The Herald and The Lantern

Wednesday, January 7,1981

Fireplace Used As Water Heater

Pages

W. CAPE MAY Roasting chestnuts on an open fire is one reason to own a fireplace. But for Geoi^ge Rea, New Jersey Bell Telephone Company residence repair technician, it’s not the only reason. Rea enjoys sitting in the fire's glow with his family and friends at his home here. And he likes saving energy and money, too. , That's why he also plans to use his fireplace in an innovative way - to heat

water,

"SINCE l s BURN wood . ' every evening during the winter, fire-heating my water is an economical thing to do,” Rea said. ‘‘Once my new water heating system is operating, I expectlo lower my ,$125 monthly electric bills substantially. * But Rea isn't the only one to recognize the system's potential. The federal Department of'Energy (DOE) recently awarded him a $1,870 grant to develop his -energy-saving scheme. More than 2.000 proposals weVe submitted by people who are willing to test novel ideas and share test data with the DOE. Onl> 79 proposals from Rea's region, however, received the

funds.

“I WAS COMPETING against people throughout the state as well as people living in New York, the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico." Rea said. "They had some very good ideas. But I think the simplicity of my proposal, along with my willingness to share my test results, helped me

win."

Rea. a homeimprovement buff, devised his water heating system after four years of studying energy conservation

booklets -and observing other systems. "MY JOB AS a telephone repair technician takes me into the homes of a lot of people who are trying to use their fireplaces to heat water," Rea said. "When I tell them about rfly project, they share their successes and failures with me; This information came in handy when I designed my own system and sent the idea to the Department of Energy." Rea earned his grant by submitting drawings of an improved fireplace hpating coil, the most important part of his water-heating system. The coil, which is made of 18 feet of black pipe compressed to the size of a portable television, absorbs the fire’s heat and then transfers this heat to the water /lowing through the coil. The water is hffated to 140 degrees, 20 degrees hotter than the highest temperature setting on Rea’s electric water heater. After the water is heated in the coil, it goes to a storage tank via 100 feet

of pipe.

BUT THE HIGH temperatures sometimes get homeowners in "hot water," according to Rea "Once a storage tank is completely filled with hot water, the excessive heat can pop the tank valves and cause flooding, unless the water is properly drained." Rea said. "I don't have to worry about flooding or draining because the excess heat in my system is used to warm my recreation room.' With winter settling in, Rea’s project is more than a quarter of the way finished. "When I received the grant in late September, the Department of Energy gave me a year to complete the project." Rea said.

ANNA B. BENSON. 85. of Cape May. Dec. 2S. She wai a teacher and counrelor in the Wilmington achooii prior to her retirement HUBERT D. BOYD, 79, of New Jersey Ave . To-kahoe. Dec 2S. He wa* owner and operator of Boyd * Sunoco Service Center here for IS yean. JACOB JOSEPH BUGANSKI Jr.. 8S, of Delaea Dr . Denniaville. Dec 31 llrwaa owner and operator of the J J Buganski and Son Construction Co STEWART CAMPBELL. 79. of Stlpaon Island Kd . Eldora. Dec 30 He founded the Stewart Campbell A Son Salt Hay busines* in iru ANNA CAROLl'K, M. of 40J

Jan I She wa* born in Bronx. N W and has lived here for one and a half years JOHN J. < OMERKORD. 73. of<!3t Bay Ave . Ocean City. Jan 3 Hews a retired machinist for the Sun Ship Co. Chester. Pa ELIZABETH M. CUMMINS. 73. of 139 Hand Ave . Wildwood. Dec 21 She was a member of the Order of the Eastern Star IIS NAN DARBY. 91. of 000 Central Ocean City. Jan. 1. She was a resident here for 78 years DORIS L. DAVIS. 63. of Sea Isle City, Dec 29 She was a member of the United Methodist Church here PRANK DELVEfTHIO. 70. of 119 E Pine Ave . Wildwood. Dec 18 He was a member of St Ann's R.C. Church THEODORE P. DEMASSE. 58, of 755 Rt 9. Cold Spring. Dec 20 He was employed as a carpenter for Borden* Snow Food Products for 20 year* DELLA C. DEMPSEY. 88. of 876 Honeysuckle La . Erma. Dec 2* She wa* horn in Milton. Del, and lived here for 75 year* CHARLES H. DICKSON. 83. of 121 Wesley Ave . Ocean City. Dec 27 He wa* a member of St Peter s United Methodist Church PASOUALE J. FUSCO. 04. of Shore Rd . Burlugh. Dec 28. He was a member of Our Lady of the Angel* RC Church CHARLES D. GOMPF. 08. of 19 Ellwand Ave.. Town Bank, Dec 27 He wa* fornwAower Two mayor and president %f the Hwy Spirit Lutheran Church Council. Villas ALICE GAUL IRWIN. 52. of I Layte La . Ocean City, Jan. I. She was a member of St Peter's United Methodist Church IDA M. KORTE, 86. of 1200 New v ork Ave.. No Wildwood. Jan 2. She was a member of the Wildwood Great Women s Republican Chib

