may 1st 2013 furnace law

Questions about repairs and parts for other brands of furnaces and air conditioners. Please note that our speciality is Coleman and Nordyne products, so our knowledge of other brands may be limited.

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silkcity
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Joined: Fri Sep 07, 2012 12:02 am

Hi , I read in the papper about new codes or regulations as of may 1 2013 that i think includes mobil homes , I dont know plumbng or heating at all , but I know the mobile home i am buying this year dec.2012 needs or will need a new furnace , any one know what this is all about , the article said a replacement will be more costly with this new requirement whatever it is .
Any feedback will be gratefully appreciated.. Happy belated thanksgiving ... ken :?:
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Greg
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Location: Weedsport, NY

Here's the article I found, It only applies to replacement units.

DOE Finalizes New Energy Conservation Standards for Residential HVAC Appliances
By Charlie McCrudden | October 26, 2011 | 61 Comments

Tomorrow, the US Department of Energy (DOE) will make official the effective date of recently proposed energy conservations rules imposing elevated minimum standards and regional standards for residential HVAC appliances in a variety of product classes. The new standards for residential non-weatherized furnaces will take effect on May 1, 2013; and the new standards for residential weatherized furnaces and residential central air conditioners and heat pumps will take effect on January 1, 2015.
Non-weatherized Furnaces
Under the new rules, non-weatherized residential furnaces and mobile home gas furnaces installed on or after May 1, 2013, in the Northern Region must be at least 90% AFUE. The North region is comprised of the following states: Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
In all other states, non-weatherized gas furnace and mobile home furnaces installed on or after May 1, 2013 would be 80% AFUE.
Split System Air Conditioners
Starting January 1, 2015, split system central air conditioners installed in the Southeastern Region must be at least 14 SEER. The Southeastern Region includes: Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia.
Starting January 1, 2015, split systems central air conditioners installed in the Southwestern Region must be a minimum 14 SEER and 12.2 EER. The Southeastern Region contains the states of Arizona, California, Nevada, and New Mexico.
Starting January 1, 2015, split system central air conditioners installed in all other states must meet 13 SEER, which is the current national minimum standard.
Heat Pumps
Starting January 1, 2015, the new minimum efficiency standard for split system heat pumps is 14 SEER and 8.2 HSPF. There are no regional standards for heat pumps, just a single nationwide standard.
ACCA filed comments on the Direct Final Rule earlier this month recommending the withdrawal of the Direct Final Rule, so that it could be considered more carefully. The primary elements of the Direct Final Rule are based on a “Consensus Agreement” drafted by HVAC equipment manufacturers and energy efficiency advocates.
ACCA contended that the Consensus Agreement represented the view of a minority of stakeholders and utilized a fast tracked process that did not consider all stakeholder concerns. ACCA urged the DOE to withdraw the Direct Final Rule, because it justified condensing furnaces in the Northern region based on incomplete or inaccurate assumption on the costs and installations issues when replacing non-condensing furnaces with condensing furnaces.
The next step in this process for the DOE will be to figure out how to enforce these new regional standards. The agency must initiate a rulemaking on enforcement by mid January. By law, the DOE must include all stakeholders, including installers, in the enforcement rulemaking.
Charlie McCrudden is ACCA Vice President for Government Relations.


Greg
"If I can't fix it, I can screw it up so bad no one else can either."
silkcity
Posts: 7
Joined: Fri Sep 07, 2012 12:02 am

Thx for the reply Gregg .
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