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THE HILLS HOMESTYLE Saturday Septembers 1990 Page Biologist recruiting insects BY BEING AN INFORMED CONSUMER asking questions and weighing opttonB with your contractor you can choose a heating system right for your specific needs lb locate the Carrier dealer nearest you look in your telephone directory under Heating or Air Conditioning or coll Contractors can help in determining best heating system Whether you re building a new house or improving an existing one a reputable contractor will be glad to work with you to determine the best heating system for your home When should you purchase a new furnace of upgrade to a better system Would a heat pump be a more economical alternative A good contractor will help you make that decision based on a number of factors These include your budget your lifestyle the size of your home the degree of comfort desired and local utility rates INVEST IN QUALITY Cost is only one factor to consider Choosing the most inexpensive model may appear at first to be the smartest choice but it may cost you more money in the long run in higher utility bills Investing a better fur nace or heat pump now will pay off in energy savings down the road Your contractor can estimate the payback on a new heating unit by comparing the utility savings you can expect from a more efficient system and the initial cost of the equipment OLD I- Older gas furnaces even those that seem to be working well usual ly have one thing in common They re inefficient Typically less than 65 per cent of the fuel you pay for is into heat for your home Many old furnaces were less than 50 per cent efficient when new Years of wear dirt and heat exchanger corrosion can combine to make these older units even less efficient Ask your contractor about the new high efficiency furnaces that operate at significantly more cost effective levels than models manufactured eight or more years ago For instance Carrier the world s largest manufacturer of heating and cooling equipment offers high efficiency gas furnaces with Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency ratings up to per cent In addi tion one of the models the Weather maker SXi Infinity smart gas fur saves on electricity as well as gas for extra utility savings Inquire about variable speed This new technology allows a furnace to maintain the desired temperature without constantly cycling on and off This not only means dramatic energy savings but also much quieter furnace operation SMALLER MAY BE BETTER Sizing the equipment to the re quirements of your home is impor when choose a heating system Big is not necessarily better If the unit is too big for the space it must heat it will not operate efficiently and your heating needs would be bet and more economically satisfied by a smaller furnace An option for very small homes and apartments is a mini sized fur such as Carrier s Crusader gas furnace Only inches tall it fits in to closets and other light spaces Adding an electric heat pump to an oil or gas furnace may further in crease your energy savings The heat pump provides summer cooling plus an alternative heating method in winter By analyzing local utility rates and your heating re quirements your contractor can help you decide if a heat pump is the way to go Ask your contractor about the new zoned temperature control systems Carrier Home Zone system automatically keeps every room at a comfortable temperature according to instructions The homeowner can easily pro gram Home Zone thermostats to fit the family lifestyle so that oc rooms are heated and the temperature is set back in rooms An added benefit is the energy savings You re not pay mg to fully heat those parts of the house which are not occupied ASK THE RIGHT QUESTIONS By being an informed consumer asking questions and weighing op tions with your contractor you can choose a heating system that s right for your specific needs A reputable contractor will be happy to work with you on your initial purchase and to provide continued service and maintenance To locate the Carrier dealer nearest you look in your telephone directory under Heating or Air Conditioning or call 1 CARRIER Come on bug me That s the message from University of Guelph environmental biologist Jack Alex who is recruiting an army of insects to combat some weeds that are a nuisance to farmers Alex wants people to look for weeds that show signs of having been attacked by insects bugs or disease Then hed like the weeds wrapped in newspaper and mailed to him at the university The weed will help him search for ways of controlling weeds in the fields without using pesticides This is in line with the Ontario govern ment aim of reducing by half the use of farm chemicals by the year 2002 he says Alex believes one alternative is benign biological warfare This in volves finding insects or disease- causing organism that will attack specific weeds but not crops and artificially increasing the numbers of bugs to munch on the weeds Alex is particularly interested in four weeds that are a problem for Ontario growers of row crops such as corn soybean and white beans The weeds are lambs quarter redroot pigweed ragweed and velvetleaf Signs to look for in a diseased weed are rotting leaves extensive blotching and other deformities he says Canada has successfully controll ed other farm weeds through the cultivation of natural predators For 30 years the Chrysolina beetle has helped control St John swort a weed resistant to many herbicides and harmful when eaten by livestock The beetle has greatly reduced the weed in parts of British Columbia and Ontario Alex research is funded by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food Samples of weeds damaged by in sects or disease can be sent to Jack Alex at the University of Guelph Guelph Ontario N1G2W1 REALTORS Need Buyers for your Homes Our HOMESTYLE Real Estate Guide reaches over homes every week including Georgetown Acton Erin and the surrounding rural communities EXCEPTIONAL RATES SUPERIOR SERVICE GIVE US A TRY 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