Tag: airconditioning

Super Easy Ways To Avoid Plumbing Mishaps

 TIPS ON HOW TO MAINTAIN YOUR PLUMBING AND AVOID PLUMBING SERVICE CALLS.

• Watch what you put down your kitchen sink. Dumping grease, chicken scraps, and tough fruit peels down your kitchen drain is a sure-fire way to clog your sink, no matter how good your disposal is.
• Use a hair trap. A metal or plastic hair trap that fits over the shower drain is a cheap, effective way to prevent annoying clogs and having to pull nasty hairballs out of the drain.
• Don’t flush wipes and hygiene products down the toilet. Hygiene products are not plumbing safe, and even the wipes that are supposedly flush-friendly are not. Toss them in the trash.
• Watch out for leaks. Not only do leaks waste water, they can also cause mold and dry rot. Check your pipes occasionally for any sign of water leaks, and call a Green Apple Plumbing & Mechanical NJ plumber ASAP if you see one.
• Reduce your water pressure. For about 8 to 10 dollars, you can buy a water pressure test gauge that twists onto your garden hose. If your water pressure is over roughly 80 PSI, then your plumbing is being strained, and there’s a high risk of leaking and failure. If the pressure is too high, hire a Green Apple Plumbing & Mechanical NJ plumber to install a pressure reducer (this is not the same thing as the water flow reducers often used in sinks and showers).

We know it can be a hassle to call a plumber. But sometimes, it’s the right thing to do to protect your home and ensure your family’s comfort and convenience. If you’ve got a stubborn plumbing problem, call Green Apple Plumbing & Mechanical NJ for help. 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

Don’t Let Aged Pipes Waste Away

Letting Aged Pipes Waste Away

One of the worst things homeowners can do to their plumbing systems particularly those in older homes built from 1945 to 1972, is let their aging pipes decay. Particularly, pipe deterioration occurs quickest in homes equipped with orangeburg sewer pipe, as the tar paper materials these pipes are made of absorb moisture, and as a result, easily deform with pressure.

These sewer pipe systems have a life expectancy of around 50 years; as most were installed prior to 1972, which means their time is almost up. To combat this pipe degrading, the most proactive homeowners will have these pipes replaced before costly, damaging problems develop.

Skipping Routine Checks

Avoiding the above plumbing mistakes, however, cannot make up for general negligence; a vast majority of major plumbing problems can be entirely preventable with routine and annual pipe inspections. For starters, you can diagnose your own pipe and drain problems from home, and check your plumbing performance before the need to call a Green Apple professional ever arises, by evaluating your water meter and water flow on a monthly basis.

However, that does not mean you should forget about professional inspections altogether. In fact, we suggest getting a specialist to look at your home plumbing systems at least once per year, as their trained eyes can catch troubling signs earlier and far more accurately than the average homeowner’s.

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

Treat Your Plumbing Better In 2020

Happy 2020 Green Apple Plumbing & Mechanical customers! If you haven’t already it’s time to start making your soon to be broken resolutions now.

But not all resolutions were made to be broken! We think part of everyone’s resolutions should be initiatives to take better care of yourself, your family and friends and your home. This includes your plumbing too. So what can you do to ensure your plumbing functions better this year? We’ve got a few of our crew together and we started to brainstorm a list of easy ways to avoid a plumbing mishap. Here is what we were able to come up with:

Be Kind To Your Garbage Disposal:

Don’t just throw everything from your plate at your disposal. Learn what can go into your garbage disposal and what you can’t.  Also, be sure to run water whenever you use your disposal to eliminate waste buildup that causes unwelcome odors in the house.

Quit Treating Your Toilet Like A Trashcan:

Your toilet isn’t a dumpster. Flushing things such as Q-Tips, hair, tissues, wet wipes, plastic medication containers should not be tossed in the toilet to be flushed later. There are bathroom trashcans for a reason!

Cut Down On Your Water Usage:

It’s easy to scale back on how much water you use on a daily basis. Even simple adjustments such as turning the water off when brushing teeth can save as many at 3,000 gallons of water. You’ll suddenly notice that your wallet grew a few inches at the end of each month.

Give Your Bathroom A Different Style:

It’s nice to change your bathroom’s look a little bit. Switching up the decor can be refreshing to everyone in your house and guests that regularly come over. Even small updates such as replacing faucets or installing cabinets can have a significant impact on your bathroom’s utility and value. However, larger jobs are most likely best left to the professionals at Green Apple Plumbing & Mechanical NJ.

Warm Up Your Pipes For The Winter:

Don’t let your pipes get beat up in the winter by cold temperatures. Burst pipes can be an extreme inconvenience and a very expensive fix. Make sure they’re properly installed to avoid such disasters.

