Hot! Hot! Hot! Furnace Facts
If you have or are looking at purchasing a gas furnace, there are five standard types
- Horizontal gas furnace
- Package gas furnace: also comes with an air conditioner
- Upflow gas furnace: airflow enters the bottom, and the heated air exits the top
- Downflow gas furnace: opposite of the upflow, airflow enters the top, and the heated air exits the bottom
- Lowboy gas furnace: shorter units designed for tight spaces
If your home has a gas furnace…you are not alone
Gas furnaces are the most common heating units found in homes across America. This is primarily due to the fact that they have such high-efficiency ratings and can be used in rural or remote locations. They can operate off of natural gas (if it’s available in the area) or propane, which makes them very convenient for homes with no natural gas lines.
You should always look at what’s covered in the policy
Contrary to popular belief, not every component of a furnace is covered by the manufacturer’s warranty. In fact, it’s common for the more expensive parts to not be covered by the warranty. Make sure you do your research and read the fine print before making any purchase.
Never store things around your furnace
Heating units are typically located in the basement where many families keep seasonal items between uses. This is a bad idea for several reasons. If you need to get to your furnace in an emergency quickly, you have no quick route to access it. And if you have a gas unit that uses a burner, you could have a potential fire hazard on your hands.
Always, always commit to preventative maintenance.
If nothing else, preventative maintenance can help you spot small problems before they become significant problems. But regular maintenance on your furnace can also help prolong the lifespan of the unit and keep your energy costs down. In fact, most manufacturers require annual maintenance to maintain warranties. Make sure you add an annual check-up to your maintenance list, especially after the 5-year mark.
If you notice your furnace beginning to make strange noises or not performing as well as it should contact a Green Apple Plumbing & Mechanical NJ professional so they can also help you set up a preventative maintenance schedule so your system stays in tip-top shape and keeps your family warm for many years. Green Apple Plumbing & 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 @888-315-5564
Pay Close Attention To These Warning signs
Some Rooms Are Warm, Others Are Cold
Ductwork is the pathway through your home that spreads warm air. A leak in the ductwork can cause uneven heating. Is your heater in the garage or on one end of the house? If so, the air has to travel farther, making some rooms warm and others cold.
Ask your Green Apple Plumbing & Mechanical HVAC professional to help you identify the real problem. They can show you your options. Maybe you need some tests done, or a two-stage furnace. Two-stage furnaces blow at high and low speeds, instead of just “on” and “off”. This can help spread the air through your house more evenly. Our experts can also offer options for supplemental heating sources if your furnace isn’t centrally located in the home.
High Energy Bills
Have we mentioned to check the furnace filter? A dirty filter can make your energy costs go up by 15%!
Do you have a swamp cooler? In the winter, a damper needs to be placed in the ductwork leading to the cooler. Otherwise, the warm air you’ve paid to heat your home escapes to the outside and you’re just wasting energy and money.
Your Heater Makes Loud Noises
Banging, whirring or strange clicking noises are not a good sign. Your heater could be trying to tell you that the motor is going out. It may be slow and noisy to start up. There could also be something stuck in the ductwork like flapping tape. An HVAC Green Apple Plumbing & Mechanical professional can help you pinpoint the noise. If you have any questions or concerns call toll-free @888-315-5564
3 Excellent Reasons Not To Overlook Your Annual Inspection
CLEAN BUILT-UP RUST AND DIRT
A proper inspection includes checking for rust and dirt that can build up on the burners in your furnace. This type of buildup can create pockets that trap gas and cause hot spots on your furnace’s heat exchanger.
Even if your furnace is new, it still requires inspection as different factors can cause rust and dirt to accumulate.
REPLACE WORN-OUT PARTS
Your furnace’s internal parts wear out over time, which could cause it to stop working. A qualified Green Apple Plumbing & Mechanical NJ technician should check the parts in your furnace and replace those that could cause problems before your next inspection.
INCREASE EFFICIENCY
Neglect your furnace’s annual inspections, and particles like dust and dirt can accumulate on any moving parts. This causes your furnace to work harder than necessary to maintain the heat in your home, which compromises efficiency.
During an annual inspection, a technician will clean your furnace’s parts and make sure they work together properly. Your furnace is at its most efficient when its parts are clean, without anything preventing it from working correctly.
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 concerns call us toll-free at 888-315-5564
How You Can Always Be Prepared For A Nor’easter
CHANGE THE FILTER SEASONALLY
The filter is what collects dust, debris, and prevents these airborne irritants from circulating throughout the home. Gradually over time, all of that dust and debris will accumulate and clog up the filter, which can place excess pressure on your furnace and force it to work even harder to maintain the right temperature. That’s why it’s important to change the filter at least every season to keep it working properly.
