PAGE 8, WEDNESOAY SEPTEMBER 21, 1983, WHITBY FREE 'PRESS PULL-OUT SECTION Moki'ng Thea Most 0f Your Heating System You've sealed the air leaks and added In- sulation; now consider your heating system. 1s It sabotaging your energy conservation ef- forts? If your furnance is too large, too inef- ficlent, lmproperly malntalned or too cold, you're wastlng energy. When you've sealed and insulated, you May discover that your heatlng systemn la no longer appropriate to your lower energy needs. So you May want to buy, a amailer more- efficient unit, especiaily if your present system is near the end of Its life. If you have an oil furnan- ce, you should probably thlnk about swltchingto another fuel, like, natural gas or elec- tricity. The federal gover- nment's Canada 011 Substitution Prgram (COSP) is lntended to assist homeowners wlth the Initial expense of conversion. If you con- vert from oli to one of the ailowable alter- native fuels, you may be eligible for a taxable grant paying 50 per cent of the cost, up to $800. For more Information, write The Pederal Con- servation and Renewable Enegry Of- fice, 2242 Lakeshore Blvd. West, Toronto, Ontario M8V lA5. Keep in mind that if you change from oil to natural gas, you'll probably have to instal a chixnney liner to prevent the brickwork from being eroded by Wallcovering Makes D Vinyl wailcoveringsa becoming increasing popular these days, due their long life and case-< care-which saves the e pense and effort of a yea Iy paint job, a bigplus. these inflationary time Instant Mragic is one ( the easiest ways availab, to create "instant" desig interest in your home. Th convenieni, narrow widt of the rolis makes ther easy to handie. Even thi novice home decorato can easily become a pr( with these simple steps: 1I. Tools Yo'u 'Wii Need-A razor or, matt knife., a string and plumb, a yardstick, a seamn roller, a smoothing brush, and a water tray. -2. Gel Readv-A smooth, dlean surface is essential-remove all nails, switch plates, old wallcoverings, etc. Plasier any holes and wash the walls. (Baking soda in water works fine.) 3. Get Szr-aighîl- St art in a blind corner (the leasi noticeable corner of the roomn). Measure away [rom the corner a distance of ,12" less than the width of the wallcovering and drop a plumb uine. Using this chalk uine as a guide, ail your subsequent sirips will line up paraliel with the firsi, even if your loor -.sags or ceiling leans. 4. Measurie And Cui-. Rule of thumb .. . measure everything twice! Measure ceiling Io baseboard ai sev- eral points. Cut several sirips ai leasi 4 to 6 inches longer than the maximum walI measurement (t0 allow for-matching and trim). 5. Weîîing The Srip- Fi the water tray 3/ full with roomn temperature water. This water should be changed frequently 10 avoid excessive adhesive accumulation on the face of the wallcovering. Place the water îray near the wall. Sîarting ai the top of the pattern, roll each strip with the pattern facing out. The boitom of the patterntshould be the outer flap. Make a loose roll and totally immerse ini water. Re-roll under water. Pull strip out ,riowlv. Allow the condensing flue gases. Upgrading your present oil furnance might be a sensible alternative if it's still in good shape. If you're considering elther replacement or upgradlng, the free booklet Make the Most. of Your Heatlng System (published by the Miniatry of Municipal Affairs and Houslng) will describe your op- tions and help you come to an lnformed decision. Then, talk over your plans with a heating contractor. In the meantime you can improve the operation of your present system. And of course if you're keeping the furnance you now have, y'ou want it working at maximum efficiency. There are a number of simple strategies to im- prove the performance .of any heating system. Flrst, you should en- sure that the furnance is functioning properly by having it inspected and serviced. Regular in- spections are essential for safety and must be done by a certlfied oil burner mechanic or gas fitter. 