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
How To Ensure Your Furnace Is Working Efficiently
Your furnace works hard to warm your New Jersey home, and you can help. Here are five ways to make sure your furnace is working efficiently this cold season.
Run Ceiling Fans in Reverse
Warm air rises, and turning your ceiling fans on reverse forces the warm air back down where you want it, ensuring your home reaches a comfortable temperature quickly. This gives your furnace a bit of help when it comes to keeping your home comfortable.
Use Your Programmable Thermostat
There’s no reason to have your furnace heating your home when you aren’t there to enjoy it. Use your programmable thermostat to lower the heat in your house while you’re away, and heat it back up to a comfortable temperature just before you come home.
Clear the Area Around Your Air Vents
When your air vents are obstructed by furniture and curtains, your furnace can’t get the air it needs to work properly. Clear the area around your air vents, and vacuum or sweep around air vents regularly during the winter months to keep dust from gathering.
Check and Replace Furnace Filters
When your furnace’s air filter becomes clogged with dust particles, it causes your furnace to work harder than usual to draw air in. Replace or clean your filters every month to ensure your furnace can get the air it needs. Mark on your calendar when to change your filter so you don’t forget this very important task.
Schedule a Furnace Inspection
Lastly, an annual inspection is important to keep your furnace running efficiently because it gives our Green Apple technician a chance to clean dust and debris from the furnace’s interior and replace worn parts. Inspecting your furnace annually also prolongs the life of the unit and can prevent costly breakdowns.
Helping your furnace heat your home efficiently saves energy and saves you money on heating costs. Green Apple Plumbing & Mechanical NJ can help, with programmable thermostats, annual furnace inspection, and energy-efficient furnaces. 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
Your Plumbing & The Cold Weather
When it comes to preparing your plumbing for cold weather, you don’t want to be left out in the cold. At Green Apple Plumbing & Mechanical we can help you with all your seasonal plumbing maintenance needs. Below are five quick and easy ways to get your plumbing ready for cold months.
1. Check for Leaks
Now is the time to look for any plumbing leaks around your home. Check faucets and showerheads and take note of any low water pressure. If you see any leaks, call a Green Apple Plumbing & Mechanical professional to repair them right away. Even small leaks add up quickly, wasting precious water as well as money.
2. Disconnect Your Outdoor Hose
When the temperature drops, hoses are the first victims. One of the most important plumbing maintenance tasks this time of year is disconnecting and storing any outdoor hoses to prevent freezing. This also helps protect pipes inside your home. Try to do this ahead of time so your hose is safely stored before the first wave of cold temperatures. Also during the freezing temperatures, it is a good idea to locate the shutoff valves for outside faucets and turn those off.
3. Have Your Pipes Inspected
If you’ve never inspected your pipes before, a professional can check them to make sure that they are in tiptop shape for the winter months. They can also prevent pipes from bursting by insulating them to protect your home and replacing them if they are faulty. Bursting pipes can be devastating to a homeowner.
4. Keep Your Home Warm
This tip may seem simple, but cool indoor temperatures can be the biggest cause of pipes bursting in the home. Check to see that your thermostat is set and activated, and make sure that the temperature in your home does not drop below 55 degrees Fahrenheit.
5. Take Care of Your Sinks
Using a sink as a garbage disposal can be problematic. Particularly during winter, oils and fats poured down the drain can freeze once temperatures drop. This can clog your drains and cause more problems. Be sure to dispose of grease properly to keep your pipes clear and be ready for the big chill.
If you want a hand with your plumbing maintenance tasks this year, the experts at Green Apple Plumbing & Mechanical are happy to help. Contact the team today to schedule an appointment with one of our many professionals. Green Apple Plumbing & Mechanical NJ are the experts you can trust. Customer service and care are always our number priority. If you have any questions or concerns regarding any of your HVAC or plumbing needs call toll-free @888-315-5564
2 Things You Need To Be Aware Of With Your Furnace
Rumbling, squeaking, and rattles aren’t normal. The sounds may indicate a mechanical problem, airflow reductions or a clogged burner.
Sometimes a furnace may be running fine, but loudly. If you can tell the noise is a result of the air running through the ductwork, one solution may be to insulate your ductwork to cut down on the noise.
If the actual furnace system is making odd noises, this can occur when the pilot light is improperly adjusted or the blower motor lubrication ports need oiling. There may also be an issue with the belts or even the burner.
