[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 54 (Tuesday, March 19, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11199-11201]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-6568]



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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
[Case No. F-085]


Energy Conservation Program for Consumer Products: Granting of 
the Application for Interim Waiver and Publishing of the Petition for 
Waiver of Inter-City Products Corporation From the DOE Furnace Test 
Procedure

AGENCY: Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Department of 
Energy.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: Today's notice grants an Interim Waiver to Inter-City Products 
Corporation (Inter-City) from the existing Department of Energy (DOE or 
Department) test procedure regarding blower time delay for the 
company's NUGM, NUG9, NCGM, GUK, GUM and GCK series furnaces.
    Today's notice also publishes a ``Petition for Waiver'' from Inter-
City. Inter-City's Petition for Waiver requests DOE to grant relief 
from the DOE furnace test procedure relating to the blower time delay 
specification. Inter-City seeks to test using a blower delay time of 30 
seconds for its NUGM, NUG9, NCGM, GUK, GUM and GCK series furnaces 
instead of the specified 1.5-minute delay between burner on-time and 
blower on-time. The Department is soliciting comments, data, and 
information respecting the Petition for Waiver.

DATE: DOE will accept comments, data, and information not later than 
April 18, 1996.

ADDRESSES: Written comments and statements shall be sent to: Department 
of Energy, Office of Codes and Standards, Case No. F-085, Mail Stop EE-
43, Room 1J-018, Forestall Building, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW., 
Washington, DC 20585, (202) 586-7140.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Cyrus H. Nasseri, U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy 
Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Mail Station EE-431, Forestall 
Building, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20585-0121, 
(202) 586-9138.
Eugene Margolis, Esq., U.S. Department of Energy, Office of General 
Counsel, Mail Station GC-72, Forestall Building, 1000 Independence 
Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20585-0103, (202) 586-9507.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Energy Conservation Program for Consumer 
Products (other than automobiles) was established pursuant to the 
Energy Policy and Conservation Act, as amended (EPCA), 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 Title 10 CFR Part 430, 
Subpart B.
    The Department amended the test procedure rules to provide for a 
waiver process by adding Section 430.27 to Title 10 CFR Part 430. 45 FR 
64108, September 26, 1980. Subsequently, DOE amended the 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. Title 10 CFR Part 430, 
Section 430.27(a)(2).
    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.
    An Interim Waiver will be granted if 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. Title 10 CFR 
Part 430, Section 430.27 (g). An Interim Waiver remains in effect for a 
period of 180

