The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

SOLAR HEATED , WIND DRIVEN CLOTHES DRYER -- av ss The Energy Facts Of Clean Clothes The most energy efficient way of washing clothes is to take a bar of soap down to the river's edge and scrub away. Clearly, few Canadians are prepared to go to this length to save energy. In fact, even if they were, how many are close to a river? Lucki- ly, we don't have to go back to the ways of our ancestors to wash and dry our clothes in an energy efficient manner. The following suggestions can help you reduce the energy. and dollar costs of keeping your clothes clean. Washing The biggest cost item in wash- ing clothes is the hot water. So whether you're hand-washing in a sink or using an automatic Thinking of Converting to Natural Gas? As oil prices soar, and the dan- ger of supply interruption con- tinues, you may be one of the many Canadians _ considering converting from an oil to a gas furnace. Or, perhaps, switching to electrical heating seems like a wise move. However, do remem- ber that conversions may save oil, but they still use energy. There are many factors to take into account when considering the various heating fuels -- a ma- jor one being cost. Before you switch to another fuel, you should investigate ways to reduce your heating bill by increasing the efficiency of your existing "system". Insulating and simply turning down your thermostat are two ways of substantially re- ducing your fuel bill. In which case, the advantage of switching to another fuel may be signifi- cantly lessened. But will changing fuels actual- ly save you money? And if so, how much? To determine the cost of using another fuel, use the following table to help you convert the amount of fuel you use into the equivalent amount of an alterna- tive fuel. Simply multiply the amount of fuel you are now con- --- 1 cu. ft. of Natural Gas -- cu. ft. of Natural Gas -- cu. ft. of Natural Gas -- gal. of Oil -- gal. of Oil -- gal. of Oil a gal. of Propane -- gal. of Propane -- gal. of Propane -- kWh of Electricity -- kWh of Electricity -- kWh of Electricity oa CONVERSION FACTORS -0060 gal. of Oil .0092 gal. of Propane -1760 kWh of Electricity 166.6 cu. ft. of Natural Gas 1.52 gal. of Propane 29.2 kWh of Electricity .109 cu. ft. of Natural Gas .654 gal. of Oil 19.2 kWh of Electricity 5.69 cu. ft. of Natural Gas .034 gal. of Oil .052 gal. of Propane ) \ Moisture Problems I HAVE JUST UPGRADED THE INSULATION LEVELS IN MY HOME BUT NOW I HAVE A LOT OF CONDEN- SATION ON THE INSIDE OF THE WINDOWS. DID I PUT TOO MUCH INSULATION IN MY HOUSE? \ Householder in Kimberly, B.C. Your condensation may have one of two causes: 1) Leaky Window If the condensation is between the panes of glass in double- glazed units the problem is air leakage. This can be reduced by caulking the fixed joints and weatherstripping all moving joints around the inside pane of glass. Condensation inside sealed windows indicates a defective "seal", which can usually be completely corrected by replace- ment of the window. 2) Humidity Levels Too High The moisture or humidity levels in your house may be too high. Homes today are being insulated and tightened, which in some cases, is causing condensation problems as the warm, moist air Stays inside and is not replaced by the dryer (and colder!) air from outside. Thus, it is no longer necessary to maintain high levels of indoor humidity for winter comfort. No moisture problems should arise when moderate levels of hu- midity are coupled with the pro- per use of an air/vapour barrier suming (in gallons, kWh or cubic feet) by the conversion factor shown in the table. Then multi- ply that amount by the unit cosf of the alternative fuel (use prices in your area). Once you've calculated the cost of using an alternative fuel, the actual cost of conversion must then be taken into account. Consult local fuel dealers to get estimates on the cost of conver- sion and then divide this cost by the total savings to get a rough idea of the payback period. If you are considering convert- ing to natural gas, you should be aware that the lower tempera- tures and higher moisture con- tent of the flue gases produced in natural gas-fired systems caa lead to condensation in and de- terioration of a brick chimney. In most cases, this can be avoid- ed by the installation of a steel chimney liner. Be sure to include the cost of the liner and its instal- lation in your conversion calcula- tions. Conversion to natural gas is often carried out by changing only the burner in the furnace. However, if you are thinking of replacing your entire furnace and ] are looking at gas, you may want to consider purchasing a new high efficiency gas furnace. These furnaces, which are 90%- 95% efficient, compared to the 60% efficiency rating in conven- tional gas furnaces, should be available within the year. But, whichever fuel you choose, the supply is finite and reducing, as much as possible, the quantity you use not only saves you money, but stretches Canada's reserves. Canadian Energy Insulation can insulate your home for $25 322-1582 926-3901 For home comfort all year round... Insulate and Ventilate! Insulation and Ventilators of all types available at washing machine, cutting down on the hot water saves energy. Many people now use nothing but cold water washes and are very satisfied with the results. Washing in cold water has the added benefit of reducing the likelihood of shrinkage and col- our bleeding. Full Loads Make the most of the energy used to run your washing ma- chine by operating it only when you have a full load. When this is not possible, save water by using the correct water level setting for the size of the load. Drying The most energy saving way to dry your clothes is to use a solar heated, wind-driven clothes dry- er or, as it is more commonly known -- a clothesline. In sum- mer, using a clothesline gives your clothes that fresh out-of- doors smell. In winter, the family wash drying in the basement can contribute approximately 26 pounds of moisture to dry winter air. However, if letting your clothes air dry is not feasible, then use your clothes dryer_in an energy saving manner: e Short cycles -- Use the short- est appropriate cycle to not only save energy but to _ prevent clothes from overdrying. e Full loads -- Dry a full load each time you turn the dryer on to make good use of the heat produced. (But avoid overload- ing) ® Vents -- Vent your dryer to the outside during the summer to get rid of moisture-laden air. This saves energy by speeding up drying time. A typical sub compact car can achieve 11% better fuel economy with a 4-speed manual transmis- sion than with an automatic transmission. New lock-up auto- matic transmissions which are available on several new models also achieve good fuel economy. e Lint filter -- Clean your lint filter after each load to reduce drying time. At least once a year, clean the outside of the dryer drum, the motor, and exhaust pipes to get rid of lint build-up. The rinse and hold cycle on a dishwz her uses three to seven gallons of hot water. e Allowing dishes to air dry can reduce a dishwasher's energy re- quirements by at least one third. + REWARD $ Federal Government will pay as much as 400°" to conserve energy by insulating your attic in houses built berore 1961. Your total cost as low as $45. For complete C.H.1.P. details call your local representative. 361-1202 [ | | | { | | | | | Save up to 50 per cent on heating costs. | [ | | | | | | | The momentary surge of pow- er when turning on a light (whether fluorescent or incandes- cent) is equal to only lor 2 sec- onds of lighting time. e Cool white fluorescent lighting is five times as efficient as incan- descent light. The energy consumed by our food system is distributed as follows: 18% on the farm 32% processing & packaging 20% transportation 30% home preparation eS Operating a dishwasher can be twice as expensive as washing dishes by hand. Mn SS SS SS SS SY GY SYS SS SS TILSON LEISURECRAFT presents... The 'Cooke' wood burning stove eReliable radiating heat eGreat for home, cottage or shop use eDouble door Air-tight construction eSave on home heating costs \ eAttractive design fits most decors SPECIAL SUMMER PRICE SAVE $146.00 *399.00 Also a good selection of flu pipes and Woodstove accessories TILSON LEISURECRAFT -- AX) ZO THIRD STREET Ziom| MIDLAND : c=) 526-2264 eS | Page 28, Wednesday, July 30, 1980 : MIDLAND -- 526-3129 Hwy. 27, Just South of Midland ae