Hopefully, this list gives you some insight on how you can take better care of your home in the New Year. Follow this advice and you should have minimal plumbing problems around your house. However, if you’re ever in a pinch and need the help of a professional plumber give us a call here at Green Apple Plumbing & Mechanical NJ. 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

Happy New Year From Green Apple Plumbing & Mechanical NJ!

Everyone here at Green Apple Plumbing & Mechanical NJ would like to wish all of our loyal customers a very happy and healthy New Year! We look forward to taking care of all your HVAC and plumbing needs in 2020.

Your HVAC System- Safety Tips For The Holiday Season

Don’t Cover Your Air Vent

Your home will surely be filled with so many items this Christmas. Decorations, presents, and Christmas trees are just a few of the things that might take up your space. But did you know that they can block the proper airflow and even increase your utility bills when placed near or in front of your vent? Be sure your vent is free from these items to keep your home warm and your energy bills low.

Don’t Cover Your Thermostat

You might be tempted to cover your thermostat with decorations so you can fully achieve a Christmas-themed home. It’s not a good idea, though! Hiding your thermostat will make it hard for the device to read the temperature accurately. In that case, your heating system can’t do its job as well. Have a little visual sacrifice by exposing your thermostat in exchange for comfort this holiday season.

Keep the Flammable Items Away

You’ll surely be using papers, fabrics, and other objects as part of your holiday backdrops. Be cautious about where you place them. Keep these flammable objects away from any heat-generating appliances such as an electric blanket, space heater, radiator, and more to avoid fire hazards.

Check Your Outdoor Unit

Don’t forget to check your outdoor unit this holiday season. Even though it is built to endure harsh weather conditions, it still needs proper care and maintenance to work properly. Take time to inspect your unit’s components for possible icing and clear out the debris that surrounds it.

Schedule Your HVAC Inspection

A malfunctioning HVAC system can spoil the fun of the Christmas evening. As soon as possible, contact Green Apple Plumbing & Mechanical NJ  for expert inspection of your comfort unit. We will help diagnose and fix the problems long before they cause major trouble to your comfort and savings.

Christmas only happens once a year, so make the most out of it! Don’t let poor comfort compromise the joy that the holiday brings.

Here at Green Apple Plumbing & Mechanical NJ, our team will ensure that your unit is working in optimum condition so you can enjoy the holiday with your loved ones. Call us today, and we’ll provide solutions that are just right for your budget.

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 us toll-free @888-315-5564

Your Holiday Plumbing Checklist

Use Cold Water in the Garbage Disposal

Did you ever notice how we talk about the garbage disposal a lot? That’s because we get a lot of calls about clogged garbage disposals around Thanksgiving and Christmas, and often the problems are preventable. In addition to knowing what you should and shouldn’t throw in there be sure to run cold water during and for 30-60 seconds after you put food in the garbage disposal. Hot water will solidify any grease poured down the drain by someone-who-isn’t-you (because you know better).

Do a Toilet Check

There’s no getting around it: Your ceramic throne is going to get a lot of use around the holidays. Give it a check-up. Inspect the handle, the lift arm, and chain, the flapper and break the news to it gently. Speaking of gentle, a gentle reminder to guests in the form of a polite sign about what not to put in the toilet might save you some plumbing headaches and ensure your guests save face. Keep some supplies in plain sight, too, like extra toilet paper and a plunger.

Install Drain Catchers

If you’re hosting overnight guests, they’re going to log shower time. With more showers comes more hair down the drain. Installing a drain catcher, an easy-to-find and affordable item will help prevent clogs.

Get the Water Heater Ready

More showers also mean more hot water usage. Encourage guests to put a bit of space between shower sessions in order to give the water heater tank a breather. The extra time will allow it to recover. Consider turning up the heater (no more than 120 degrees Fahrenheit) while guests are there so that a little goes a long way. Lastly, if you’re due or overdue for water heater maintenance tend to that before the holidays to avoid hot water mishaps.

Show Guests Where the Main Water Valve Is

If plumbing trouble brews, shutting off the main water valve or appliance-specific emergency shutoff valve can minimize damage and help get you into problem-solving mode. Mark the valve so guests can quickly find it in a pinch, give them the spiel about shutting off the water (for example, when the water rises in the toilet), and have them practice turning it off and on. This is a “hope you don’t have to use it” measure but a useful one should guests be home alone when a plumbing issue occurs. 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

How Prevention Is Key When It Comes To Plumbing

How to Prevent Frozen Pipes

While we can’t control the weather, there are things we can do to prevent pipes from freezing. To prevent pipes from freezing and causing major damage, follow these steps:

• Drain water from pipes that are likely to freeze. This includes your swimming pool and sprinkler water supply lines.
• Disconnect any hoses from the outside of your home, drain the hoses and store them in the garage. Make sure to close the indoor valves supplying these outdoor access points.
• Insulate the area around vents and light fixtures. This helps prevent heat from escaping into the attic.
• Seal any wall cracks. Be sure to pay careful attention to the areas around utility service lines.
• Open kitchen cabinets. This allows the warm air to circulate around the pipes.
• Keep the garage doors closed to protect water lines.
• Allow your faucets to drip cold water on the coldest days. The movement will make it harder for the water to freeze.
• Keep your thermostat at the same temperature day and night. Never let it fall below 55 degrees Fahrenheit when you leave your home.
• Ensure you have proper seals on all doors and windows.
• Place a 60-watt bulb in areas where you’re concerned about pipes freezing. Make sure there are no combustible materials near the bulb.

