Category: Fall

Don’t Wait! Call A Plumber ASAP If You See This!

After the clogged drain, the water leak is the most common and persistent trouble affecting home plumbing. Leaks in pipes and valves create water damage, lowers water pressure throughout a plumbing system, wastes water, and can even create unhealthy conditions. For example, you don’t want leaks in sewer lines allowing bacteria and other contaminants into your house, and even fresh water leaks can create the growth of harmful molds.

This list of leaky plumbing problems is one of the reasons you should never wait to call a professional Green Apple plumber to fix a leak. Any plumber will tell you that there’s no such thing as a “minor” leak. A leak can be small, but the accumulation of water still causes plenty of damage. Small leaks often get the opportunity to create problems because people brush them off and delay calling for a pro to fix them.

Green Apple Mechanical 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 at 888-315-5564

What To Do To Keep You Furnace & Your Air Clean

You don’t see your furnace filters often so many people don’t think of them often. When you have a clean furnace filter in place, your furnace will run optimally, keeping your home at an ideal temperature. A dirty filter will inhibit the performance of your furnace. It may even cause your furnace to fail.

WHAT KIND?

There are so many different kinds of furnaces, and each has its own unique filter size, shape, and life cycle. Know your furnace filter size. As a homeowner, it’s important to always have a few on hand. Use a marker and write the date on it when you put it in place. When you mark the date on your furnace filter you will know how long it’s been in place, and get a better idea of when it’s time to replace it. A good habit to get into would be to check it monthly.

WHEN?

The disposable, inexpensive furnace filters will typically need to be replaced every 4 to 6 weeks, or whenever they get too dirty to function properly, or according to manufacturers recommendation. How can you tell if it is too dirty? Take the filter out and hold it up to the light. If you can mostly see through it, it’s still clean enough to function properly. If you can’t see through it, it’s time to change it.

WHICH WAY?

Do you know what direction the air is flowing through your furnace? If you’re not sure, ask your Green Apple HVAC technician to show you. Mark your furnace with an arrow and write “Air Flow”. Inexpensive filters may also have an arrow or “Air Flow” marked on it. Make sure to place the filter in the proper orientation.

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

Best Ways To Avoid A Plumbing Emergency

1. Maintain Your Sinks

To keep your drain clear after you clean it out in this manner, from time to time pour a little bleach into the sink. Let it sit overnight or for at least an hour before you run water down the drain again.

2. Ditch the Grease

Grease build-up in your kitchen sink drain can be remedied with liquid dish detergent and a large volume of boiling water. Put a big pot of water on the stove and bring it to a boil. Squirt a generous amount of dish liquid (at least a tablespoon) directly into your drain and pour the boiling water into the drain, a little at a time. The rapidly boiling water will melt grease deposits while the detergent helps to dissolve grease and oil and allow the boiling water to flush it away. You may want to repeat this process two to three times if the grease build-up is substantial.

3. Hotter Than Usual Water

It may seem obvious, but simply putting hot water down your kitchen and bathroom sink drains at least weekly can go a long way to keeping them clean and clear. For the kitchen sink, hot water will help to melt and flush away light grease deposits. Bathroom drains also benefit from very hot water since you normally wouldn’t use such hot water for washing your hands or face.

4. Use Cold Water Wisely

Conversely, when running your garbage disposal, run copious amounts of COLD water down the drain, not hot. Cold water will keep oils and grease in a solid state so they can be broken up by the disposal, whereas hot water will melt and soften grease and encourage it to coat the inside of your drain. Only use hot water after you have already run the disposal to help remove any grease deposits that may have formed when you were washing pots and pans.

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

How To Optimize Your Furnace Efficiency

How Long Should My Furnace Last?

While some furnaces can last over 40 years (extremely rare), the average lifespan of a typical gas furnace is around 15-30 years. As long as you have scheduled yearly furnace maintenance, your furnace should easily last over 15 years.

Here are some factors that will affect how long your furnace will last:

• Make and model of the furnace (newer systems have longer lifespans than older units).
• Frequency and quality of furnace maintenance. In order to maintain manufacturer’s warranties and keep your system clean and efficient, schedule fall furnace maintenance every year with a licensed Green Apple technician that also fully cleans your system. Learn more about professional furnace tune-ups.
• Moisture levels and proper ventilation. Too much moisture can cause heater components to rust and premature breakdowns. Moisture is especially harmful to heat exchangers.
• Proper installation. According to Energy Star, over half of all new HVAC systems are improperly installed. As a result, rated efficiency levels can be reduced as much as 30% and can lead to premature breakdowns, comfort problem, and insufficient air distribution and dehumidification. The most important day of your furnace’s life is the day it is installed.

As you can see, many factors play a role in how long your furnace will last. No one thing will be able to tell you how long your furnace will last (age, tune-ups, humidity levels, installation). If you have any questions or concerns regarding any of your HVAC or plumbing needs call toll-free @888-611-7191

These Common Items Are Hazards To Your Plumbing

Household Fluids

Household fluids include things such as household cleaners and car fluids. While these don’t necessarily cause clogs in your pipes, these chemicals can be harmful when they are mixed into the water supply. If you’re washing them down the drain, they will make it into the water. Car fluids also should never be disposed of through your household water system. Check with your city or county, or a local auto parts store, for disposal guidelines. And, last, but not least, avoid allowing toxic household cleaners into the water system by switching to all-natural cleaners. If you’re feeling especially industrious, you can make your own.

