Understanding Your Internal Furnace Parts:
- Thermostat: This device is the control system for your home’s temperature. A temperature-activated switch tells a control board inside the furnace to start the heating cycle by turning on an ignition switch.
- Draft/Hood Fan: Air is pulled into the burners and mixes with natural gas (the most common type of fuel source in NJ) to create combustion. The fan directs the heat from the burners into the heat exchanger where harmful, exhaust gases, like carbon monoxide (CO), are vented outside.
- Burners: Furnace burners are a set of tubes where gas is directed to and then burned. A gas valve, igniter, and flame sensor all work together to control the flames. When your thermostat signals your heater to turn on, the gas valve opens and the mixture is ignited. The flame sensor acts as a safeguard that will shut off incoming gas if the flame isn’t present. Dirty burners and flame sensors are common repairs we often see.
- Heat Exchanger: The burners heat a series of metal tubes in order to warm the air that is being pulled into the furnace. Any damage to the heat exchangers could let gases like CO leak into the house, which is why having a carbon monoxide detector is important to have in your home.
- Blower: The blower fan will direct air that comes from the return ducts into the hot heat exchanger. The heated air is then blown throughout the home’s ductwork.
- Flue: A flue vent collects the combustion gases used to create heat and send them outside of your home.
- Green Apple Plumbing and Mechanical NJ are the experts you can trust. We have been serving the NJ area for years with professionalism and expertise. Customer service and care are always our number one priority. If you have any questions or concerns regarding any of your HVAC or plumbing needs call toll-free @888-315-5564
How To Stop Your Pipes From Drips & Leaks
Leaky faucets and pipes are common plumbing problems in apartments and houses. Dripping faucets are more of a nuisance and a waste of money than a plumbing emergency, but those drips add up quickly fixing the leaks in your home could save you up to 10% on your water bill. A faucet leaking one drip per second adds up to 3,000 gallons the equivalent of 180 showers. Nationwide, plumbing leaks can account for over 1 trillion gallons of water. Leaking faucets are easy to spot since the water physically drips out of the faucet when it is in the off position. You can usually hear the drips even if you aren’t in the room.
Leaking pipes can cause major damage if you don’t catch the problem immediately. You often spot leaking pipes after a period of time when you see a puddle below the pipes or hear dripping.
- What Causes the Problem: A dripping faucet typically occurs when the washer that forms the seal on the tap gets damaged. Damage may include tearing, dislodging or stiffening. When this damage occurs, the washer no longer seals tightly, allowing small amounts of water to drip from the faucet. Over time, the valve seat may also wear or corrode. If your pipes are leaking, the most likely location is at a joint. Leaks may occur due to deterioration, shifting, high water pressure or other damage.
- How to Solve the Issue: In faucets, replacing the washer responsible for the leak solves the problem. This can be a DIY job, but replacing the washer is easier with specialty tools, so you may want to call a Green Apple Plumbing & Mechanical plumber. Leaking pipes may be a simple job or a very complex one. Even if you just need to replace a simple U-joint, it’s sometimes easier to let a Green Apple Plumbing & Mechanical professional handle the job to avoid a big mess.
- Preventing the Problem: Natural wear from regular use is often difficult to avoid. Over time, leaking faucets are bound to happen. Slow that wear by turning faucets on and off slowly and avoiding excessive pressure on the handles. Leaky pipes are difficult to prevent, but you can spot the problem early with regular inspection. Look for moisture or small drips. Visible rusting or white lime deposits can signal the potential for leaking.
- When to Call a Plumber: Call a Green Apple Plumbing & Mechanical NJ plumber to replace the washer if you don’t have experience with plumbing. For leaking pipes, call a Green Apple professional when the job is too large or if you don’t want to mess with the clean-up.
- Green Apple Plumbing & Mechanical NJ are the experts you can trust. We have been serving the NJ area for years with professionalism and expertise. Customer service and care are always our number one priority. If you have any questions or concerns regarding any of your HVAC or plumbing needs call toll-free @888-315-5564
Are Your Heating Vents & Registers Clear?
There are probably some things you do to get yourself prepared for fall in New Jersey, like sipping pumpkin spice lattes and planning your pumpkin carving. There are a couple of things you might forget about while doing your fall prep – like your furnace. We’re about to say goodbye to air conditioner weather and we’re leaping into furnace season. Along with your annual furnace inspection from Green Apple Plumbing & Mechanical NJ, we have a few tips that can help keep you comfortable and get your furnace prepped for its busy season.
