Farmers Almanac Winter 2014 - 2015 Prediction: A Cold Winter!

Last year the Farmers Almanac was very accurate. Looks like we could be in for another cold winter.

Thermostat advice from the professionals.

Let Betlem's experts help you connect with your thermostat.

As the brains of your heating and cooling system, the thermostat can have a huge effect on energy efficiency and comfort.  Eric St. John, Residential Manager of BETLEM Residential, weighs in on thermostats, and the advantages you’ll enjoy with a programmable model.

The heart of your system.

“The thermostat controls every other part of your system,” says St. John.  “It’s your point of contact.  So it’s important to use a thermostat that can give you maximum return on your system investment.”

For that reason, St. John recommends a programmable thermostat.

Coordinated with your schedule

Programmable thermostats work by reducing system use when your home is empty, so you don’t waste money on heating and cooling an empty home.  They do this by running according to a schedule that you program based on the hours that you are home.

“Changing your heating and cooling settings for different times of day can help you save money,” he says. “ A programmable thermostat makes those changes for you automatically, synchronizing your heating and cooling with your life.”

Set for savings

To program a thermostat for the best mix of comfort and energy efficiency, St. John recommends the following settings.

For summer:

• Set your thermostat for 78 degrees when you’re home
• Set it for 85 degrees when you’re away
• Set it for 82 degrees when you’re asleep

For winter:

• Set your thermostat for 68 degrees when you are home
• Set it for 60 degrees when you are away
• Set it for 60 degrees when you are sleeping

During the transitional months of spring and fall, St. John recommends setting the thermostat based on personal preference, using summer and winter’s settings as a guide.

There’s more to it than temperature

While temperature is the main factor affecting your comfort, St. John says that it’s not the only one.

“Humidity plays a huge role in comfort.  You know how the weather report says it’s 90 but it feels like 100?  That’s humidity.  Moisture levels in the air affect the way the air feels on your skin.”

If your thermostat offers individual humidity control, it can change how your air feels without big changes in temperature.  Which means more energy-efficient cooling and heating.  Systems with variable speed can also help control humidity levels by drawing air across the coil slowly to remove more moisture on startup.

Find your perfect thermostat.

BETLEM Residential currently offers several different models of programmable thermostat:

View BETLEM's Programmable Thermostats

It was warm just a minute ago…

Prepare your home for Fall’s unpredictable cold snaps.

Summer was great while it lasted, but now the colder weather is on the way.  In Fall, the temperatures can drop at a moment’s notice.  Help keep your home consistently comfortable with these helpful Fall tips for fighting unexpected cold snaps.

Don’t let cold walk through the front door

Doors are great for people and pets.  Unfortunately, cold will also try to sneak in every time a door is opened. And it will try to force its way in through leaking seals around your doors even when they’re closed.  Replace worn or insufficient weatherstripping to preserve the barrier between cold and comfort.

Don’t let messy weather walk all over your house

When cold weather hits unexpectedly, the change in temperatures can often bring rain.  Compound that with the large assortment of leaves on the lawn, and you have a recipe for a dirty floor.  Try playing a mat inside the front door to help keep rain, leaves and even unexpected snow from being tracked all throughout your home.

Make sure your furnace is in shape

The best time to repair or maintain your furnace or heat pump is before you really need it.  Schedule an appointment with the trusted HVAC professionals at Betlem Residential to get a system checkup, to make sure you’re squared away before it becomes an emergency.

Performing a system check will also make sure your furnace, air handler, heat pump or air conditioner are all ready for the up-and-down temperatures that Fall can bring, as the weather goes back and forth between wet, dry, hot and cold.

Get out the caulking gun

Small holes can mean small air leaks.  And small air leaks are all it takes to let the warmth inside your home escape into the wild.  Caulk small holes and cracks yourself, or find a local handyman to give you a hand. Pay close attention to areas around doors and windows, where weathered wood can start to break down.

Clear the way for melting water

Fall is a great time to clean gutters and downspouts.  By creating a clear path for melting water to escape later on in winter, you can prevent the formation of ice blockages that can weigh down gutters and damage shingles.

Let your furnace breathe

Your air handler or furnace is going to be working overtime as the weather gets colder.  Make sure it has unrestricted airflow with a clean furnace filter.  Drier winter weather can also produce more dust, so checking your filter now will help keep your air cleaner as the seasons change.