What are the different noises coming from your furnace?
a. Pinging or popping sounds – could be thermal expansion- the ductwork expanding and contracting as it heats and cools.
b. Rattling noises – loose panels may need to be tightened.
c. Squealing noises – could be a belt that connects the motor to the fan slipped. Or the belt needs replacement.
d. Grinding sounds – probably time to call a furnace repair technician. The motor bearings need repair.
Clean Leaves and Debris from Heat Pumps or Intake and Exhaust Vents
“If you have a furnace that vents out the side of the house, make sure nothing is blocking the intake or exhaust. If either of the pipes is covered with screen mesh (like a window screen), replace it with 1/2-in.-mesh hardware cloth.
If ice is clogging one of the pipes, you have a bigger problem somewhere in the system. Clear it off and call a Green Apple Plumbing & Mechanical NJ technician to find out why it’s happening.
If you have a heat pump, clear away grass and leaves from the fins of the outdoor compressor unit. Before heating season starts, hose it down gently from the top to rinse dirt and debris out of the housing.”
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
When Is The Right Time To Replace Your Toilet?
There’s no denying that your toilets are a vital part of the house. We need toilets to properly, well, you know. So having a functional toilet is absolutely imperative. However, toilets don’t actually last forever. There’s a lot that can go wrong with a toilet, and if you miss one of these signs, you may find yourself with a non-functioning toilet after all.
First, check for any cracks. Puddles of water don’t miraculously happen. If you’re noticing water build up around your toilet, check to see where it’s leaking. If it’s coming from a crack in the toilet, you are in need of repair. If you’re noticing water, be sure to call a Green Apple Plumbing & Mechanical plumber as soon as possible.
Next, your toilet should not be a rocking chair. If it wobbles or rocks around, you need to consider replacing it. However, if it’s just the toilet seat that wobbles, you can easily tighten the seat with a screwdriver for an easy fix. But if the whole thing moves when you sit down, it may be time to let it go.
Lastly, consider the age of your toilet. Do you know how old your toilet is? Although some plumbers would say a toilet could last up to 50 years, federal law actually states that any toilets built before 1994 that holds more than 1.6 gallons per flush must get replaced.
So there you have it. If your toilet has cracks that are impossible to repair, if it wobbles like crazy, or if it’s a toilet that’s older than you, it may be time to swap out the bowl. 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
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 Cleaning Can Preserve Your Furnace
Do you need your furnace to keep working all winter?
Just like your AC system, unless you perform regular maintenance it may fail. But unless you are a heating professional, this can seem like a pretty daunting prospect.
We are here to help. Read on for 3 furnace maintenance tips to help you keep on top of things.
1. Check Your Thermostat
Make sure that you’re checking your thermostat. Shut off the power and open the furnace doors. Give the furnace wires a little tug to ensure they’re tight and fitted right.
Then check the batteries in the thermostat and replace them if needed. If your thermostat is electro-mechanical then open the panel to give the coils and contact plates a light dusting. Make sure to use something small and soft, like a paintbrush to avoid damaging it. Make sure no strong sunlight hits the thermometer and there aren’t things like lamps near it. This can cause false readings.
2. Change Your Furnace Filter
Replacing the furnace filter helps keep your system efficient. When it gets clogged with dirt and dust it means your system has to work twice as hard. This, in turn, drives up your energy costs and increases your carbon footprint.
Changing it is quick and easy. If your filter is disposable, you can pick up a new one. If it’s reusable, then follow the care instructions to clean and dry it. There will be markings that tell you which side of the filter should be facing the furnace.
Follow this guide and slide the filter back in. If there is a cover, make sure you replace it. A handy tip is to keep a record of the date you changed it, you can mark it on a calendar or in a diary. This way you know when you need to change or clean it again.
3. Vacuum
Dust, debris, and dirt don’t only clog up the filters, they can damage the furnace as a whole. No matter how good your filters, over time dirt, dust and other debris will find its way into your furnace.
Like all electrical equipment, your furnace works best when it is clean. A covering of dust acts to insulate the electrical components, making them heat up above their operating temperature. As components become worn, you reduce the efficiency of your furnace and increase the risk of poor combustion.
While you can certainly keep the outside of your furnace free of debris, it is essential to have a Green Apple professional to take care of the inside of your furnace.
3. Clean Your Vents
When cleaning up your furnace it is easy to overlook your vents. If they become blocked, it can become a fire a hazard.