- Check and Change Your Air Filter
This is easy advice for every season in New Jersey. Before you make that switch from “cool” to “heat,” go swap out your filter from dusty to clean. A filthy filter means your furnace has to try harder to keep you warm which may negatively influence your comfort and result in higher bills. - Unblock Heating Vents and Registers
As you’ve relocated furniture or brought more into the house, be sure you haven’t blocked any of your heating vents. A blocked vent might increase your utility expenses. - Schedule Annual Furnace Service
Fall is the perfect time in New Jersey to get your furnace looked at by one of our expert technicians. We will do a thorough inspection of your unit and ensure it will be in good working order for the upcoming winter months in New Jersey. Regular furnace service can help you get the most out of your furnace’s performance, and could also affect the life of your system. Not to mention that a pretty high percentage of emergency calls in the winter are due to lack of maintenance.
We want you to enjoy every portion of the season in comfort. If you have any questions for us about getting your home ready for fall or need to set up your annual furnace service give the professionals at Green Apple Plumbing & Mechanical New Jersey toll-free @888-611-7191. Green Apple Mechanical NJ are the experts you can trust. We have been serving the New Jersey area for years with professionalism and expertise. Customer service and care are always our number one priority. If you have any questions or concerns regarding any of your HVAC or plumbing needs call the professionals at Green Apple Plumbing & Mechanical NJ.
Furnace Maintenance & Your Family’s Health
Furnace maintenance is important for your family’s health.
While your furnace circulates air throughout your home, you don’t want it circulating dust and other airborne pollutants along with it. A dirty air filter (and a dirty furnace) make it harder to remove pollutants from your home’s indoor air (contaminants like dust mites, mold, pet dander, dead skin, allergens, viruses and more). During your furnace maintenance appointment, your Green Apple Plumbing & Mechanical technician will be sure your unit is clean of mildew, mold, dust and other contaminants that can affect your indoor air quality and your family’s health.
Furnace maintenance is essential for the life of your HVAC system.
Even if everything is working well, this kind of preventive furnace maintenance is important for the life of your HVAC system, addressing any issues before they turn into expensive repairs or replacements. Remember the better shape your furnace is in, the longer it will last. A properly maintained furnace can last for 15-20 years.
Make sure your furnace is in peak condition and ready to run all fall and winter long. For more tips on maintaining your furnace or to schedule a furnace maintenance appointment with Green Apple Plumbing & Mechanical NJ. We are the experts you can trust. We have been serving the NJ area for years with professionalism and expertise. Customer service and care are always our number one priority. If you have any questions or concerns regarding any of your HVAC or plumbing needs call toll-free @888-315-5564
Reducing Water Pressure & Identifying Leaks
Reduce Water Pressure
High water pressure through your home cannot only increase your water bill, but also your likelihood of leaks. Installing a pressure regulator, on your main water line, will help keep the pressure below 80 psi, and avoid damage.
Pressure regulators can be sold at any hardware store, and range from about $15.00 – $35.00. If you are unsure of how to install this item yourself, contact your local Green Apple Plumbing & Mechanical NJ plumber.
How to Identify a Leak
The fastest and most effective way to inspect for leaks is to do a whole home check.
- Check your water meter, and record the reading
- Shut off all water valves, inside and outside
- Don’t use any water for 10-15 minutes
- Check the water meter reading again
- If the reading on the meter spiked, you probably have a leak, and will have to call a Green Apple Plumbing & Mechanical NJ plumber
Wherever you live in New Jersey you can now benefit from these tips and tricks on how to take care of your plumbing system. Don’t wait until it’s too late; take care of your plumbing today. Green Apple Plumbing & Mechanical are the experts you can trust. We have been serving the New Jersey area for years with professionalism and expertise. Customer service and care are always our number one priority. If you have any questions or concerns regarding any of your HVAC or plumbing needs call toll-free @888-315-5564
Is Your Home Dry & Dusty?
5. Is your burner flame yellow instead of blue?
A yellow or flickering flame may be a sign that poisonous carbon monoxide could be created by your furnace. Other possible signs of carbon monoxide are: Streaks of soot around furnace; Absence of an upward draft in your chimney; Excess moisture found on windows, walls, or other cold surfaces; Excessive rusting on flue pipes, other pipe connections, or appliance jacks; Small amount of water leaking from the base of the chimney, vent, or flue pipe; Rust on the portion of the vent pipe visible from the outside.
6. Is your furnace making strange noises?
Old furnaces often start to make some strange noises as they get toward the end of their life. Have you heard any banging, popping, rattling, or squealing noises coming from your furnace? Another noise is when you hear the furnace blower running excessively. Does your blower turn on & off frequently or does it blow cold air sometimes? If so, this is a sign that your furnace may need to be replaced.
