These Common Household Items May Be Destroying Your Plumbing
#1: Feminine products
Tampons, pads and other feminine products swell up and can easily cause blockages in your pipes. Never flush these – use the trash can instead.
#2: Wipes
Even if the package says they’re “flushable,” wipes can still clog up your pipes. They’re designed to absorb moisture, so when you put them in a pipe with running water, they blow up like balloons. Again, always throw them out. Never flush them.
#3: Paper towels
Paper towels are great for drying your hands or wiping off toothpaste stains on the mirror. But whatever you do, don’t flush them down the toilet! They’re not designed to dissolve, the way toilet paper is, so they can quickly create blockages. Dispose of paper towels in the garbage.
#4: Any type of leftover grease or oil
Dispose of oil and bacon grease in a closed container in your trash can. Or pour it out in the yard if you must. But never put it down the disposal, you’re just asking for a nasty congealed mess in your pipes.
#5: Pasta
Pasta swells up in water when you cook it well, it does the same thing when it goes down the drain. Avoid pasta-clogged pipes. Don’t let those noodles escape when you’re draining your spaghetti.
#6: Liquid drain cleaners
We saved this one for last because it’s especially dangerous: liquid drain cleaners are corrosive and can destroy pipes. If you need your pipes cleaned, don’t DIY. Call Green Apple Plumbing & Mechanical NJ. We can get rid of the mess without ruining your drains in the process.
If you read all these tips and you still managed to get your pipes clogged up, give Green Apple Plumbing & Mechanical a call. We are the professionals 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
Is Your Low Water Pressure A Concern?
The most serious and potentially expensive reason for low water pressure occurs when old galvanized steel water pipes are corroded to the point that water flow is significantly restricted. These pipes corrode on the inside (so you usually can’t see the corrosion, but over time, the buildup of corrosion and scale gradually closes off the pipe.
This problem develops over decades, so the reduction in water flow is very gradual; you will not notice a sudden drop in pressure. However, if you move into an old house with steel pipes, the pipes may have significant corrosion to start with and the problem may worsen relatively quickly.
Unfortunately, the only solution for corroded pipes is to re-pipe the system with new copper or plastic water supply piping. It is the only way to solve the problem. Usually the best option for re-piping these days, in terms of cost and ease of installation, is to use PEX tubing rather than copper pipe.
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 at 888-315-5564
Improve The Comfort Of Your Home With HVAC Care
Improve Your Home Comfort Level
You depend on your HVAC system to keep you comfortable year round. Regular maintenance helps your system produce and distribute the warm or cool air more evenly and steadily. It also reduces the odds that you’ll come home from work one winter’s day to find frigid air blasting through your vents.
But it can also be easy to take maintenance for granted or to get used to the idea that a particular room is just too hot in the summer or chilly in the winter. Preventive steps like cleaning your ductwork can help ensure that your home heats and cools as evenly and efficiently as possible.
Regular maintenance will also minimize the chances that HVAC noises or smells will disrupt your quality of life.
If you are experiencing any trouble with your HVAC or plumbing systems be sure to call Green Apple Plumbing & Mechanical NJ toll-free at 888-611-7191
Another Way To Improve Your Furnace Function
How a Bad Furnace Affects Air Quality
A bad furnace is like an old car engine and will release more carbon and other particulates directly into the home. A bad furnace has difficulty filtering the air, circulating the air, and a bad furnace can help contribute to moisture and mold problems in the home. Poor air quality in the home can lead to respiratory illness, more sickness, and lower quality of life.
Other Issues of a Poor Furnace
A poor furnace can cause headaches and can be a danger to the home’s residents. A bad furnace can release carbon monoxide into the home, and a gas leak from a poorly-maintained furnace could cause a house fire. If you suspect carbon monoxide or a gas leak leave your home and dial emergency services immediately.
Signs of Furnace Distress
Signs of furnace distress include a burning smell, humming sounds, strange knocks and bangs, and strange noises that you’ve never heard before. With any appliance use common sense, if something doesn’t seem right it probably isn’t.
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 at 888-315-5564
Are You Doing More Harm Than Good To Your Plumbing?
1-Liquid Drain Cleaners Are Not Septic Safe
If you have a septic tank, drain cleaners are not good for your septic system. They can destroy and kill the useful bacteria inside the septic tank you need to break down waste. Without these bacteria, your septic tank will fill up quickly. It is never fun to come home and see waste spewing up from the ground from your septic tank.
2-Liquid Drain Cleaners Are Not Effective
Sure, the drain might work great for a short while after dumping a bottle of liquid drain cleaner down it. Eventually, clogs can return because the cleaner only removed a part, not all, of the clog. In addition, the chemicals used in these products do not work with all types of clogs.
