"A chimney that draws properly will have less of a tendency to build up creosote deposits," said Doug Walter, extension specialist in residential energy at Kansas State University.

Common chemical chimney cleaners consist of sodium chloride, calcium chloride, or a mixture of sodium chloride and copper sulfate. The salts are thrown onto a hot fire, releasing gases which rise through the chimney and cause the creosote to flake and fall off the chimney walls. When used regularly according to instructions, chemical cleaners appear to slow creosote buildup effectively and are not known to damage chimneys.

"Nothing substitutes for a periodic visual inspection of the chimney, however," Walter said. "Creosote deposits one-fourth inch thick or more should be removed by sweeping the chimney."

How should I prepare my gas furnace for winter to have it operate as efficiently as possible?
"Routine furnace maintenance can be performed by home owners," said Gene Meyer, extension mechanical engineer at Kansas State University. "If you find anything unusual, you should call a furnace service technician."

Meyer recommends several tasks home owners can do to prepare their gas furnaces for winter.

First, shut off power to the unit.
1. Some older furnaces have belt driven blowers. If belt driven, both the motor and blower bearings need a few drops of oil.
2. Check the belt at the same time. Inspect the belt for cracks or frayed areas.
3. Check the belt for tension. Use your little finger and depress the belt. If you can depress it more than one inch, it should be tightened. Do not over tighten as this may cause early bearing failure. Many newer furnaces blowers are mounted directly on the motor shaft. You only need to add a few drops of a light oil to the motor bearings if there is an oil port on the motor.
4. Also check the two pulleys for alignment. The grooves of the pulley should be in a straight line. If they are offset, this can lead to early belt or bearing failure.
5. You should install a new filter. It is often handy to purchase several filters and store them near the furnace for easy changing later in the heating season.
6. Inspect the areas around the burners. If rust or dust has accumulated on the burners, you may want a service technician to clean and tune the unit.
7. Inspect the vent for signs of soot, corrosion, or scorching. The vent area should not be rusting, or have soot or scorched areas. These may indicate the furnace vent is not operating properly. Have a service technician check the vent system for obstructions and proper draft.
8. If the pilot has been off for the summer, and everything else checks out OK, now is a good time to light the pilot.

November 12, 1995
Are there health hazards from burning newspaper or magazine logs in the fireplace?
Probably not.

“While several years ago this concern was related to the colored inks used in newspaper inserts and advertising, comics sections, and magazines, the shift away from using inks prepared from heavy metal compounds has reduced the potential danger from burning such materials,” said Fred Oehme, professor of toxicology and medicine at Kansas State University and director of K-State’s Comparative Toxicology Laboratories.

Many colored inks used now are made from plantorigin dyes and do not present the danger associated with dyes containing heavy metal pigments, such as lead.

The vapors produced by burning materials could generate lead and other vapors, particularly if the fireplace ventilation is incomplete. However, even with such metalcontaining pigments in newspapers, considerable burning would have to occur before any health effects would be likely. Black ink poses minimal hazard since it does not contain high concentrations of heavy metals, according to Oehme.

“Ventilation is the key to avoiding any potential danger from metalcontaining vapors or from other products generated from burning,” Oehme said. “Poorlyventilated fireplaces may leak combustion gases into homes, but glassfronted fireplaces that are properly vented to the outside would prevent this concern.”

If older colored newspapers or magazines are being burned, lead or other heavy metal toxicity could develop under the unusual circumstances of extensive burning and inadequate ventilation. Lead poisoning is of most concern, but is easily diagnosed with a blood test. Symptoms of excessive lead exposure include loss of appetite, depression, irritability, memory lapses and eventually periodic seizures that can cause death. Fortunately, the effects of lead exposure are reversible with physician treatment.

“Under current conditions, it would be unusual to develop any effects from burning newspapers or magazines because of the decreased use of metalcontaining pigments in printing, meaning that people are just not exposed to enough lead in one season to develop any effects,” Oehme said.

What causes condensation on my windows during the winter?
"Condensation can occur when moisture-laden warm air cools against a cold surface," said Bruce Snead, a Kansas State University extension specialist in residential energy.

