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New federal law may make replacing your furnace much costlier
NorthJersey.com ^ | November 23, 2012 | JAMES M. O’NEILL

Posted on 11/26/2012 3:13:25 PM PST by Timber Rattler

Replacing an aging furnace could cost homeowners thousands of dollars more after May 1, when new federal energy efficiency standards take effect for northern states, including New Jersey.

The new energy-efficient natural gas furnaces aren’t that much more expensive themselves, but they must be vented directly to an outside wall rather than through the chimney, which can increase installation costs dramatically, home heating contractors say.

(snip)

Under the Department of Energy rules, gas furnaces installed after May 1 must be at least 90 percent efficient, compared with the current 78 percent efficient criterion.

Similar improvements in energy efficiency are set to go into effect for heat pumps and air conditioning systems in Southern states.

(snip)

The rules were produced after Congress passed a law in 2007 allowing the Department of Energy to develop regional standards for central heating and cooling equipment.

Analysis by the U.S. Department of Energy concluded that between 2013 and 2045, the higher-efficiency furnaces, air conditioning systems and heat pumps would save about one-fifth of the amount of total energy used annually by the U.S. residential sector.

In addition, the drop in energy use would result in greenhouse gas reductions of up to 143 million metric tons of carbon dioxide over those three decades. That’s equivalent to the amount of carbon emitted each year to produce the electricity used by 1.8 million homes, or the carbon emissions produced from burning nearly 77,900 railcars worth of coal, according to an Environmental Protection Agency greenhouse gas calculator.

(Excerpt) Read more at northjersey.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Constitution/Conservatism; Government; US: New Jersey
KEYWORDS: energy; furnace; hotair; law
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To: ConradofMontferrat

“Like minds think alike. I have two water heaters. One is the standard type, all mechanical and no electrical nonsense. The other is an “on demand” propane. “

More than you think, LOL. As of last count, I have 4 natural gas water heaters (2 installed, 2 spares), 1 propane water heater (it’s really a camping water heater - but works great), and one point-of-use, on demand, electric (7 kW) water heater. Needless to say, I have other options for heating water, including Butane stoves, Propane Stoves, and huge Propane Boilers (for cooking crawfish). Whoops, almost forgot, I also have two stoves that run on unleaded gasoline.

But I agree with you...it’s good to use the conventional stuff (i.e., gas water heaters) as primary, for I don’t have as much confidence in getting 10 years out of my other systems. The other stuff is mainly for post-hurricane (or doomsday, whichever comes first) survival.


81 posted on 11/26/2012 6:04:10 PM PST by BobL (You can live each day only once. You can waste a few, but don't waste too many.)
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To: BobL
...in keeping THE MAN focused on his work and don’t poking around for goodies (or, more likely, his young helper poking around for goodies).

The last time the Sears repairman was up here (that only took about 6 weeks), he kept saying "I just don't want you mountain people mad at me."

82 posted on 11/26/2012 6:40:09 PM PST by SCalGal (Friends don't let friends donate to H$U$, A$PCA, or PETA.)
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To: Gandalf_The_Gray

Well water. The one I linked to is not what is in my basement. It’s just the first one I found.

I also have a room problem in the well room. There is the 90 gallon pressure tank, the softener, the R/O unit for drinking/cooking water and it’s 5 gallon tank, the iron filter and some other gizmo they installed.

Our water had so much iron in it that it had scrap value. The softener was suppose to handle most of it (15 PPM) but we still had troubles so the iron filter went in. Now we have clear, soft (but very slightly salty) water. You can drink it but we prefer the R/O water.


83 posted on 11/26/2012 6:56:59 PM PST by cableguymn (The founding fathers would be shooting by now..)
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To: cableguymn

Likely poor phrasing on my part. As a means of making up for it, here’s a web page full of neat pics of oven stoves, which I personally think are something I would like if I had my druthers, and a place to put a really big and heavy stove, that is.

http://www.lowtechmagazine.com/2008/12/tile-stoves.html


84 posted on 11/26/2012 7:10:54 PM PST by yefragetuwrabrumuy (DIY Bumper Sticker: "THREE TIMES,/ DEMOCRATS/ REJECTED GOD")
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To: Cicero

We live too far out to ship in pellets but I’ve had friends back East talk about them (we live where the Yukon comes into Alaska from Canada) but I have over 25 cord stacked and covered, so minus 65 come on. Actually, I go out behind our place a few miles every day it’s above minus 10 and bring back a sled load with skandic; about 5 nice birch trees.


