How Frequent Should Your HVAC System Be Serviced?

The heating and cooling professionals at Green Apple Plumbing & Mechanical NJ say that even if you do not suspect that your air conditioning unit has problems, you need to have it serviced and inspected at least once every year. This will ensure that it operates at maximum efficiency. It will be ready to cool the house in the months when you require it most.

As the air conditioning unit runs, it tends to accumulate dirt and dust in critical areas such as the air filters and the condensing coils. This can adversely affect its efficiency. The buildup of dirt and dust, if not checked, reduces your machine’s operating efficiency by 5 %. This means that that your air conditioner cannot cool the house as much as it should when clean.

You can also wash the condenser of the air conditioner and this can save you a lot of headaches as well as money in the future. Although it is a simple thing, failing to wash your condenser could cause it to malfunction and even ruin it totally.
As a homeowner, the best thing you can do for your air conditioning unit is changing your filter. Ideally, you should change the filter at least once every 30 days.

Green Apple Plumbing & Mechanical NJ are the experts you can trust. We have been servicing 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

5 Early Warning signs That You Need A New Toilet

1. Constant Clogging

Nobody likes to deal with a clogged toilet. While they’re not uncommon, random or recurring clogs can indicate an issue. If you have an old, low flush toilet, you may experience stoppages far too often. If you experience clogs more than once a week, or the clogs seem random and odd, you should probably replace your toilet.

If you don’t want to lose the water-saving benefits of a low-flush toilet, simply replace your current toilet with a more efficient and effective commode. Modern technologies have come a long way, and low-flush toilets are much better than they used to be.

2. Cracks

When you notice puddles of water around your toilet, you may want to check for cracks in the porcelain. While the toilet may work fine, leaks can waste a lot of water, and that water exposure can damage your flooring over time. It can also result in mold or mildew growth.

Look for cracks in the bowl or the tank of the toilet. If you notice any, or if you hear constant running from your toilet, replace it right away before the situation gets worse. If you can’t tell if there’s a crack, put dye in the water of the tank or bowl and see if the dyed water makes it to the floor.

3. Plentiful Repairs

Toilets shouldn’t need to be constantly repaired. If you find yourself regularly calling for a plumber to fix the toilet, replace it. Frequent repairs can add up, and you can save yourself a bit of cash over the years if you invest in a new toilet.

Or, if your toilet requires numerous repairs all at once, it may be cheaper to replace the toilet instead. Discuss the situation with your Green Apple plumber, and they can help you weigh the pros and cons of each option.

4. Excessive Age

Even if your toilet is a little old, it may work just fine. But older toilets are often more inefficient than the newer models, so it may be a good idea to replace your toilet and save some money and water. Consider a toilet with a dual-flush feature. It allows you to partially flush for liquid waste and fully flush for solid waste. That way, you can maximize your savings both in water use and utility costs.

5. Wobbling

If your toilet wobbles, it may be a simple problem of loose screws. A Green Apple plumber can easily tighten the bolts and ensure everything is properly placed. But wobbling can also signify a bigger problem. The floor beneath the toilet may be rotting away or water damaged, so if you notice wobbling, call a professional Green Apple plumber to check it out.

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 you plumbing or HVAC needs call toll-free @888-315-5564

When Is The Best Time To Buy A New HVAC System?

Shop for an HVAC System During The Off-Season

Most people have been led to believe that the best time to buy an air conditioner is during winter and the best time to buy a heating system is during summer. The rationale is that air conditioners will sell at a lower price during winter and heating systems will be cheaper during summer. This isn’t always the case.

Winter and summer are when homes use the HVAC system the most and when HVAC companies are at their busiest selling new units, performing maintenance, and conducting repairs. As business is generally booming during the busy summer and winter months, HVAC companies are less likely to offer discounts and sales.

It is possible to find a good deal in winter. However, to stand a better chance of finding a great deal, the best time to buy an HVAC system is in the offseason, i.e. spring or fall.

During spring and fall, most people aren’t running their HVAC systems as often which, in turn, means HVAC companies are not as busy and are not selling as many new units. They may be sitting with unsold units they are desperate to sell. To move stock quickly, many HVAC companies will reduce the price of the units. Suppliers and manufacturers also lower the price of units to clear older stock before new models arrive for the next season. That lower price is passed down to the contractor who, in turn, can pass the savings along to the customer.

