This Is Your “Must Check” Furnace Checklist

1. How old is your furnace?

A good place to start is to compare your furnaces age to the national average. The average life expectancy of furnaces in homes today is between 16 and 20 years. If your furnace is close to this age or older, you should begin shopping. Shopping for a replacement furnace in an emergency does not allow time to make your best decision. Most people prefer to replace their furnace as a planned home improvement rather than a panic replacement when your furnace is faltering or failed. For starters, look at your furnace to see if you have a pilot light. If you do, it is almost certain to be over 25 years old!

2. Gas & Electric Bills Going Up?

Rising gas and electric prices are not the only reason for high bills. Furnaces often lose their efficiency as they age especially if they have not been properly maintained. As a result, your furnace may run longer to provide the same amount of heat. This will cause your gas & electric bills to go up. The money you pay the gas & electric company every month could be used to pay for a new furnace.

3. Any Furnace Repairs in the last 2 years?

Furnaces are like cars. As they age, you can replace one part only to have to replace another part next year. It doesn’t take long to spend $500 just to keep the old furnace running. Furnaces incur the most breakdowns in the last 2 years of their lives. Another repair sign is whether you had to wait to get parts replaced. As furnace ages, it gets harder to get replacement parts. This waiting can really be cold on a below zero night.

Call Green Apple Plumbing & Mechanical with any questions or concerns you may have regarding any of your HVAC or plumbing needs toll-free at 888-315-5564

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If You Flush Your Toilet , You Need To Read This

Partial or Slow Flushing

A partial flush or slow, poor performance flush could indicate several things, some of which can be assessed on your own with a little DIY toilet bowl know-how, and some of which require the intervention of a trained plumbing specialist.

A partial flush is usually the result of an over-saturated or faulty flapper valve (essentially, the opposite of a poor flapper seal, which is the leading cause of running toilet problems). When a flapper valve becomes over-saturated, it closes over the water flow pipe prematurely, cutting off flow to your bowl. If your valve closes before roughly 80% of the tank’s water has been flushed through your bowl, it’s probably time to replace your valve.

Matters may be more serious if your toilet is flushing slowly, as opposed to partially. A slow flush is usually a sign of clogging or obstruction somewhere in your plumbing pipes. To test if your toilet’s drain pipes are clogged, fill your toilet bowl with a five-gallon bucket of water and flush as quickly as possible. If the flush uses greater force, your pipes are probably fine; however, if the flush retains the sluggish, poor speed as before, there is most likely a clog somewhere in your plumbing obstructing flow.

In these circumstances or any of the others mentioned in this post, it’s important to not hesitate when professional repairs are needed. Doing so can wind up costing you far more than necessary, or cause further damage to your home’s plumbing. Contact Green Apple Plumbing & Mechanical NJ to evaluate and repair your broken, clogged or poor performing toilet can end up saving you hundreds in high water bill or later repair costs.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding any of your HVAC or plumbing needs call toll-free at 888-315-5564

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Think Ahead And Install Central Air This Fall

Whole House Cooling

Stepping into an air-conditioned home from a muggy 90-degree day is indeed a relief. If you own an older house and have been using window units, a central A/C unit will be a big improvement, for both convenience and efficiency. Central air conditioners are often more economical to run than many separate units installed in individual rooms. You’ll also avoid having to set up and take down window units at the beginning and end of every summer.

If your home has a central forced air heating system, installation of central air is a relatively easy task because the ductwork and air handling fans are already in place. Adding a cooling coil into the existing air handling system saves the expense of a new or secondary air handler. Homes that have baseboard, radiant and other ductless systems will require a more involved A/C installation. If your home falls into this latter category, there are other options available that may prove less costly or intrusive to install.

Installing Central Air during the “Off Season” is often cheaper and involves less wait time for appointments and installation. Call Green Apple Plumbing & Mechanical toll-free at 888-315-5564

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