3-Liquid Drain Cleaners Are Harmful to the Environment
The containers the drain cleaners come in will still have some liquid and chemicals left inside when you toss them in the trash. The containers tend to end up in landfills where they can leach harmful chemicals into the ground. Eventually, these can get into fresh water supplies and harm wildlife, vegetation, and humans.
Green Apple Plumbing & Mechanical NJ are the experts 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 call toll-free @ 888-315-5564
Does Your Furnace Need A Makeover?
The furnace is older than 15 years: A furnace’s age impacts its effectiveness. The average lifespan of a furnace is between 15-20 years. You may want to consider a replacement if your furnace is over 15 years old even if you think it is in good working order.
Energy bills are higher despite usage staying the same: Furnaces that have become inefficient have to work harder to provide proper heating, resulting in more expensive heating bills. Consider spending the money to replace your furnace and enjoy the benefits of a reduced bill during the life of your new appliance.
Rooms in your house are heating unevenly: Changing your thermostat constantly to feel more comfortable could be a sign your furnace is not distributing heat evenly throughout the house. This may mean you have an old or faulty furnace that needs replacing.
The furnace is excessively noisy or develops rattles, buzzes or hums: It’s highly likely that if your appliance is making these noises it has some major mechanical issues and that replacement may be necessary.
The furnace has needed frequent repairs over the past two years: Are you calling for heating service months after your last repair? Your furnace could be reaching its lifespan and needs replacing. Keep in mind that repair costs will eventually outweigh the costs of getting a new unit.
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 at 888-315-5564
2 Crucial Reasons To Have Your Furnace Serviced
Avoid Health Hazards
A faulty furnace or one that’s in disrepair can be dangerous to your home and those in it. When you have your furnace serviced by a Green Apple Plumbing & Mechanical HVAC expert, you can avoid dangers like carbon monoxide poisoning and fire.
Make Your Furnace More Efficient
A dirty furnace or a furnace in disrepair may operate, but it will not be operating as it should be. Furnace maintenance and service includes cleaning, inspections, lubricating and other items that will make sure your furnace is at its most efficient. When your furnace is working efficiently, you will see your electricity and gas bills drop.
If you haven’t been getting your furnace serviced regularly, you are putting yourself at risk of no heat, health hazards, and high heating bills. Have Green Apple Plumbing & Mechanical NJ come out at least once a year to make sure everything is geared and ready to go when the temperatures drop.
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
Best Ways To Keep Your Drains Clear
Kitchen:
Ditch the Grease You should never pour grease down your drain. If you find your kitchen drain is slowly flowing, you can battle grease build-up with liquid dish detergent and boiling water. The dish soap will dissolve grease and oil, while the boiling water will melt the grease deposits and flush everything away.
- Fill up a large pot of water and put on to boil
- Squirt a generous amount of liquid dish detergent directly into your drain
- Slowly pour the boiling water down the drain, just a little bit at a time
Kitchen Maintenance
After clearing your drain, be sure to use lots of cold water when you use your garbage disposal. Why not hot? The cold water helps to keep the oils and grease in a solid state so the garbage disposal can do its job by breaking it up. Using hot water melts and softens the grease, causing it to coat the inside of your drain.
Bathroom DIY
In your bathroom, you can tackle the hair and gunk with a simple kitchen ingredient: table salt.
- Pour at least 1 tablespoon of salt into the drain
- Immediately pour ¼ cup plain white vinegar into the drain
- Let sit for one hour
- Run very hot water through the drain (this helps to clear out everything just loosened)
- If you have any questions or concerns regarding any of your HVAC or plumbing needs call Green Apple toll-free @ 888-315-5564
A Little Bit Of Snowstorm Prep
Lend Your HVAC Unit a Helping Hand
There are a few simple things that you can do to make it easier for you and your heating unit to survive the winter. The steps don’t require any advanced skills.
Consider Ordering Extra Fuel
Does your HVAC unit operate on heating oil? If it does, now’s the time to place your order for more fuel. Once the weather takes a turn for the worse, the oil company may not be able to get its trucks on the road for several days. When the trucks finally resume deliveries, it could be a long time before they’re able to get to everyone who ordered after the snowstorm hit.
Eliminate Drafts
Don’t force your HVAC unit to work harder than necessary. Make the job of the unit easier by sealing cracks around doors and windows. It’s also a good idea to make sure that you have the recommended amount of insulation in your attic.
Replace the HVAC Filter
Changing the air filter is a maintenance chore that requires a time investment of only a few minutes to complete, but it returns huge dividends. A heating unit that breathes freely lasts longer. Never let an old filter remain in place for more than three months. Check the filter manufacturer’s paperwork to learn how long the filter is expected to last. Some filters last only a month.
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