Protection from Frozen Water Pipes

Frozen water pipes and the damage they can cause are a reality for thousands of people each year. That’s especially the case when you are at below-freezing temperatures for an extended period of time.

The Insurance Institute says a burst pipe can cause more than $5,000 in water damage. That’s because the damage can be extensive.

Prevention is key when it comes to protecting your plumbing. Green Apple 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

When Is The Right Time To Replace Your Toilet?

3 Silent Signs You Have A Problem With Plumbing

Bubbling Ceiling or Wall Paint

If the paint on a wall or ceiling suddenly begin to bubble or peel off, it’s most often a sign of moisture. The most common cause of this headache is a leak in either the roof or plumbing system. Should you see paint bubbling or blistering, or brown spots appearing on a ceiling or wall, it’s time to begin the investigative process to find out what’s wrong.

Spiking Water Bills

A sudden jump in your water bill is more than just a pain in the wallet. It’s also a sign that something has changed in your plumbing system. If you haven’t done anything to justify an increase in water usage (such as filling up a pool or watering your lawn more than usual) you should begin troubleshooting to find out if you have a leak. The most common source of the water bill jump is a running toilet. Many homeowners don’t appreciate how much water a toilet uses; the toilet valve is essentially a garden hose going at full blast, and it’s not unusual for a single running toilet to waste hundreds of dollars of water.

No Water in Winter

If your water pressure suddenly drops or completely ceases in the middle of winter, there’s a chance that your pipes have frozen. This is a major issue and needs to be dealt with immediately.

An especially common problem in homes where the supply lines run through an attic, crawlspace, or other unheated space, frozen pipes hold the biggest danger once they thaw. That ice is acting as a plug, holding back the water from rushing out any splits that may have occurred. If you think you might be dealing with this issue, step through the troubleshooting carefully, and prepare to deal with a leak. If you get lucky enough to have the frozen pipes thaw without issue (copper pipes can expand slightly without bursting), don’t count on being that lucky the next time. Take the steps immediately to fix the situation.

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

How Safe Is Your Furnace?

Routine Maintenance

As with anything in your home, the more proactive you are, the better off your equipment will be. You can stay on top of routine furnace maintenance by doing a number of things. The most common (and most often overlooked) maintenance you can do is to change the filters. This should be done every two to three months in average households. In homes with more than three occupants and/or multiple pets, filters should be changed once every thirty days and every three to six months in seldom used vacation/seasonal homes.

If you live alone in a small condo or apartment and don’t have any pets, then you may only need to change the filters once every three or four months. It really just depends on your home and lifestyle. Although, it’s recommended to remain cautious and change them out every two to three months. It’s also smart to buy a one year supply every May or November (before the start of heavy usage seasons such as summer and winter). You can typically buy a four or six-pack for about $50 to $100 at your local home improvement supply store but you should make note of the size of the air filters your unit requires by writing down the dimensions before you go to the store. There are few things more annoying than buying air filters, bringing them home and then realizing you actually needed 20”x25”x1” and not 20”x20”x1”.

Frequent Test Runs

Another thing you can do is test your system every few months. For instance, if it’s the middle of July, then you most likely already know that your air conditioning is working fine, but your heat probably hasn’t been turned on in a few months and winter is just around the corner. Therefore, it’s usually good to check your heating at least once per summer and your air conditioning at least once per winter; run each for about ten minutes at a time. That way you can avoid any unhappy surprises when it comes time to switch over the thermostat. It also helps to burn off some of the dust which has collected on the heating coils which tend to make for one unpleasant afternoon in December when eight months of dust is burning off at one time.

If you have a unit with a lot of different settings (various levels of heat and cool air, five fan settings, energy efficiency mode, timers, etc) then it’s also a good idea to go through each of the settings to test them one at a time. It may sound tedious, and it sort of is, but you’ll be happy if you discover a problem five months before you would ever be bothered by it. Not only is this good for staying on top of maintenance but it also helps you budget for any work that does need to be done. It’s much easier to save up for five months to get your heater fixed rather than desperately needing someone to come out tomorrow because it’s only twelve degrees outside.

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