7. How have you & your family been feeling?
Furnaces as they age run the risk of developing cracks in the heat exchanger inside your furnace. Carbon monoxide, if present, could leak into your home undetected. Signs of this may be frequent headaches, a burning feeling in nose or eyes, nausea, disorientation, flu-like symptoms. Should you experience any of these, air out your house, open a window to the furnace room and immediately call a gas service technician. Cracks in the heat exchanger can occur undetected which is why no one advises waiting until they occur.
8. Is your house dry or dusty?
Old furnaces often lack the ability to moisturize and clean the air in your home. Your house air may feel stuffy or stale. Does anyone in your family suffer from allergies to airborne dust, mold, pollen, viruses or dander? Or does anyone suffer from dry nose, dry throat, or dry skin? Other signs may be frequent dust accumulation, static shocks, drooping plants, furniture cracking and musical instruments that do not stay in tune. These signs all suggest that your old furnace is not capable of providing you with the comfort you and your family may want.
Green Apple Plumbing & Mechanical NJ are the experts you can trust. We have been serving the NJ area for years with professionalism and expertise. Customer service and care are always our number one priority. If you have any questions or concerns regarding any of your plumbing or HVAC needs call toll-free @888-315-5564
Stop Doing This To Your Plumbing ASAP
Using Your Toilet as a Trashcan
For the last time, your toilet is not your trash can! If the trash can in your toilet is full, or you don’t have one, your toilet becomes a substitute trashcan. You may find it to be a convenient way to dispose of things like feminine hygiene products, cat litter, makeup removing pads, flush cleaning wipes, but it really isn’t. These things tend to disintegrate and block the drain.
We are sure you don’t want to come home to a clogged toilet. If you use your toilet as a trash can, you must stop right away and call a Green Apple Plumbing & Mechanical plumber to come and have a look at it. The only thing that you are allowed to flush is toilet paper.
Tackling the Problems by Yourself
We live in the age of the internet. If you search “how to resolve plumbing issues”, you will find hundreds of web pages in a matter of seconds. When it comes to a plumbing problem, DIY is not the route you should take. Tackling plumbing problems on your own usually ends in disaster. They should be left to professional Green Apple Plumbing & Mechanical plumbers.
A lot of people tend to solve their plumbing problems on their own to save a few bucks. Most of the time, this practice ends up costing you more than it would have if you had it fixed from a professional Green Apple plumber.
Tackling plumbing problems on your own not only wastes your time but also your hard-earned money. And if you exaggerate the problem, then you might end up with a hefty bill of repairs. That is why the clever thing to do is calling a professional Green Apple plumber to come and perform the job for you.
Drop-in Toilet Fresheners Are a Big No
Do you regularly use toilet fresheners because you like blue colored water? Well, that is a big no. these fresheners are made up of harmful chemicals and can cause a lot of plumbing problems. The fresheners can also dissolve and clog your flush’s valve, preventing you from flushing the toilet.
If you have been doing that, call a Green Apple Plumber to come and see if the flush is in good shape.
These are some of the many things that can cause harm to your plumbing. Make sure you avoid these things at all costs. Any plumbing problem should never be ignored. Call a Green Apple plumber to come and fix the problem right away before it can accelerate.
Green Apple Plumbing & Mechanical NJ are the experts you can trust. We have been serving the NJ area for years with professionalism and expertise. Customer service and care are always our number one priority. If you have any questions or concerns regarding any of your plumbing or HVAC needs call toll-free @888-315-5564
How Colder Weather Affects Your Furnace
When the snow starts to fall and the temperatures start to drop, you can rest easy knowing your home’s furnace keeps your living space comfortable no matter what the thermometer outside says. The falling temperatures and weather events that come with the fall will put your furnace to its greatest test to keep you and your family warm and cozy.
Before winter hits this season, you need to know the different ways in which the cold can affect your furnace. This will help ensure you don’t experience loss of heat or another furnace disaster that makes it colder than you can bear. Let’s review how cold affects your furnace and how you can keep these furnace problems becoming an issue in the first place.
So, How Exactly Does the Cold Affect Your Furnace?
The colder it is outside, the harder your furnace must work to keep the inside of your home comfortable. The harder your furnace works, the more likely it is that something will go wrong. Let’s look at some of the more common winter issues and how to troubleshoot them.
