[Federal Register: February 24, 1998 (Volume 63, Number 36)]
[Rules and Regulations]               
[Page 9389-9390]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr24fe98-16]


[[Page 9389]]

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Part IV





Department of Energy





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Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy



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10 CFR Part 430



Energy Conservation Program for Consumer Products: Test Procedures for 
Furnaces and Boilers; Final Rule


[[Page 9390]]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

10 CFR Part 430

[Docket No. EE-RM-93-501]
RIN No. 1904-AA45

 
Energy Conservation Program for Consumer Products: Test 
Procedures for Furnaces and Boilers

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

ACTION: Final rule.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Energy (the Department or DOE) adopts as a 
Final Rule an Interim Final rule, published on October 14, 1997, in 
which DOE amended a provision of its recently promulgated final rule 
that prescribed revised test procedures to determine the energy 
efficiency of furnaces and boilers. Under the amendment, the test 
procedures will provide that the flue collector box on a furnace or 
boiler with a power burner or draft inducer need not be insulated 
before the start of the cool-down test.

EFFECTIVE DATES: This rule was effective November 10, 1997.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Cyrus H. Nasseri, U.S. Department of 
Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Mail Station 
EE-43, Forrestal Building, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 
20585-0121, (202) 586-9138, or Edward Levy, Esq., U.S. Department of 
Energy, Office of General Counsel, Mail Station GC-72, Forrestal 
Building, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20585-0103, 
(202) 586-9507.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

    On August 23, 1993, DOE published in the Federal Register a 
proposal to amend the DOE test procedures for furnaces and boilers (58 
FR 44538). On May 12, 1997, after review and evaluation of the comments 
received, DOE published in the Federal Register a final rule amending 
the furnace test procedure (62 FR 26140).
    After the publication of the 1997 final rule, the Gas Appliance 
Manufacturers Association (GAMA) contacted the Department and asserted 
that the adoption in the DOE test procedures of a requirement to 
insulate the flue gas collector box of a power burner unit before the 
cool-down and heat-up tests will reduce the Annual Fuel Utilization 
Efficiency (AFUE) of many furnaces and boilers. GAMA stated that for 
some units the reduced AFUE would be below the minimum standard, while 
for others it would be below the qualifying levels for many utility 
rebate programs. The Department published an Interim Final Rule on 
October 14, 1997 (62 FR 53507) deleting from its recently adopted test 
procedure for furnaces and boilers the insulation requirement for power 
burner units. Since no comments were received following publication of 
the Interim Final Rule, this rule is adopted as final without change.

List of Subjects in 10 CFR Part 430

    Administrative practice and procedure, Energy conservation, 
Household appliances, Incorporation by reference.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on January 22, 1998.
Dan W. Reicher,
Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.

PART 430--ENERGY CONSERVATION PROGRAM FOR CONSUMER PRODUCTS

    Accordingly, the interim final rule amending 10 CFR part 430 which 
was published at 62 FR 53507 on October 14, 1997, is adopted as a final 
rule without change.

[FR Doc. 98-4646 Filed 2-23-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P