[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 214 (Monday, November 7, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-27533]
[[Page Unknown]]
[Federal Register: November 7, 1994]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
[Case No. F-075]
Energy Conservation Program for Consumer Products: Decision and
Order Granting a Waiver From the Furnace Test Procedure to Rheem
Manufacturing Company
AGENCY: Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Department of
Energy.
ACTION: Decision and Order.
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SUMMARY: Notice is given of the Decision and Order (Case No. F-075)
granting a Waiver to Rheem Manufacturing Company (Rheem) from the
existing Department of Energy (DOE) test procedure for furnaces. The
Department is granting Rheem's Petition for Waiver regarding blower
time delay in calculation of Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency (AFUE)
for its GRA upflow, and GSA downflow condensing gas furnaces.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Cyrus H. Nasseri, U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy
Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Mail Station EE-431, Forrestal
Building, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20585, (202)
586-9138.
Eugene Margolis, Esq., U.S. Department of Energy, Office of General
Counsel, Mail Station GC-72, Forrestal Building, 1000 Independence
Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20585, (202) 586-9507.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In accordance with 10 CFR 430.27(g), notice
is hereby given of the issuance of the Decision and Order as set out
below. In the Decision and Order, Rheem has been granted a Waiver for
its GRA upflow, and GSA downflow condensing gas furnaces, permitting
the company to use an alternate test method in determining AFUE.
Issued in Washington, DC, on November 1, 1994.
Christine A. Ervin,
Assistant Secretary, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.
Background
The Energy Conservation Program for Consumer Products (other than
automobiles) was established pursuant to the Energy Policy and
Conservation Act (EPCA), Public Law 94-163, 89 Stat. 917, as amended by
the National Energy Conservation Policy Act (NECPA), Public Law 95-619,
92 Stat. 3266, the National Appliance Energy Conservation Act of 1987
(NAECA), Public Law 100-12, the National Appliance Energy Conservation
Amendments of 1988 (NAECA 1988), Public Law 100-357, and the Energy
Policy Act of 1992 (EPAct), Public Law 102-486, 106 Stat. 2776, which
requires DOE to prescribe standardized test procedures to measure the
energy consumption of certain consumer products, including furnaces.
The intent of the test procedures is to provide a comparable measure of
energy consumption that will assist consumers in making purchasing
decisions. These test procedures appear at 10 CFR Part 430, Subpart B.
The Department amended the prescribed test procedures by adding 10
CFR 430.27 to create a waiver process. 45 FR 64108, September 26, 1980.
Thereafter, DOE further amended its appliance test procedure waiver
process to allow the Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and
Renewable Energy (Assistant Secretary) to grant an Interim Waiver from
test procedure requirements to manufacturers that have petitioned DOE
for a waiver of such prescribed test procedures. 51 FR 42823, November
26, 1986.
The waiver process allows the Assistant Secretary to waive
temporarily test procedures for a particular basic model when a
petitioner shows that the basic model contains one or more design
characteristics which prevent testing according to the prescribed test
procedures, or when the prescribed test procedures may evaluate the
basic model in a manner so unrepresentative of its true energy
consumption as to provide materially inaccurate comparative data.
Waivers generally remain in effect until final test procedure
amendments become effective, resolving the problem that is the subject
of the waiver.
The Interim Waiver provisions added by the 1986 amendment allow the
Assistant Secretary to grant an Interim Waiver when it is determined
that the applicant will experience economic hardship if the Application
for Interim Waiver is denied, if it appears likely that the Petition
for Waiver will be granted, and/or the Assistant Secretary determines
that it would be desirable for public policy reasons to grant immediate
relief pending a determination on the Petition for Waiver. An Interim
Waiver remains in effect for a period of 180 days or until DOE issues
its determination on the Petition for Waiver, whichever is sooner, and
may be extended for an additional 180 days, if necessary.
Rheem filed a ``Petition for Waiver,'' dated July 15, 1994, in
accordance with section 430.27 of 10 CFR Part 430. The Department
published in the Federal Register on September 15, 1994, Rheem's
petition and solicited comments, data and information respecting the
petition. 59 FR 47317. Rheem also filed an ``Application for Interim
Waiver'' under section 430.27(g) which DOE granted on September 7,
1994. 59 FR 47317, September 15, 1994.
No comments were received concerning either the ``Petition for
Waiver'' or the ``Interim Waiver.'' The Department consulted with The
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) concerning the Rheem Petition. The FTC
did not have any objections to the issuance of the waiver to Rheem.
