Energy Management Handbook for Homeowners phần 3 pptx

19

Conservation Devices

The number of “energy-conservation devices” for gas or electric heating systems on the market is growing rapidly.

Many of these devices are well constructed and, if properly installed, are safe.

All of these devices (except some automatic clock thermostats) should be installed by a qualified heating contractor;

they are not designed to be installed by the do-it-yourselfer.

Thermostats

Temporary day or night set-back (turning the temperature down at night or when no one is at home) will save about 1

percent per degree of eight-hour set-back. Note: A thermostat should not be located by a direct source of heat (i.e. heat￾ing vent, lamp, stereo, television or sunlight), on an outside wall or under a whole-house fan opening.

Permanent set-back (setting the thermostat temperature back to a lower setting and leaving it there) will always save

energy. There are some drawbacks to extreme set-back. Elderly individuals and those with poor health should not set

the thermostat down below 68°F. Hypothermia, a lowering of body temperature and slow-down of bodily functions, could

result if the temperature is too low.

Set the temperature as low as you can to still be comfortable. Don’t forget to add additional layers of clothing so you

can be comfortable at lower temperatures.

The savings potential is very different between permanent and temporary set-back. For permanent set-back, there is

a potential energy savings of about three percent per degree of set-back.

Clock thermostats will save energy by automatically turning the thermostat down and up on a preset schedule. An

advantage is that your home will be warm when you get up or come home. But, if you can train yourself to manually turn

the thermostat down, you can save the same amount of energy.

A special type of set-back thermostat is necessary for use with heat pumps.

Vent Damper

The vent damper is a device that automatically seals the combustion flue gas vent during the off cycle of the gas fur￾nace. This saves energy by preventing room air from going up the vent while the furnace is off.

The effectiveness of a vent damper varies greatly and should only be installed by a qualified service person. An auto￾matic vent damper is only effective when installed on heating equipment located in a heated area, such as a utility room

or heated basement. Make sure the type you use is certified and approved for installation in your area.

A vent damper is standard equipment on new furnaces. Before installing a vent damper on an existing furnace, you

should evaluate replacing an older furnace.

Intermittent Ignition Devices (IID)

An intermittent ignition device eliminates the use of a constantly-burning pilot light by electrically igniting the gas pilot

each time the furnace is called upon to operate. If the pilot does not ignite, the ignition control will not allow gas to flow

to the main burner. IIDs are normally cost-effective on new systems. At present energy costs, however, it is not usually

economical to add to an existing furnace. An IID is standard equipment on new furnaces.

Heating Options