Dear Friends,
W hen you’ve been in business for more than 80 years, you must be doing something right. We attribute our longevity to three big factors.
First, we have phenomenal people on our team. They truly care about you and deliver the service you’ve come to expect from us, even in tough winter conditions. You can always count on them to come through for you when you need them the most.
Second, just meeting your expectations is not enough for us. We always strive to exceed those expectations with every service call and delivery we make. Taking care of your comfort and fuel needs is our priority, and we want to be head and shoulders above everyone else.
Finally, we remain committed to staying on the cutting edge of technology, and that means everything from giving you easy online access to your account to making your fuel deliveries in the most efficient way possible.
And please remember: If you have a heating emergency, you can reach us by phone 24 hours a day — we always have a technician on call to help you!
Warmly,
Richard C. Bologna
When it comes to Bioheat® fuel, you need to know exactly what you’re getting.
Bioheat is the industry’s official registered name for the fuel that consists of a blend of ultra-low-sulfur heating oil and renewable biodiesel. The amount of biodiesel in heating oil blends is designated in percentages. For example, a 5% blend of biodiesel is defined as B5. B10 refers to a 10% blend, while B20 is a 20% blend.
The state of New York has mandated that all heating oil be at least a B5 blend. Unfortunately, some heating oil companies in our area advertise that they deliver B20 Bioheat when the truth is that their blend is much lower and usually only meets the minimum B5 mandate.
Why is this important? Westmore is the only fuel company around here that delivers B20 Bioheat. This means that our New York customers qualify to receive a 20¢-per-gallon state tax credit every year. Only the B20 blend that Westmore sells allows you to enjoy these big savings.
It is with great sadness that we share the news that Domenick Bologna passed away on August, 15, 2019, at the age of 95.
He served in the Pacific during World War II as a member of U.S. Army’s 227th anti-aircraft artillery searchlight battalion — better known as the Moonlight Cavalry.
When Dom returned home from the war, he joined his brother Patsy to help build Westmore Fuel into the company we are today. Dom was always known for his kindness and generosity to both his customers and to the community. He was a member of the VFW and the Knights of Columbus, and a charter member of the Port Chester Kiwanis.
We will miss him deeply.
The journey to seek out better comfort can bring you much wisdom. We hope you will find more peace after reading these answers from our home comfort wizard.
While many types of malfunctions can cause your system to operate poorly (or not operate at all), the problems outlined below are not only quite common, but relatively easy and inexpensive to fix.
Power switches turned off
If your heat stops working, these are among the first things you should check. First, it often happens that the power switches for the heating system have been turned off by mistake. Simply turn the electrical switches back to the “on” position and your problem may be solved.
Unchecked air filters or water level
If you have a furnace, change or clean the filters about once a month; a dirty filter compromises efficiency and can even result in a shutdown. If you have a steam boiler, check the water gauge periodically. Low water levels are a leading cause of boiler shutdowns. Steam boilers should also be “flushed” when the water in the sight glass looks rusty.
Tripped circuit breaker
Going to the circuit breaker box and flipping the proper switch may be all you need to get running again. However, a circuit breaker rarely ever trips for no reason. If this happens once and never happens again, consider it a fluke. But if this happens more often, arrange for service, as this could be a sign of a serious problem.
Faulty thermostat
Many instances of heating systems not working can be traced to the thermostat, which sends a signal to your boiler or furnace to generate heat. If the wiring is deteriorating, these signals may get erratic. A buildup of dust inside your thermostat is another common culprit. You may also need to change the batteries in your thermostat.
Your heating system doesn’t work like a car — there is no gas pedal to step on to make it go faster. Your furnace or boiler will produce heat at the same rate regardless of whether your thermostat is set to 68 degrees or 85 degrees. (Setting the thermostat higher just makes your system work longer.)
Hot Tip #1: For better temperature control, trade in your old manual thermostat for a digital, programmable one. This allows you to automate your home temperature settings and can help you reduce your energy use and save as much as 10%.
Hot Tip #2: Never program your thermostat below 60 degrees, even if you’ll be away from home for a period of time. When your thermostat setting is too low, you risk frozen pipes. Water pipes near outside walls or in unheated spaces are especially prone to freeze-ups. The risk increases if cracks in your foundation allow cold air to seep into your home.
Sure, you wants to save money on heating your home, but you don’t want to cause problems while you’re at it. One common mistake we see is when people drastically reduce or completely shut off the heat in different zones of their home.
While you might think you’ll save a little on heating costs, shutting off radiators or closing vents creates the possibility that pipes will freeze — especially in rooms that tend to be colder anyway. That’s a really costly problem.
If you have a furnace, closing some vents disrupts normal air flow, causing an imbalance that will just make your furnace work harder and strain your ductwork.
It’s best to keep heat flowing to all the rooms in your home.
A better idea is to keep the temperature at a comfortable level throughout your home and program your system to energy-saving settings when the house is empty or everyone is asleep.
If you have a zoned system, you can vary the temperature in different rooms, eliminating the temptation of shutting the heat off completely in some parts of your home.
A study of over 1,000 homes across the country showed that consumers are getting short-changed on energy efficiency because of a combination of poor equipment installation and lax maintenance.*
After adjustments were made to correct problems, however, efficiency improved, on average, by a phenomenal 36%! This was accomplished through the following methods:
As you can see, a few fixes could save you a lot of money on heat and keep you more comfortable.
*Source: National Comfort Institute
Think you’re spending too much to heat your home? Today’s heating equipment operates with improved efficiency, so you burn less fuel to keep your home warm. When properly installed, new systems distribute heat more evenly and consistently.
You’ll also see savings on maintenance and repairs when you update your system. And a service plan will help ensure that it keeps working efficiently, with few problems.
Contact us today and ask for a comprehensive heating system evaluation. The pros at Westmore Fuel will give you an honest assessment and help you make the right choice for your needs and your budget. Our expert technicians will get your new system installed the right way, so that you’ll enjoy maximum savings and optimum performance.
Tyler Pratt joined us as a sales representative in June. Tyler stays busy connecting with new homeowners and providing assistance and valuable information about Westmore services and the value of oil heat.
He says he appreciates his role at Westmore.
“There’s the benefit of educating people about B20 Bioheat and why it’s so environmentally friendly. And there are a lot of ways I can help make customers’ lives easier by showing them how to keep control of their fuel costs.”
Tyler is a fan of the family-like atmosphere at work. “There’s a sense of tradition,” he says. “It’s a business that’s been around for a long time and gets a lot of respect from customers and people in the community who appreciate the work we do.”
Away from the office, Tyler competes in two baseball leagues and roots for the Mets. He and his wife also get plenty of exercise with their three beagles.
“It seems like we’re walking them constantly,” he says.
Crystal Pickard, of Mount Kisco, and Debra Nanus, of Rye Brook, were among the customers who shared a story about Westmore on our Facebook page. We drew their names at random and awarded each of them 100 gallons of Bioheat!
Would you like to share your story? Go to “Reviews” on Facebook.com/WestmoreFuel and answer the question “Do you recommend Westmore Fuel?” Then write your review!
Reviews will be entered into a random drawing. One winner will receive a gift certificate to Copacabana Brazilian Steakhouse in Port Chester. The deadline to enter is November 30, 2019.
Congratulations to Karen Laico! She entered the winter-themed contest in our last newsletter and was selected at random to win a heating service plan valued at $350!