85 posted on 11/26/2012 7:11:55 PM PST by Eska
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To: KevinB

Speaking my language and I hear ya. Wife and I have been married 28 years, got a couple Plott Hounds, a few bottles of Woodford Reserve, and guitars????? I have about a dozen strats & teles, Bruno Cowtipper, Twin Reverb through a Rotary Speaker. I’ve have a Kirn (outta Jacksonville Fla) Signature Strat made from 200 year old Amer Chestnut I sent him. Wish I remembered how to post picts as Kev you’d appreciate seeing these guitars. Now, you just reminded me to head downstairs and play, good deal.


86 posted on 11/26/2012 7:22:20 PM PST by Eska
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To: SCalGal

“The last time the Sears repairman was up here (that only took about 6 weeks), he kept saying “I just don’t want you mountain people mad at me.” “

Yep, us hick-sters have a way of getting our point across.


87 posted on 11/26/2012 7:36:03 PM PST by BobL (You can live each day only once. You can waste a few, but don't waste too many.)
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To: Timber Rattler

I’m just glad the headline didn’t read:

“New federal law may make replacing your fiancee much costlier.”


88 posted on 11/26/2012 7:38:14 PM PST by Redcitizen (A good pun is its own reword.)
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To: Eska

Vermont gets pretty cold, but I must admit that Alaska has got us beat. The coldest I’ve seen it here in the past 10 years was only minus 30 or 40. I have a six-cord woodshed that I built near the house, and that just about takes care of the wood stove. And I store six tons of pellets in the garage on six pallets each summer, and generally wind up using five of them. Good to have an extra just in case.

We burn birch, maple, ash, cherry, oak, and also any dead standing hardwoods—mostly chestnuts, which reach a certain size and then die of the blight. The dead trees don’t give as much heat, but I like to clear them out to make room for new growth. Our woods were kind of a mess when we moved in here. I also cut a fair amount of dead branches up for kindling. It’s not work efficient, but it gets the woods into better shape and it seems too bad to waste it on bonfires.


89 posted on 11/26/2012 7:42:23 PM PST by Cicero (Marcus Tullius)
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To: cripplecreek

Except this law was passed when Bush was president.


90 posted on 11/26/2012 7:50:03 PM PST by paul544
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To: Petrosius

“And where in the Constitution does Congress have the power to develop regional standards for central heating and cooling equipment?”

It’s right there next to abortion on demand, taxpayer funded contraceptives and abortifacients, and Predator Drone use against civilians.

Living and breathing my @$$!

The Constitution is what they wipe their filthy hand on when they’re sworn in, and that’s it!

There is scant little honor in the halls of our federal government these days.


91 posted on 11/26/2012 9:20:58 PM PST by Bshaw (A nefarious deceit is upon us all!)
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To: Charles Martel
I'll admit, that part of the article made me scratch my head. I've never seen a gas furnace vented through a chimney - all of mine had separate vent stacks. Maybe this reference is an upper east coast sort of thing dealing with older houses.

Well, my house is in IL, was built in the early 50's, and both the gas furnace and gas water heater, which went in much later, vent to the chimney. The orig. heat was a coal furnace.

92 posted on 11/26/2012 10:31:02 PM PST by Paul R. (We are in a break in an Ice Age. A brief break at that...)
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To: usconservative
The law was passed in 2007. Bush's fault. (Seriously, he signed it.)

Bush's 2nd term was pretty much a disaster, and probably did as much as anything to make the Kenyan possible. You won't get any argument about that from me.

93 posted on 11/27/2012 7:42:52 AM PST by Marathoner (Our forefathers would be shooting by now.)
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To: Eska

Nice, Eska. It sounds like we’re birds of a feather. Woodford is my favorite Bourbon also. My wife and I took a tour of the distillery when we were in Kentucky for the Derby a couple of years ago. Very cool. I’m partial to acoustic guitars, though I do have an electric that I barely play. I don’t have anything fancy - just a couple of Larrivee acoustics and a G&L electric. Love the Larrivees - the best acoustic for the money in my view. It sounds like you’ve got a good life going out in the wilderness. Congratulations.


94 posted on 11/28/2012 8:58:53 AM PST by KevinB (A country that would elect Barack Obama president twice is no longer worth fighting for.)
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