Condensation frequently forms on windows because they are usually the coldest surfaces exposed to room air.

"Occasional condensation, or even frost, is normal as long as it disappears when the outside temperature begins to rise in the morning.

If condensation lingers through the day or streaks down the windows collecting in pools on the sill, the humidity level in your home may be too high," Snead said.

You can reduce humidity by using kitchen and bathroom exhaust fans, damp-proofing crawl spaces and basements, and venting clothes dryers to the outside, he said.

November 19, 1995
What should a homeowner do to an air source heat pump to make sure it is ready for winter?
"In addition to maintenance on the blower, the outside condenser should be cleaned," said Gene Meyer, extension mechanical engineer at Kansas State University.

Meyer recommends seven tasks homeowners can do to prepare their heat pump for winter.

On the inside unit:
First, shut off power to the unit.
1. Lubricate the blower motor with a few drops of light weight oil.
2. If the fan is belt driven, lubricate the blower bearings and check the belt for cracks and proper tension.
3. Change the filter.

   On the outside unit:
   Make sure the power to the outside unit is off by tripping the circuit breaker or pulling the fuse.

4. Inspect the outside coil for signs of oil.
5. Remove grass and other debris. Clean the outside coil with water.
6. If the coil is very dirty or you see signs of oil, have a service technician check the unit.
7. Restore power and check operation.

Are there any guidelines for sizing exhaust fans for residential kitchens and bathrooms?
Yes.

“Kitchen exhaust fans should have an exhaust capacity of at least 100 cubic feet per minute (cfm) and bathroom exhaust fans 50 cfm, regardless of room size,” said Doug Walter, extension specialist in residential energy at Kansas State University.

These guidelines are based on recommendations by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers.

You should operate exhaust fans only long enough to remove excess moisture, odors and, in summer, heat.

“Choose an exhaust fan that has a tightly fitting back-draft damper to prevent air leakage when the fan is not operating,” Walter said.

November 26, 1995
Several terms are used to describe the efficiency of heating and cooling units. Would you please list those terms and provide their definitions?
Coefficient of performance (COP) is used to define the efficiency of air conditioners, heat pumps and refrigerating equipment.

"As a measurement of the efficiency of an air conditioner, it is the ratio of the rate of heat removal to the rate of energy input," said Richard B. Hayter, director of Engineering Extension at Kansas State University.

As a measure of heat pump efficiency, COP is the ratio of the rate of heat delivered from the heat pump to the rate of energy input.

The units in the ratio must be consistent. For example, as a measurement for cooling efficiency, the units are typically watts of cooling per watt of energy input.

"Often, two COP's will be listed for a heat pump, one measured at an outdoor temperature of 17 degrees and the other measured at an outdoor temperature of 47 degrees," Hayter said.

"Energy efficiency ratio (EER) is also used to define the efficiency of an air conditioner," Hayter said. EER is the ratio of the net cooling capacity in Btu per hour to the total rate of electrical input in watts, under designated operating conditions.

Seasonal energy efficiency ratio (SEER) applies to the seasonal performance of an air conditioner.

"The SEER is the ratio of the total cooling of a central air conditioner in Btu during its normal seasonal usage during the same period," Hayter said.

Heating seasonal performance factor (HSPF) is a measure of the efficiency of a heat pump. It is the total heating delivered by the heat pump during its normal annual usage divided by the total electrical power input during the same period. Poorer heat pumps will have an HSPF of 4.5, whereas better units may have a rating as high as 8.85.

"The HSPF attempts to take into account typical weather patterns and the variation in the efficiency with the temperature," Hayter said

Annual fuel utilization efficiency (AFUE) is an estimate of the seasonal efficiency of combustion furnaces.

It is the ratio of heat produced to the energy supplied to the furnace.

"Unlike efficiencies at steady state, this rating is based on average usage conditions including on-and-off cycling as specified in Department of Energy test procedures," Hayter said.

AFUE's typically will range from 65 to 95 percent.

Ask Energenie is produced by the Kansas Energy Extension Service through Kansas State University. This material was prepared with the support of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Grant No. DE-FG47-92-CE60210. However, any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of DOE.