Don’t get hosed

Before the cold weather arrives, it’s smart to disconnect your hoses from outside faucets.  If they’re connected during freezing temperatures, the ice inside can expand and cause damage to the hoses and even your pipes.   For an extra layer of protection, shut off the water supply to each faucet, drain the pipe and add an insulated faucet protector to hold in heat and stop ice from forming.

It’s the humidity

If you have a whole-home humidifier, Fall is the perfect time to check the pad, and replace it if necessary.  That way, you’re ready to fight off static shocks and damage to your furnishings before they start.

Stay warm and save!

Want to get better heating performance while lowering monthly energy costs? Follow these tips below to increase your home’s heating efficiency:

Choose a system with automatic, precision control

The newest technology will automatically provide just the right amount of heat and airflow to keep your home perfectly comfortable, regardless of the temperature outside. Lennox developed the SLP98V gas furnace with innovative Precise Comfort™ technology to make automatic adjustments—in increments as small as 1%—for the ultimate temperature control. Custom settings can be selected for effortless year-round comfort.

Take advantage of dual-fuel options

You can enjoy even better efficiency with a gas furnace that’s designed to be paired with an electric heat pump. Dual-fuel systems seamlessly alternate between heating with electricity when temperatures are above freezing, and heating with more efficient gas when it’s colder outdoors.

The simplest advice: turn it down

Saving energy on your home’s heating can be as simple as turning down your thermostat at night or while you’re away during the day. Using a programmable thermostat makes it easy. Keeping your thermostat between 68-72°F while you’re at home—and lower while you’re asleep or away—can help reduce your heating bill dramatically.

Honeywell Home Backup Generators From Betlem Residential

Protect your home and family—everyday, whether you are home or away. Home, family, assets—the things that matter most—remain protected during a power outage with the installation of a Honeywell standby generator. It’s the reliable answer that ensures necessities, conveniences and amenities are always available, automatically backed up when the power goes out. Visit Betlem.com to learn more.

At home or away, know you’re protected with a Honeywell backup generator.

Take a glance around your home and you’ll see a thousand reasons to protect what you’ve worked for: treasured photographs, a piece of furniture passed through generations, and most important, those who matter most to you. You’ve earned the lifestyle you lead, and now the name you’ve trusted in your home for decades will help you keep everything running in the event of a power outage. Power loss is more than an inconvenience—it can quickly affect the safety and security of your family and your possessions. Honeywell generators will help you protect what matters most.


A Honeywell backup generator takes care.

Reliable electricity is easy to take for granted—at the touch of switch it’s almost always there. And while weather-related outages make news across the country, demand on an aging power grid is making brownouts an all too common occurrence. Your home relies on power more than ever before to run your refrigeration, lights,well pump, sump pump, appliances, home offices, entertainment systems and more. Trust a Honeywell automatic backup generator to protect what matters most during a power outage, whether you’re home or away.

It fuels automatically. 

A permanently installed backup generator is fueled automatically, much like your furnace or other natural-gas or liquid propane powered appliances. The generator is connected to your existing fuel supply to deliver clean, worry-free power. If you’re away from home when the power goes out, you won’t have to worry about a thing.

It starts and stops automatically. 

Just like your heating and cooling system is controlled by a thermostat, a Honeywell generator is controlled by a transfer switch that senses when utility power fails, starting the generator automatically within seconds. When utility power resumes, your Honeywell generator shuts itself down and automatically switches back to utility power. It even “exercises” itself automatically once a week, starting and stopping to ensure it’s ready for the next power outage.

Premium features are standard on Honeywell backup generators.

Mobile LinkTM Remote Monitoring
Every Honeywell backup generator comes complete with Mobile LinkTM, our new wireless remote monitoring system that lets you check on your generator’s status and receive timely notifications when something is needed using your computer, tablet or smartphone.

Aluminum Enclosure
Also standard is a sturdy aluminum enclosure that resists corrosion for long life, even in salt-air, coastal climates.

SyncTM 2.0 Transfer Switch
The SyncTM 2.0 transfer switch is also included, to provide more backup power through smart load management.

Comprehensive 5-YEAR Warranty
One of the best available, ensuring your peace of mind. 

Expert advice to help make your system run better.