Moreover, because HVAC technicians are not that busy on callouts in the offseason, HVAC companies may also offer discounted installation rates. So keep an eye out during the offseason. You could score a great deal on a new air conditioner or heating system as well as lower installation rates!

Buying an HVAC system during the offseason also means less inconvenience. If you’re replacing an air conditioner during summer and you have to wait weeks for the installation to be completed, you’ll suffer the discomfort of sweltering days with no cool air. Not a pleasant thought.  If, however, you’re replacing it during offseason when temperatures are more tolerable, you’ll cope just fine without air conditioning for a few days.

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

HVAC Maintenance For Homes With Pets

HVAC Maintenance Tips for Pet Owners

Experiencing Clogged Drains & Water Temp Changes?

What’s the Best Solution for Clogged Drains?

When drains are clogged in your home, it can throw off the entire flow of the day. One common solution is buying a liquid formula that flushes through the pipes and removes the debris blocking the water’s flow. That may solve the problem temporarily, but you have to be concerned about damage to pipes and recurring clogs when you use these chemicals. It’s better to talk to a Green Apple Plumbing & Mechanical NJ plumber about clearing the pipes with specialized equipment. Our professional plumbers will then advise you on how to avoid clogged drains in the first place.

Is There Any Way to Avoid Water Temperature Changes?

It can be quite a shock when the water temperature drops abruptly while you’re in the shower. The problem may arise when someone turns on a faucet in a neighboring room, or when someone flushes the toilet in the bathroom. This problem occurs when the same pipe feeds water to the shower, the sink, and the toilet. It’s not a cause for concern other than your comfort level and a Green Apple Plumbing & Mechanical plumber can advise you as to whether it’s possible to add pipes for maximum comfort in the shower.

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

The Key To Unlock HVAC Excellence

The most important maintenance task that will ensure the efficiency of your air conditioner is to routinely replace or clean its filters. Clogged, dirty filters block normal airflow and reduce a system’s efficiency significantly. With normal airflow obstructed, the air that bypasses the filter may carry dirt directly into the evaporator coil and impair the coil’s heat-absorbing capacity. Replacing a dirty, clogged filter with a clean one can lower your air conditioner’s energy consumption by 5% to 15%.

For central air conditioners, filters are generally located somewhere along the return duct’s length. Common filter locations are in walls, ceilings, furnaces, or in the air conditioner itself. Room air conditioners have a filter mounted in the grill that faces into the room.

Some types of filters are reusable; others must be replaced. They are available in a variety of types and efficiencies. Clean or replace your air conditioning system’s filter or filters every month or two during the cooling season. Filters may need more frequent attention if the air conditioner is in constant use, is subjected to dusty conditions, or you have fur-bearing pets in the house.

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

Items You Should Never Ever Flush Down The Toilet

1. Baby Wipes

Yes, even the ones that say they’re flushable.  These are frequently the cause of clogs and should always be thrown out in a wastebasket instead.  Even “flushable” wipes don’t disintegrate the way toilet paper does, which can eventually cause plumbing issues.

2. Q-Tips & Cotton Pads

Cotton balls, cotton pads, and Q-Tips are definitely not safe to flush. They don’t break down the way toilet paper (even cotton toilet paper) does, and all they really do is clump together in your pipes and cause problems.

3. Menstrual Products

This one might shock you, but menstrual products (tampons, pads, etc.) should also never be flushed down the toilet. Why?  They’re products that are meant to absorb water, not break down in it, meaning they’ll only expand when you flush them and that’s no good for your plumbing.

4. Condoms

Condoms are also not designed to break down in water, so flushing them can cause clogs in toilets and septic tanks.

5. Diapers

Honestly, you shouldn’t even be able to flush a diaper (like menstrual products, they expand in water and diapers are probably already too big to get down the drain) but on the off-chance that you can and do, it’ll expand and get caught in your pipes. That’s what diaper pails are for!

6. Dental Floss

Not only can dental floss clog your pipes, but it can also cause environmental damage. Floss basically turns into a net when flushed, catching and holding onto other debris it can even wrap around parts of your septic system and burn out the motor.