Cycling heat is when your furnace turns on and off frequently for short periods of time. The two main reasons are clogged filters are causing inadequate airflow. However, if your filters and blowers are clean, you might be looking at a faulty thermostat. Try to troubleshoot your thermostat as per the manufacturer’s instructions. If you still can’t get the issue resolved, call Green Apple Plumbing & Mechanical NJ as soon as possible.
A sudden shutdown of your furnace is scary, but you can get through it. Check your fuse box to make sure you didn’t suffer a power surge and blow a fuse. Look at the furnace and check if the pilot light is burning. If the fuse didn’t fix the issue and you can’t see any activity going on in your furnace, you should call Green Apple Plumbing & Mechanical NJ immediately to come diagnose and fix the issue before it gets too cold.
To avoid most fall issues with your furnace, have it inspected and serviced by our team before cold weather comes to town. Our expertise and experience will keep your furnace purring along nicely all winter long. Green Apple Plumbing & Mechanical NJ are the experts you can trust. We have been serving the NJ area for years with professionalism and expertise. Customer service and care are always our number one priority. If you have any questions or concerns regarding any of your HVAC or plumbing needs call toll-free @888-315-5564
Invest In Seasonal Tune-Ups
Invest In Seasonal Tune-Ups for Your HVAC System
HVAC equipment manufacturers recommend having regular tune-ups by an HVAC Green Apple Plumbing & Mechanical professional. Tune-ups examine all elements of the system so that any problems are identified early. In addition, seasonal maintenance improves efficiency, which saves fuel and money. By running more efficiently, HVAC systems experience fewer breakdowns. This prolongs the life of the unit.
Green Apple Plumbing & Mechanical NJ examine all elements of a system:
- Clean condenser and evaporator coils
- Check refrigerant levels
- Clean drip pan and condensate lines
- Check electrical connections and wiring
- Calibrate thermostat
- Clean or replace the air filter
- Check housing for damage or rust
- Lubricate all moving parts
- Ensure unit cycles on and off properly
- Check ignition and burners on gas or oil furnaces
Repair Leaking Ducts
The contractor will check ducts. Leaking ducts lose up to 30 percent of conditioned air before it reaches the living space. Fixing ducts improves efficiency, reduces energy usage and provides more comfortable living space.
Green Apple Plumbing & Mechanical New Jersey are the experts you can trust. We have been serving the New Jersey area for years with professionalism and expertise. Customer service and care are always our number one priority. If you have any questions or concerns regarding any of your HVAC or plumbing needs feel free to call toll-free at 888-315-5564
The 6 Reasons You Simply Must Have An Annual Furnace Inspection
Every year at about this time, you probably receive several direct mail pieces from different New Jersey-area heating and cooling companies telling you to schedule a furnace tune-up.
But what many companies fail to tell you (and the reason most of those offers are ignored) is exactly why furnace maintenance is essential.
At Green Apple Plumbing & Mechanical NJ, we won’t sell you something you don’t need. So here is a list of the reasons an annual tune-up is so important to the efficiency of your furnace and the safety of your home.
Ensures proper airflow
During the furnace tune-up, the heating technician should check your heating system to ensure it is receiving the proper airflow. Restricted or limited airflow places an unnecessary strain on your furnace that can lead to increased repairs and a shortened lifespan.
Keeps you safe
Furnaces burn fuel to produce heat. This combustion process must be precise to maintain efficiency and safety. Even a small problem can lead to gas leaking into your home or dangerous carbon monoxide levels. Don’t take a chance with the health and safety of you and your family.
Reduces repairs
Every cold season, we receive calls from New Jersey-area residents with heating problems that could have been easily prevented with regular maintenance. A furnace tune-up not only includes cleaning that keeps your furnace running efficiently, but it also catches small problems before they turn into major repairs.
Saves Time
Getting a furnace tune-up now, before the weather is cold, is much more convenient than waiting for a repair person during the winter in a cold home without heat. It is also much cheaper.
Improves energy efficiency
A furnace tune-up should include the cleaning and inspection of the furnace burner and heat exchanger. In addition to ensuring safe operation, this will keep your furnace running efficiently all winter.
Maintains manufacturer’s warranty
If your heater is under a manufacturer’s warranty, it is especially important for you to get an annual furnace tune-up. Most manufacturers stipulate that their warranty becomes void if the heater is not regularly maintained. A furnace tune-up can satisfy that requirement and maintain your warranty.
Green Apple Plumbing & Mechanical NJ are the experts you can trust. We have been serving the New Jersey area for years with professionalism and expertise. Customer service and care are always our number one priority. If you have any questions or concerns regarding any of your HVAC or plumbing needs call toll-free at 888-315-5564