E. GUSTAV KUENZEL. 76. of 5 Robert* Ave . Marmora. Dec 29 He was a member of Trinity United Methodist Church here. ANNIE M. LEE. 78. of 623 Washington Ave . Woodbine. Dec 24 She was a member of ihe Paradise Baptist Church. Newark HARRY D. LEMMON. 77. of 1137 Washington St . Cape May. Dec 28 He wa* a leading member of the Episcopal Church of the Advent JOHN T. MCCANN. 87. of Dia* Creek Hd . Dia* Creek. Jan 1 He was a member of Our Lady of the Angels Roman Catholic Church WILLIAM T. McCARTNEY. of HI W 19th St . No Wildwood. Dec 30 He retired from the Barclay and White Construction Co in 1961 JOSEPH A McVEY Jr.. 67. of 205 E. Virginia Ave . Villa*. Dec 28 He was a school bus driver for SI Raymond's Church School here FRED MELZER. 89. of 137 W Morning Glory Rd. Wildwood Crest. Dec 25 He was a member of Ihe Cresl Comrfiunity Church here SETH S, MOOHE. 66. of Shunpike Rd . Cape May Court House. Dec 31 He was bom in the Bronx and moved here seven years ago JOHN J. NOONE. 84. of 9926 Cor mthian Dr . Stone Harbor Dec 28 He retired from Sears A Roebuck in 1981 BRIDGET O'DONNELL. 97. of 121 W 24th Ave . No Wildwood. Dec 26 She was a member of ihe Catholic Daughters of America FRANCES D. RICHARDS. 78. of 1239 Pleasure Ave . Ocean City. Jan 3 She was president of the Ocean City Mixed Doubles Bowling League EDWARD RICHMOND. 77. of Randolph Boulevard. Marmora. Jan I. He was pastor of the Mar mora Gospel Chapel UIRENA O. SWARTZ. 56. of 325 W Magnolia Ave . Wildwood. Dec 30 She was a resident here for 16 ^EDWARD W. TONI. 72. of 17COak Rd . Palermo. Dec 25 He was a retired shipbuilder for Poal Marine in Mays landing WALTER II. TREEN, 87. of 222 W Pine Ave . Wildwood. Jan 3 He was a past member of the Cape May Countv Board of Freeholders MAhGARET C. TURNER, of 31

was a member of St Peter's United Methodist Church JOHN W. TURPEN. 87. of Wildwood. Dec 28 He was a U S. Army veteran of World War I. GIOVANNA VENDtTTKtXI. 78. of 121 Lincoln Ave . Wildwood. Dec 25 She waa a resident here for 25 years ROBERT W. WILLIAMS. 65. of Fourth and Columbia Ave. Weal Cape May. Dec. 26 He was a former fireman with the Pennsylvania Raadiiw Railroad CHARLOTTE ZACK. 81. of 5 54Ut St , Ocean City. Dec 29 Bom in Delaware County. Pa . she was a

"But I want to complete the system by Spring.-So I’ve been sticking to my construction schedule to meet my goal." WHEN THE SYSTEM is completed, Rea will record the energy, savings and forward them to the DOE. "I have measured * my « family's^ electric demands for the ‘past five years,” Rea said, "Heating water accounts for half of my monthly bills so it should be easy to detect the decrease in'energy usage " Rea’s test results also will be welcomed by people who, like him. are interested in saving energy and lowering their electric bills. "Since a system like mine costs anywhere from $2,500 to $4,OOQ to build and irtstall, it is considered to be commercially unfeasible," Rea said "Consequently. there isn't a lot of information available to help people choose and construct an efficient firefueled water heating system. My project results, however, might justify the costs and make such systems more widely available."

CONSERVATION TROPHY is admired by members of Avalon Environmental Commission. From left seated are Margaret Iawir. Yvonne Ballenger, chairwomen: and Mary Off. Standing are David Ward and Robert Buswell. Plaque was awarded bv state Association of Natural Resources District for commission's work in building and maintaining borough’s sand dunes.

Garage Debate Monday

VILLAS — Final public airing on the township maintenance building question will take place during Monday night's (Jan. 12 at 7:30) meeting of the Township Committee here. * v ■ Following the discussion.

the governing body may either act upon the matter immediately of at some later date. The question seems to have boiled down to whether the muncipality will purchase a newer building for its

maintenance garage at the county airport. Erma, or an older, larger structure than needs work in a residential section of Shunpike. Cold Spring. The Public Works Dept has outgrown its present ■facHities behind fhe old towhship hall. Cold Spring

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