Produce Stickers

These seemingly harmless little stickers can actually cause big problems inside of your pipes. They may not seem like it, but even the little bit of adhesive that’s on them can be enough to cause them to stick to the insides of the pipes. If they make it past your pipes, they can also get caught in wastewater treatment pipes and filters, causing problems with the equipment designed to treat your water. If somehow they make it past both of these barriers, they can end up in the water supply. Any way you look at it, that just spells trouble.

If you are experiencing any problems with any of your HVAC or plumbing concerns call Green Apple toll-free at 888-315-5564

Make Sure You Are Doing This For Your Garbage Disposal

Whether you are a long time garbage disposal user or have just chosen your first ever disposal, knowing how to care for it will go a long way to making your experience a good one. Garbage disposals are valuable household tools when used properly. If you are careful with what you put through your disposal and keep it clean, it should provide you with many years of carefree service. Many of the common frustrations users experience can be avoided by following just a few tips.

Help! It Stinks!

A common garbage disposal complaint is bad odors. This is often due to a failure to run enough water through and ensure everything is adequately flushed out. To keep your disposal fresh and clean, consider the following tips:

• Grind Thoroughly – Make sure you allow adequate time for everything to get ground and flushed with water. Leftover particles cause odors.
• Clean Regularly – At least once a week, take a bottle brush and scrub inside the disposal. This small maintenance step will go a long way to keeping it fresh.
• Grab Citrus – Fresh orange, lemon, or limes can help cut grease and eliminate odors. Simply grind pieces in the disposal.
• Vinegar is Good – Freeze some vinegar in ice cube trays and blend in the disposal. This helps to eliminate bacteria which can cause odor.
• If you have any questions or concerns regarding any of your HVAC or plumbing needs call toll-free at 888-315-5564

How To Pick The Perfect Sized Furnace

How Furnace Sizes Are Measured
The first step to finding the correctly sized furnace for your home is understanding how they are measured.

Furnace’s heating capacity is measured in thousands of British Thermal Units (BTU). But keep in mind that two furnaces with the same BTU can actually be different “sizes.”

Furnaces are rated based on how much fuel energy they consume when running. But the amount of energy they output can be different based on their efficiency rating.

For example, a 100,000 BTU furnace with outputs 95,000 BTU while a 100,000 BTU furnace with 80% AFUE only outputs 80,000 BTU. So when comparing furnace sizes, make sure you are comparing apples to apples (the output BTU).

The Importance of Getting a Correctly Sized Furnace
You, like many others, may think that “bigger is better” when it comes to purchasing a brand new furnace.

This is not always true. You definitely want to stay away from a furnace that is too small, but buying one that is too big can also be a problem.

• Consequences of a furnace that is too small – If you buy a furnace that is too small for your home, it will struggle to keep your house warm on cold nights. Furnaces that are too small will also make your energy bill higher.
• Consequences of a furnace that is too big – Furnaces that are too big for your home can be a problem because they will heat up your home too quickly, resulting in an inefficient operation known as “short cycling.”
• If you have any questions or concerns regarding any of your HVAC or plumbing needs call toll-free at 888-315-5564

How To Prepare Your Furnace For Seasonal Change

Before winter arrives, the most important thing you need to do for yourself and your family is to ensure that your furnace is operational, safe, and as energy-efficient as you can make it. When that first really cold day hits, you don’t want to turn on the furnace only to discover that it isn’t working. (A lot can happen during the warmer months to affect your furnace.)

No doubt about it, your best bet is to call a Green Apple Plumbing & Mechanical professional and have them come out and inspect your furnace. During a regular maintenance inspection, the technician also will clean the furnace, change the filter, check for leaks and unhealthy gases, and ensure that everything is operational.

• Change the furnace filters regularly. Some suggest every three months; others suggest monthly. At least take a look at the filter after 30 days of operation. You’ll be able to tell if it needs to be changed. If your filter still looks pretty good, you can put off changing it.

• Stock up on filters during the warmer months. You often can find a bargain on furnace filters and other winter items during those hot summer months.

• Remove any items you have stored near the furnace, particularly anything that is likely to catch fire. Also, remove any household items that are suddenly sitting on top of or in front of your air ducts and return vents.

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

Use This Simple Household Tool To Fix Your Pipes

WHEN SHOULD I USE A PLUMBING SNAKE?

Always try to plunge away your problems first. Plungers are a little easier to use than plumbing snakes and they can handle most clogs, so it’s always your best first step to try the trusty plunger. When that doesn’t work, then it’s time to move on to the bigger guns: Your plumbing snake.

WHAT IS A PLUMBING SNAKE ANYWAY?

A plumbing snake allows you to dislodge clogs that are located deeper in the plumbing pipes that plunging simply won’t help. The snake is a flexible cable that is attached to a spool which you unwind using a hand crank. You can find plumbing snakes up to 100’ long but homeowners are fine with a 25’ model.

OK, SO HOW DO I USE ONE?

Plumbing snakes are very easy to use. Simply insert one end of the snake into your toilet or drain and slowly feed the cable down the pipe. After you’ve fed it a few inches, you can use the crank to force the cable deeper into the pipe. You’ll notice it becomes harder to advance the cable once the clog is reached, but keep trying to feed the cable until you can’t anymore. Once you’ve gotten as far as the snake will go, gently wiggle the cable side-to-side before slowly winding it back up. The snake may grab the clog and bring it up, or you may need to repeat this motion a few times in order to push the clog down the drain. Flush the drain with fresh water periodically to encourage the clog to drain.

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