Assertions and Determinations
Rheem's Petition seeks a waiver from the DOE test provisions that
require a 1.5-minute time delay between the ignition of the burner and
the starting of the circulating air blower. Rheem requests the
allowance to test using a 20-second blower time delay when testing its
GRA upflow, and GSA downflow condensing gas furnaces. Rheem states that
since the 20-second delay is indicative of how these models actually
operate, and since such a delay results in an average of approximately
3.0 percent improvement in energy efficiency, the petition should be
granted.
Under specific circumstances, the DOE test procedure contains
exceptions which allow testing with blower delay times of less than the
prescribed 1.5 minute delay. Rheem indicates that it is unable to take
advantage of any of these exceptions for its GRA upflow, and GSA
downflow condensing gas furnaces.
Since the blower controls incorporated on the Rheem furnaces are
designed to impose a 20-second blower delay in every instance of start
up, and since the current provisions do not specifically address this
type of control, DOE agrees that a waiver should be granted to allow
the 20-second blower time delay when testing the Rheem GRA upflow, and
GSA downflow condensing gas furnaces. Accordingly, with regard to
testing the GRA upflow, and GSA downflow condensing gas furnaces,
today's Decision and Order exempts Rheem from the existing provisions
regarding blower controls and allows testing with the 20-second delay.
It is, therefore, ordered that:
(1) The ``Petition for Waiver'' filed by Rheem Manufacturing
Company. (Case No. F-075) is hereby granted as set forth in paragraph
(2) below, subject to the provisions of paragraphs (3), (4), and (5).
(2) Notwithstanding any contrary provisions of Appendix N of 10 CFR
Part 430, Subpart B, Rheem Manufacturing Company, shall be permitted to
test its GRA upflow, and GSA downflow condensing gas furnaces on the
basis of the test procedure specified in 10 CFR Part 430, with
modifications set forth below:
(i) Section 3.0 of Appendix N is deleted and replaced with the
following paragraph:
3.0 Test Procedure. Testing and measurements shall be as specified
in section 9 in ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 103-82 with the exception of
sections 9.2.2, 9.3.1, and 9.3.2, and the inclusion of the following
additional procedures:
(ii) Add a new paragraph 3.10 to Appendix N as follows:
3.10 Gas- and Oil-Fueled Central Furnaces. The following paragraph
is in lieu of the requirement specified in section 9.3.1 of ANSI/ASHRAE
Standard 103-82. After equilibrium conditions are achieved following
the cool-down test and the required measurements performed, turn on the
furnace and measure the flue gas temperature, using the thermocouple
grid described above, at 0.5 and 2.5 minutes after the main burner(s)
comes on. After the burner start-up, delay the blower start-up by 1.5
minutes (t-), unless: (1) the furnace employs a single motor to drive
the power burner and the indoor air circulating blower, in which case
the burner and blower shall be started together; or (2) the furnace is
designed to operate using an unvarying delay time that is other than
1.5 minutes, in which case the fan control shall be permitted to start
the blower; or (3) the delay time results in the activation of a
temperature safety device which shuts off the burner, in which case the
fan control shall be permitted to start the blower. In the latter case,
if the fan control is adjustable, set it to start the blower at the
highest temperature. If the fan control is permitted to start the
blower, measure time delay, (t-), using a stopwatch. Record the
measured temperatures. During the heat-up test for oil-fueled furnaces,
maintain the draft in the flue pipe within 0.01 inch of
water column of the manufacturer's recommended on-period draft.
(iii) With the exception of the modifications set forth above,
Rheem Manufacturing Company shall comply in all respects with the test
procedures specified in Appendix N of 10 CFR Part 430, Subpart B.
(3) The Waiver shall remain in effect from the date of issuance of
this Order until DOE prescribes final test procedures appropriate to
the GRA upflow, and GSA downflow condensing gas furnaces manufactured
by Rheem Manufacturing Company.
(4) This Waiver is based upon the presumed validity of statements,
allegations, and documentary materials submitted by the petitioner.
This Waiver may be revoked or modified at any time upon a determination
that the factual basis underlying the petition is incorrect.
(5) Effective November 1, 1994, this Waiver supersedes the Interim
Waiver granted the Rheem Manufacturing Company on September 7, 1994. 59
FR 47317, September 15, 1994 (Case No. F-075).
Issued In Washington, DC, on November 1, 1994.
Christine A. Ervin,
Assistant Secretary, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.
[FR Doc. 94-27533 Filed 11-4-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P