After removing your vent covers, let them soak in warm, soapy water. You can then rinse them clean and set them to dry. Most metal covers are also dishwasher safe.
Using a long, flexible brush (special dryer vent brushes are excellent) give the walls of the ducts a hard scrub. This will dislodge any compacted dust.
After this, you can use your vacuum to remove the dust that the brushing loosened. A long flexible hose with a brush attachment is best for this. Repeat this process for all of your accessible ducts.
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
Easy Ways To Avoid Plumbing Mistakes
A Leaky Faucet Isn’t a Cause for Concern
This is by far the most problematic home plumbing myth out there. The leak which results in costing you a huge amount of money the average leakage rate per faucet stands at around 10,000 liters globally. That’s 270 laundry loads, give or take.
The EPA also gives some unflattering facts as to the extent of damage leaky faucets can cause, including the fact that you can save almost 10 percent on your water bill, simply by fixing a leaky faucet.
Save money, and help the planet by fixing that leaky faucet as soon as possible.
If Everything is Going Down the Drain, There’s No Problem!
Another no to this. There are many problems that may be lurking inside the drainage system which aren’t immediately visible, but they might cause huge problems later.
Out of sight, out of mind doesn’t really apply to the plumbing world. Even if you can’t see it, food like pasta and rice will bloat in pipes causing clogs, blocking the passage for other waste to peacefully pass through the pipes. Without the proper amount of water to rinse it down, waste builds up in the pipes and makes drainage inefficient.
Most Plumbing Fixes are D-I-Y Jobs
This statement is most commonly made by people who end up adding the plumber to speed dial after an out-of-control plumbing situation. Do not fall for this myth.
A certified plumber is essential to most non-trivial plumbing tasks. While fixing a leaky faucet or cleaning the pipes is not that hard to get right, anything more does require at least professional oversight if not professional skills.
Always consult a trustworthy and qualified Green Apple Plumbing & Mechanical plumber before going in for any repairs yourself. You’ll save yourself a whole lot of trouble before getting into situations you neither have the tools nor the skills, to get yourself out of.
Water Flushes in The Opposite Direction in The Southern Hemisphere
As much as you might have heard about the Coriolis Effect, the toilets do not flush in the other direction in the southern hemisphere. The Coriolis Effect is responsible for cyclones rotating in opposite directions in the Northern and Southern hemispheres however, this effect is only applicable to larger water bodies. There is simply not enough water in the toilets for the effect to appear in the first place.
Also, the direction of water in the toilet is determined by the water jets, which are common across the world exceptions always exist, however.
Putting a Brick in the Toilet Tank Saves Water
The origins of this frankly ridiculous myth are unknown, nor is there any proof to back this up. There are many, many ways to save water in toilets using water-saver flushes and faucets, fixing leaky flushes and faucets, and many more ways. This, however, does nothing to better the water situation in your toilet.
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 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
Happy Thanksgiving From Green Apple!
Don’t put that down the drain!
Indoor plumbing is an amazing invention, and your kitchen sink can make cleanup a breeze. Pour in liquids or use the disposal to grind up scraps. Then, turn on the water, and it’s all magically swept away. That is, except when it gets stuck in the pipes.
Yes, the No. 1 culprit for plumbing problems after Thanksgiving is homeowners trying to use their sink or garbage disposal as a garbage can, resulting in clogged pipes.
Keep the water flowing smoothly by remembering that these things (many of them Thanksgiving staples) should never go down your sink, even if you run them through a garbage disposal:
- Fats
- Cooking oils
- Potato and onion peels
- Fibrous vegetables like celery and pumpkin
- Bones
- Skin from poultry
In the bathroom, remember that cotton balls, swabs, cleansing cloths, dental floss, and similar items need to go into the trash, not get flushed down the toilet. This includes wipes that are labeled “flushable.” Don’t believe the hype. Toss ’em.
Check What You Can And Can’t Flush
- Sanitary napkins/feminine products
- Flushable wipes
- Cleaning wipes
- Facial Cleansing Pads
- Cotton Balls & Swabs
- Paper towel
Throw Greasy Food In The Trash
Dispose of oily, greasy or fatty foods or liquids in the trash. Take a paper towel and wipe the food and grease into the garbage before washing it in the sink or placing it in the dishwasher. The fat and grease will solidify and can cause clogs. 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