subsequently, DOE amended the waiver process

to 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. Title 10 CFR Part 430,

Section 430.27(a)(2).

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 will be granted if 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. Title 10 CFR

Part 430, Section 430.27 (g). 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 29, 1997, Rheem filed an Application for Interim Waiver

and a Petition for 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 20-second blower time delay when testing its

GFD upflow residential, modulating type, gas-fired furnaces. Rheem

states that the 20-second delay is indicative of how these furnaces

actually operate. Such a delay results in an average of approximately

2.0 percent increase in AFUE. Since current DOE test procedures do not

address this variable blower time delay, Rheem 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, 58 FR 68138,

December 23, 1993, and 60 FR 62835, December 7, 1995; 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,

56 FR 63945, December 6, 1991 and 61 FR 27057, May 30, 1996; 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,

59 FR 14394, March 28, 1994, and 60 FR 62832, December 7, 1995; Amana

Refrigeration Inc., 56 FR 27958, June 18, 1991, 56 FR 63940, December

6, 1991, 57 FR 23392, June 3,

[[Page 16147]]

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, 59 FR 12586,

March 17, 1994 and 61 FR 17289, April 19, 1996; 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, and 61 FR 17887, April 23, 1996; Consolidated

Industries Corporation, 57 FR 22220, May 27, 1992, and 61 FR 4262,

February 5, 1996; 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, 59 FR 30578, June 14, 1994, and 61 FR

50812, September 27, 1996; and York International Corporation, 59 FR

46969, September 13, 1994, 60 FR 100, January 3, 1995, 60 FR 62834,

December 7, 1995, and 60 FR 62837, December 7, 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 Rheem an Interim

Waiver for its GFD upflow residential, modulating type, gas-fired

furnaces. Rheem shall be permitted to test its GFD upflow residential,

modulating type, gas-fired furnaces on the basis of the test procedures

specified in Title 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 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.

Rheem's Petition for Waiver requests DOE to grant relief from the

DOE furnace test procedure relating to the blower time delay

specification. Rheem seeks to test using a blower delay time of 20

seconds for its GFD upflow residential, modulating type, gas-fired

furnaces instead of the specified 1.5-minute delay between burner on-

time and blower on-time. Pursuant to paragraph (b) of Title 10 CFR Part

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, on March 31, 1997.

Christine A. Ervin,

Assistant Secretary, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.

January 29, 1997.

Mr. Cyrus Nasseri,

Assistant Secretary, Conservation and Renewable Energy, United

States Department of Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW.,

Washington, DC 20585.

Dear Mr. Nasseri: This is a petition for waiver and application

for interim waiver submitted pursuant to title 10 CFR Part 430.27.

Waiver is requested from the furnace test procedure as prescribed in

appendix N to Subpart B of Part 430. The test procedure requires a

1.5 minute delay between burner and blower start-up. Rheem is

requesting authorization to use a 20 second delay instead of 1.5

minutes for our series (-)GFD upflow residential, modulating type

gas-fired furnace.

Rheem will be manufacturing these appliances with an electronic

device that controls the blower operation on a timing sequence as

opposed to temperature.

Improved energy efficiency is achieved by reducing on cycle

losses. Under the Appendix N procedures, the stack temperature is

allowed to climb at a faster rate than it would with a 12 second

blower on time, allowing energy to be lost out of 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.

The current test procedures do not give Rheem credit for the

energy savings which averages approximately 2% Annual Fuel

Utilization Efficiency (AFUE). This improvement is an average

reduction of 20% of the normal on cycle energy losses. Rheem is of

the opinion that a 20% reduction is a worthwhile energy savings.

Rheem has been granted previous waivers regarding blower on time

to be used in the efficiency calculations for our (-)GEP, (-)GKA, (-

)GRA, (-)GSA and (-)GTA series condensing furnaces and/or (-)GDE, (-

)GLE, (-)GDG, (-)GLG, (-)GPH, (-)GLH, (-)GVH, and (-)GVG series

furnaces. Several other manufacturers of gas furnaces have also been

granted a waiver to permit calculations based on timed blower

operation. Also, ASHRAE Standard 103-1993, paragraph 9.5.1.2.2

specifically addresses the use of a timed blower operation.

Confidential and 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 J. Canclini,

Vice-President, Product Development and Research Engineering.

bcc: B.A. Cook, K. W. Kleman, R. W. Willis

[FR Doc. 97-8637 Filed 4-3-97; 8:45 am]

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