Seasonal Changes

The first significant, (and premature!) snowfall, lines at gas stations for tire changeovers, and...the golf course closes this weekend. Time to finish those fall chores, and prepare for the winter. It does seem that the squirrels have been abnormally frantic this year...do they know something we don't?

Quality always wins out

At Blodgett, we've always tried to carry the best possible products for our customers, with the strong belief that quality is well worth it. One of the things we've been encouraging with respect to the new Woodpecker wood pellet boiler is that consumers seek out quality pellet fuel, certified and with low ash content. We recently tested some poor quality pellets, and found that our test boiler ran sooty, belched black smoke, and operated in the low 80% efficiencies. Once we put our standard pellets in, the boiler ran at 96% efficiency, and the soot and smoke problems were gone. A word to the wise...read the packaging.

Recession...what recession?

It's easy enough to be discouraged when reading the news, or looking at your stock portfolio or 401k. The realities at Blodgett are somewhat different, thankfully. We're hiring to fill our expanding business. Our contractor customers are actually quite busy (tried to find a plumbing contractor lately?). Certainly one reason for this is that interest rates remain quite low, and people continue to invest in energy efficiencies. Sure, oil prices are down, but who expects that to last? Why not make improvements that will pay you back within a relatively short time frame? Pellets, solar, wood, high efficiency heating appliances...all good choices.

Genealogy and toilets

Did the title get you? If you have never investigated doing genealogy for your family, I encourage you to do so, especially while your older relatives and story tellers, and sources are still alive. There's a new website which blends the best of the social networking sites like facebook with the best of genealogy software. It's called www.geni.com, and with this site you can start building an elementary family tree, which may help you connect with long lost relatives. So, what's this got to do with toilets, and especially the new HET Toto toilets that use 1/3 the water of current generation toilets? Well.....nothing, nothing at all.

Energy Show a big hit

The just concluded renewable energy trade show in Burlington provided more proof that there is growing interest in efficiency, and in cutting dependence on fossil fuels. Solar thermal (generating hot water from the sun) is so busy there is increasing lead time for installations. Our new Woodpecker wood pellet boiler drew crowds, hungry for information on this unit, which is unique in the United States. The Woodpecker is the largest selling pellet boiler in the United Kingdom, and offers technology not previously available in the United States...so even experienced alternative energy trade professionals were keenly interested. Welcome to the Blodgett world, where we're taking a leadership role in energy conservation.

Want to buy it wholesale?

If you're looking for a good deal, take a look at the section of our site called "Wholesale Direct". Inevitably we have close outs, discontinued items and overstocks. We list a portion of those items on Wholesale Direct, and other items are available as well. You'll find appliances, electronics, plumbing items, and lots more. Inventory time is coming up, and we don't want to count this stuff!

Weather and the price of oil

Vermonters will be outside in full force today, since the forecast is for beautiful weather. This unseasonably warm weather, combined with the recent declines in the price of oil helps us momentarily forget the harsh realities: winter is fast approaching, and we are slaves to the ever increasing price of fossil fuel. A friend predicted yesterday that oil would be at $300 gallon in five years; true or not, the implications are staggering. Every step we take today as consumers to break our dependence on oil chips away at the long term problem.

"I'm tired of being scared"

I heard this comment yesterday from a customer in the Blodgett Bath Showplace showroom in Williston. The woman who made that comment had decided to update her bathroom, and refused to give in to the panic taking place on Wall Street. And while it's not pleasant to see our retirement accounts shrink in value, interest rates are still fairly low on a historic basis. So, while some people are cutting back on the frills, improving the "nest" remains quite active, and satisfying to the homeowner. We continue also to see people making energy efficient improvements to their home. This is an investment in your energy independence, and we offer a variety of solutions that can start saving you money, immediately.

First Woodpecker boiler sold in the United States

The first Woodpecker wood pellet boiler sold in the United States has been sold in Rutland, Vermont. Blodgett Supply is the exclusive distributor in Vermont, New Hampshire and upstate New York, and sold the boiler through our Rutland branch. The Woodpecker is the largest selling wood pellet boiler in the United Kingdom, and far surpasses technology previously available in "the colonies".