011 systems need servicing yearly, while gas systems should be serviced once every two years. The Billpayer's Guide to Furnance Servicing, available from the federal Department 0f Energy, Mines and Resources, gives detailed explanations of ecorating So- Easy what!s necessary for proper serviclng. Briefly, It means cleanlng or replacing dirty parts, checklig the safety conitrols and tuning the burner. But there's more to maintenance than the occasional' service eall. Ask the serviceman to explain the operation of your furnance and to demonstrate the procedures you can do for yourself. Most basic of these Is cleaning or changlng the filters. A furnance wlth clogged or dirty filters can burn up to 25 per cent more fuel, so0 regular cleaning Ishould noticeably lower your fuel consuimption., You can also adjust the furnance fan beit to en- sure that it's at the right tension, permitting about 25 mm (one inch) of play. You can improve the efficiency flot only of your furnance but of your heat distribution. A recent Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing study reported that a forced air system delivers an average of only one third of the heat generated by the furnance to the roms upstairs. The ducts are generally uninsulated and leaky, spiiling much of the heat into the basement and walls. If your basement is warm, you can probably assume this is why. Seal ductwork joints with silicone caulking or commercial duet tape i and insulate ducts that are longer than 2- metres, especially if they run through a cold room. You can buy a _foôil-faced fiberglass duct wrap made for this purpose. Balance your heating system by adjustlng the dampers and floor registers and closing the reglaters in rarely used or overheated rooms. You may have to ex- periment to get the warmth where you want it. Makte sure the heating outlets aren't blocked by furniture and drapes. The efficiency of hot water distribution systems can be similarly improved. In- sulated exposed heating pipes with foil-f aced fiberglass pipe wrap. Make insulated boards to place behind your ex- terior wall radiators: you do this by cutting a piece of foil-faced rigid insulation to a size slightly smaller than the rad itself. Leave an air space between the in- sulation and the radiator. From timne to time, bleed air from the radiators by opening the, valves until ail the air bubbles sputter out and you get a steady stream of water. Your thermostat con- Ted ARNTS LOAM SUPPLy LTD. BROOK RD. N., PICKERING (11 miles north of Hlghwmy 2) TOP SOIL Sand Limestone Treaied Timber Stone Pinemukch Patio Slabs Curbs Firewood I Peat-Loam f INTERLOCKING PAVIING STONES <DELIVERED & OR INSTALLED) 1683-0887 control the thermostat. The temperature of the whole house is deter- mined by the location of the thermostat, which should not be placed near any source of warmnth, or cold, like windows, doors, heating registers or appliances. Each degree C that you lower the setting of your thermostat saves you three per cent of, your fuel bill. Lowering your thermostat fiire degrees C at night or wfhen you're out won't dimlnlsh the comfort of your home, especiaily if caulking and weather- stripping have afready eliminated drafts. Con- sidering ail this, an automatic setback thermostat, which lowers and raises' the temperature as your require, might be a good investment. Your heating system should benefit from this program of cons cien- tious maintenance and your bills should decrease as you learn to better control the heat. With the even distribution of warmnth your home should feel. much -more comfor- Wallcoverings con be used in any num ber of ways to create design interesf 'ino room. excess water to drain into water tray. 6. Hang Il Up-Begin at the ceiling, overlapping two or ihree inches which will be trimmed off afier the strip is hung. Start at the top and unroîl the cov- ering slowly as you go down toward the floor. Use the plumb uine as a guide. Use the brush to smooth out the wallcover- ing; rèmove bubbles by starting at the center and brushing out to the edges. Use clean water and sponge to remove -any ex- cess adhesive. Trim over- hang at botom with sîraight edge and niatte knife. Use firsi sîrip as a guide and butt the second strip against it, aligning the pattern if required. Set sems wiùh seani rouler. If for any reason paste dries ai the seams, we recom- mend Protcssional Fix 'N Stix or any other qualiîy vinyl-to-vinyl adhesive. Remodel Redecorate' Renovate! e s * e u - k