[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