ANNUAL INSPECTION
To ensure that your furnace is running properly and efficiently, an annual inspection is always recommended. A trained technician will inspect it and clean out internal components, perform fine-tuning and will be able to detect if there are any potential safety concerns that should be dealt with. A furnace is an expensive investment, so having it inspected frequently is the best way to extend its lifespan and get the most bang for your buck.
AUTOMATE YOUR THERMOSTAT
Automating your thermostat can also help to reduce your usage by automatically adjusting the temperature. For example, when you and the family head out for the day, you can set it so the furnace isn’t working so hard to heat up your home. And then once you’re heading back home, you can automate it to kick on just in time to warm up the house before you get in. This can help keep your monthly bill nice and low.
If you can have any questions or concerns call Green Apple Plumbing & Mechanical NJ us toll-free at 888-315-5564
Tips You Didn’t Know For Optimizing Your Furnace
1. DECORATIVE INSULATION
Carpeting and area rugs on floors help insulate against drafts. They also feel great underfoot, help with soundproofing, and make us feel warmer because they’re so cozy looking.
2. KEEP A GOOD HUMIDITY LEVEL
Most people notice that the air in our homes tends to be really dry in winter. It’s not only drying on skin and throats, but it can make us feel colder than we really are. Using a humidifier to bring your humidity level up to about 40% will help transfer heat better. You can lower the setting on the thermostat and not notice it. More humidity is also better for wood floors and furniture and can help prevent asthma and allergy attacks.
3. MAKE SURE YOUR GARAGE DOOR IS SEALED
The garage is one of the biggest culprits of energy loss in the modern home. Make sure the garage door is touching all the way down and there aren’t any drafts around the sides are top.
By following these tips, you’ll keep your furnace running smoothly all winter long. You’ll also stay cozy and warm for less money.
We are the professionals you can trust. We have been serving the NJ area for years with professionalism and expertise. If you have any questions or concerns regarding any of your HVAC or plumbing needs feel free to call your friends at Green Apple Plumbing & Mechanical NJ toll-free at 888-315-5564
Make Sure This Is On Your Spring Checklist!
- Check for plumbing leaks
Be sure to look at both your faucets and toilets for any leaks. You want to confirm there is no water dripping out of or around the connections when you shut off your faucets. If there is, installing new fixtures or repairing the leak could help better the faucet’s function and may even lower your water bill.
After the faucets, inspect any accessible pipes for evidence of leaks. You can often see visible pipes in basements and below sinks. Extreme weather can cause pipes to freeze and sometimes crack. Spring is the ideal time to make sure the winter weather didn’t cause any damage that would result in plumbing problems.
Be sure to contact the professionals at Green Apple Plumbing & Mechanical NJ with any questions or concerns you might be experiencing. 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. Call Green Apple toll-free at 888-315-5564
Show Your Furnace Some Love With These Tips
One of the very best ways to care for your HVAC system is to make sure that you have an annual furnace inspection performed by a Green Apple Plumbing & Mechanical NJ technician. These annual inspections are incredibly important because if there are any small problems now it’s better to have them corrected before they turn into much larger and much more expensive problems down the road.
It’s also essential to make sure that your furnace filters are being changed on a regular basis to ensure that airflow can circulate effectively and that the air quality is clean and healthy for your family to breathe. If the filters are clear then the furnace itself will not have to work as hard to push the air through.
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 call us toll-free at 888-315-5564
How To Protect Yourself And Your Furnace
MAINTAIN YOUR FURNACE
The first key to preventing furnace-caused problems like home fires is to regularly maintain your heater. Cracks and leaks within your furnace can cause gas to escape into your home, creating a fire hazard. Annual tune-ups include the inspection of your burner assembly and heat exchanger as well as other critical parts.
Maintaining your furnace will keep it running safely and efficiently throughout the winter and help prevent home fires.
KEEP THE AREA CLEAR
Your furnace can become quite hot. You should keep the three-foot area directly around your furnace free of any combustible materials. Placing things too close to a heat source is the leading cause of fatal home fires, and accounted for 53% of home fire deaths in 2010.
So take a look around your furnace and make sure there is nothing flammable in its immediate vicinity. Also, if you notice that the walls around your heater are warm to the touch or discolored, have a Green Apple Plumbing & Mechanical NJ professional take a look as this could be a serious problem. Call toll-free at 888-315-5564
The Top 3 Best Pointers For Your HVAC System
Will This Upgrade Reduce Your Bills?
Certainly, installing a new high-efficiency system will certainly help reduce your heating bill. But you shouldn’t count on it being the only contributor to help you save money.
The truth is it takes a combination of various proper insulation, such as sealing your doors, windows, attic space, plumbing pipes, ductwork and any leaks and cracks. Together, the warm air produced by your efficient system will stay in and keep you warm and save you money.
We 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 your friends at Green Apple Plumbing NJ toll-free at 888-315-5564