Let a Betlem Residential's professionals help you enjoy longer system life and greater comfort.

As we all know, a heating and cooling system is a substantial investment for any homeowner to make. So how can you make sure you get the most comfort out of your system for the longest time?  Ask our experts.

Below is some good advice for homeowners looking to maximize their comfort and the longevity of their heating and cooling equipment.

Get Professional Help

First and foremost, getting your system inspected by a Betlem Residential's NATE trained HVAC professionals before peak heating or cooling season.   Letting us give your system the once-over every spring and fall can do more for longevity and performance than nearly anything else.

Spring and fall are the best times because you want our pros checking your system out before you really need it.

A fall inspection is especially important for customers in the northern United States, because the increased cold of winter places a particularly strenuous demand on HVAC equipment.

A system that’s not in good working order will have to work a lot harder to cool your home.  That wastes a lot of energy.  It also puts a lot of stress on the components, which can reduce system life.

What Betlem Residential will do

During a professional inspection, there are several things  Betlem Residential will do.

• Check the filter status. Dirty filters make the system work harder because it’s pulling air through greater resistance.  Dirty filters also affect the quality of the air in your home.
• Check refrigerant charge. A system with too little refrigerant will have to run longer, wasting energy and creating extra system stress.  A system with too much refrigerant won’t cool very efficiently, and will also suffer damage as it runs.
• Check electrical connections. Over time, screws and connectors can come loose, which can create arcing and sparks that could damage electrical components like control boards, compressors and blower motors.
• Clean coils. The outdoor coil can gather dust and dirt, harming efficiency.  The indoor coil can likewise become jammed with household dust, which increases energy use and can even cause the coil to freeze over.

Regular maintenance will prolong your system life. This becomes important as your system nears the end of its life.

The average system life is around 11 years, but 15 to 17 years is not unheard of.  

What you can do yourself

The most important thing a homeowner can do to preserve system life is a regular check of the filter.  Every home is different, but typically, you’re looking at getting 1 to 3 months out of your filter.  Any longer than that, and your system is going to have to work against the bottleneck of a clogged filter.

Installing a programmable thermostat can extend system life and reduce energy use.  “A programmable thermostat lets your system run at peak performance when you’re home, but then it ramps down system use when the house is empty.

Although thermostats vary, the simplicity and intuitive scheduling found in most modern programmable thermostats makes them easy to set up and operate.  Of course, your dealer can always help guide you if needed.

Prepare your HVAC for winter with preventive maintenance

While the changing season provides a great opportunity for homeowners to save on HVAC costs by opening windows and temporarily powering down units, it will soon be time to turn on the heat.

Will your system be ready to handle this year’s chill?

Regular preventive maintenance, performed twice a year, can help your system keep up with seasonal temperature swings. Plus, it can increase HVAC performance and help you avoid costly emergency repairs—because no one wants to be left without heat in the middle of a snowstorm. While most newer heating systems require little maintenance, a quick tune-up can greatly extend the life of your HVAC equipment, ensuring it always runs at peak efficiency.

As always, major furnace maintenance should be handled by Betlem Residential's licensed HVAC technicians. But there are some steps you can take on your own that can result in a more comfortable winter:

Power down

Turn off all power to the unit before performing any maintenance; wait for the blower to stop.

Replace filters

Replace air filters at least once every three months. Dirty filters can cause your system to work harder, resulting in lower efficiency.

Run a sound check

Turn your unit on, and check for unusual sounds, like banging or rattling.

Look for signs of moisture

Check for moisture on windows, or rust or dirt accumulations on the vent pipe. This can indicate improper operation.

Assess the room temperature

Check your thermostat’s temperature while the unit is on to ensure rooms are reaching their full comfort potential.

If, during your basic checklist rundown you discover any unusual noises, excess moisture or other signs your unit is not functioning properly, contact Betlem Residential's certified HVAC technicians. Our technicians will perform a variety of diagnostic procedures in addition to regular pre-season maintenance. This will ensure that all parts are cleaned, drained and lubricated, and all assembly and burner controls are working correctly. A thorough inspection will also verify that the heat exchanger is doing its job and the flue system is free of cracks and corrosion.

Once maintenance is complete and your system is running at peak capacity, you can relax in the comfort of knowing your system will provide ample and consistent heat throughout the season.