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"Furnace Buddy" Boosts Efficiency Of Older Furnaces
Cutting fuel costs on older LP or natural gas furnaces is like finding a pile of money in your basement, say manufacturers of the new "Furnace Buddy", an add-on device designed to boost efficiency of older furnaces. Now marketed only in Canada, the manufacturer, Applied Research in Calgary, Alberta, plans to introduce
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"Furnace Buddy" Boosts Efficiency Of Older Furnaces FARM HOME Miscellaneous 29-3-10 Cutting fuel costs on older LP or natural gas furnaces is like finding a pile of money in your basement, say manufacturers of the new "Furnace Buddy", an add-on device designed to boost efficiency of older furnaces. Now marketed only in Canada, the manufacturer, Applied Research in Calgary, Alberta, plans to introduce the unit in the U. S. in 2006.
"We've been selling through dealer installers and have 400 to 500 units out so far," says Duncan Harvey, vice president, manufacturing and production. "We have commitments from two large hardware chains and other Canadian retailers for this fall."
An older furnace turns on when a thermostat reaches a certain temperature. It continues at full burn until the room or house temperature rises sufficiently. In doing so, it often provides more heat than the air exchange can utilize. Excess heat is lost up the chimney. Newer furnaces, on the other hand, will burn for short bursts, providing the most efficient level of heat transfer.
The Furnace Buddy gives pre-1987 furnaces the efficiency of newer units. It controls gas flow, turning the flame on and off as needed.
"It's a closed loop feedback system," explains Harvey. "We have found some furnaces where the calculated savings is up to 45 percent, but those installations often include other adjustments. All our tests indicate a 30 percent savings, and that is a conservative claim."
The Furnace Buddy is priced at $299 (Can.). The company is also developing a unit for use in mobile homes and one for industrial-size warehouse furnaces.
The unit can be installed on any pre-1987 furnace with 24 to 30-volt controls with relay currents between 0.2A and 0.8A, a temperature operated fan control, a pilot light ignition system and a draft hood.
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Applied Research Manufacturing Ltd., Suite 512, 171 - 5005 Dalhousie Dr. NW, Calgary Alberta, Canada T3A 5R8 (ph 877 254-0784; email: dharvey@furnacebuddy.com; web site: www.furnacebuddy.com).
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