[[Page 11200]]
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.
    On January 8, 1996, Inter-City filed an Application for Interim 
Waiver and a Petition for Waiver regarding blower time delay. Inter-
City's Application seeks an Interim Waiver from the DOE test provisions 
that require a 1.5-minute time delay between the ignition of the burner 
and starting of the circulating air blower. Instead, Inter-City 
requests the allowance to test using a 30-second blower time delay when 
testing its NUGM, NUG9, NCGM, GUK, GUM and GCK series furnaces. Inter-
City states that the 30-second delay is indicative of how these 
furnaces actually operate. Such a delay results in an improvement in 
AFUE of an average 0.4 to 0.6 percent. Since current DOE test 
procedures do not address this variable blower time delay, Inter-City 
asks that the Interim Waiver be granted.
    The Department has published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on 
August 23, 1993, (58 FR 44583) to amend the furnace test procedure, 
which addresses the above issue.
    Previous Petitions for Waiver for this type of time blower delay 
control have been granted by DOE to Coleman Company, 50 FR 2710, 
January 18, 1985; Magic Chef Company, 50 FR 41553, October 11, 1985; 
Rheem Manufacturing Company, 53 FR 48574, December 1, 1988, 56 FR 2920, 
January 25, 1991, 57 FR 10166, March 24, 1992, 57 FR 34560, August 5, 
1992; 59 FR 30577, June 14, 1994, and 59 FR 55470, November 7, 1994; 
Trane Company, 54 FR 19226, May 4, 1989, 56 FR 6021, February 14, 1991, 
57 FR 10167, March 24, 1992, 57 FR 22222, May 27, 1992, 58 FR 68138, 
December 23, 1993, and 60 FR 62835, December 7, 1995; Lennox 
Industries, 55 FR 50224, December 5, 1990, 57 FR 49700, November 3, 
1992, 58 FR 68136, December 23, 1993, and 58 FR 68137, December 23, 
1993; Inter-City Products Corporation, 55 FR 51487, December 14, 1990, 
and 56 FR 63945, December 6, 1991; DMO Industries, 56 FR 4622, February 
5, 1991, and 59 FR 30579, June 14, 1994; Heil-Quaker Corporation, 56 FR 
6019, February 14, 1991; Carrier Corporation, 56 FR 6018, February 14, 
1991, 57 FR 38830, August 27, 1992, 58 FR 68131, December 23, 1993, 58 
FR 68133, December 23, 1993, 59 FR 14394, March 28, 1994, and 60 FR 
62832, December 7, 1995; Amana Refrigeration Inc., 56 FR 27958, June 
18, 1991, 56 FR 63940, December 6, 1991, 57 FR 23392, June 3, 1992, and 
58 FR 68130, December 23, 1993; Snyder General Corporation, 56 FR 
54960, September 9, 1991; Goodman Manufacturing Corporation, 56 FR 
51713, October 15, 1991, 57 FR 27970, June 23, 1992 and 59 FR 12586, 
March 17, 1994; The Ducane Company Inc., 56 FR 63943, December 6, 1991, 
57 FR 10163, March 24, 1992, and 58 FR 68134, December 23, 1993; 
Armstrong Air Conditioning, Inc., 57 FR 899, January 9, 1992, 57 FR 
10160, March 24, 1992, 57 FR 10161, March 24, 1992, 57 FR 39193, August 
28, 1992, 57 FR 54230, November 17, 1992, and 59 FR 30575, June 14, 
1994; Thermo Products, Inc., 57 FR 903, January 9, 1992; Consolidated 
Industries Corporation, 57 FR 22220, May 27, 1992; Evcon Industries, 
Inc., 57 FR 47847, October 20, 1992, and 59 FR 46968, September 13, 
1994; Bard Manufacturing Company, 57 FR 53733, November 12, 1992, and 
59 FR 30578, June 14, 1994; and York International Corporation, 59 FR 
46969, September 13, 1994, 60 FR 100, January 3, 1995, 60 FR 62834, 
December 7, 1995, and 60 FR 62837, December 7, 1995.
    Thus, it appears likely that this Petition for Waiver for blower 
time delay will be granted. In those instances where the likely success 
of the Petition for Waiver has been demonstrated based upon DOE having 
granted a waiver for a similar product design, it is in the public 
interest to have similar products tested and rated for energy 
consumption on a comparable basis.
    Therefore, based on the above, DOE is granting Inter-City an 
Interim Waiver for its NUGM, NUG9, NCGM, GUK, GUM and GCK series 
furnaces. Inter-City shall be permitted to test its NUGM, NUG9, NCGM, 
GUK, GUM and GCK series furnaces on the basis of the test procedures 
specified in Title 10 CFR Part 430, Subpart B, Appendix N, with the 
modification set forth below:
    (I) Section 3.0 in 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 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 in Appendix N as follows:
    3.10  Gas- and Oil-Fueled Central Furnaces. 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 circulation 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 stop watch. 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.
    This Interim Waiver is based upon the presumed validity of 
statements and all allegations submitted by the company. This Interim 
Waiver may be removed or modified at any time upon a determination that 
the factual basis underlying the Application is incorrect.
    The Interim Waiver shall remain in effect for a period of 180 days 
or until DOE acts on the Petition for Waiver, whichever is sooner, and 
may be extended for an additional 180-day period, if necessary.
    Inter-City's Petition for Waiver requests DOE to grant relief from 
the DOE furnace test procedure relating to the blower time delay 
specification. Inter-City seeks to test using a blower delay time of 30 
seconds for its NUGM, NUG9, NCGM, GUK, GUM and GCK series furnaces 
instead of the specified 1.5-minute delay between burner on-time and 
blower on-time. Pursuant to paragraph (b) of Title 10 CFR Part 430.27, 
DOE is hereby publishing the ``Petition for Waiver'' in its entirety. 
The Petition contains no confidential information. The Department 
solicits comments, data, and information respecting the Petition.

    Issued in Washington, DC March 7, 1996.
Christine A. Ervin,
Assistant Secretary, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.
January 8, 1995.
Ms. Christine A. Ervin
Assistant Secretary for Conservation and Renewable Energy
U.S. Department of Energy
Forrestal Building
1000 Independence Ave. SW.
Washington, DC 20585

Subject: Petition For Waiver and Application for Interim Waiver


[[Page 11201]]

    Dear Assistant Secretary: Petition for waiver and application 
for interim waiver is requested pursuant to 10 CFR Part 430.27.
    Waiver is requested from the test procedures for measuring the 
energy consumption of furnaces which are found in Appendix N of 
Subpart B of 10 CFR Part 430. Presently this section requires a 1.5 
minute delay between burner ignition and start of the circulating 
blower.
    Inter-City Products Corporation (USA) is requesting to use 30 
seconds delay instead of the present 1.5 minutes. Furnace Series 
NUGM, NUG9, NCGM, GUK, GUM and GCK use an electronic timed blower 
control delay set at 30 seconds. Test results show an average .4 to 
.6 percent improvement in the AFUE.
    We are confident that this interim and final waiver will be 
issued since this request is similar to our previous waivers issued 
at 55 FR 51487 and 56 FR 63945.
    Please contact if you have any questions or need any additional 
information.

    Thanks,
Gary K. Strebe,
Sr. Codes Administration Engineer.
[FR Doc. 96-6568 Filed 3-18-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P