You might think paper towels and tissues aren’t all that different from toilet paper, but they’re simply not designed to break down the way toilet paper does. In the event that you need to use paper towels or tissues in place of toilet paper for any reason,  put them in a wastebasket instead.

8. Medication

If you have old pills that you need to get rid of, don’t flush them. Toilet water doesn’t break them down properly, meaning the medication gets into the water and can cause toxic environmental effects.

9. Cigarette Butts

Speaking of toxic chemicals, that’s exactly what flushing cigarettes down the drain adds to the water, too. Not to mention, it’s a huge waste of water when you can simply throw them out properly. Cigarette butts can also cause clogs.

10. Kitty Litter

Some brands of kitty litter claim to be flushable, but most toilets don’t use enough water to move the litter along properly in your pipes and all it does is add more things to the water that make it harder to purify. Cat waste from the litter box should also not be flushed, because the litter dehydrates the waste and toilets are meant to flush water-soluble waste.

11. Hair

Like dental floss, hair forms a sort of net when you flush it down the drain and gets caught on basically everything plus, it floats, and it never dissolves in water no matter how long it’s in there.

12. Gum

As you can probably imagine, chewing gum doesn’t exactly break down in the water, either. Plus, it’s sticky and can easily adhere to the inside of your pipes and cause a clog. You should always throw gum out in the wastebasket for this reason.

Call Green Apple Plumbing & Mechanical NJ with any questions or concerns you may have regarding any of your plumbing or HVAC needs. Call toll-free @888-315-5564

Effects Of Humidity On Your HVAC System

Humidity and Central Air Conditioning Systems

If your air conditioning system is working efficiently, it will remove the proper amount of heat and moisture from your living area, resulting in the comfortable environment you want.

If not, you may not achieve the comfort level you desire for your home, regardless of the temperature setting you are using.

When humidity is high, it makes sense that A/C systems have to work harder to keep the home cool. If you’re dealing with an older, inefficient or wrong-sized system, it may not be able to handle the job. Your home may end up feeling warmer than it actually is because the air is holding extra moisture that isn’t being properly removed.

What’s more, the system will be working longer and harder without providing the desired result. This adds wear to the unit and can result in higher utility bills.

It’s important to know that a larger capacity system of air conditioning will not necessarily produce the cooling effect that you want in your home. It’s imperative that your system is sized properly for your unique home by a Green Apple Plumbing & Mechanical professional.

If you are using your central air conditioning system, but not getting the results you want, you can safely assume one of the problems is excess moisture in the air. Some obvious signals that you’ll experience if this is the case include:

1. The air in your home feels moist
2. There is a damp or musty smell in parts of your home
3. Your windows are foggy.

These factors can tell you there is too much humidity present and you should take action to adjust humidity levels. 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

Things To Consider When Purchasing A new AC System

Buying a New Central Air Conditioner

There are a few main things that homeowners will want to take into consideration when deciding which AC unit or brand is best for them. It really depends on what you value the most in a replacement HVAC system. The major factors for most homeowners will be the cost, lifespan of the AC unit, warranties offered, energy efficiency (SEER ratings), and size of the unit you need for your home’s square footage (TONS.)

Things to Consider:

Quality of AC Unit: Every central air conditioner has a different value depending on how much you are wanting to pay. Most brands offer a quality tier air conditioner and a cheaper budget-friendly option for your HVAC replacement needs. Each brand has a different advantage and you will learn about them below.

The lifespan of Air Conditioners: If you do any research on Consumer Reports, it’s easy to realize that a standard HVAC repair can become costly. This means you will want to pick an air conditioner that has ratings and reviews that bode well for their life expectancy. The average lifespan of a central air conditioner is 12 to 15 years if it is properly installed and maintained. Top brands will last longer and have fewer repair issues over time.

HVAC Warranties: The best central AC brands on average have a general parts warranty up to 10+ years. The best brands will be able to offer warranties that are hard to find anywhere else. 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

How Liquid Drain Cleaner Can Be Harmful

Liquid Drain Cleaners are a quick, inexpensive, convenient solution for many people with a slow or a clogged drain. Chemical drain cleaners are easy to find and relatively cheap, particularly when you compare the price of a bottle of drain opener to the cost of a visit from a plumber. However, these popular products could end up being very expensive in the long run, as they are dangerous both to pipes and to people.

These liquid drain cleaners are caustic chemicals that are best used to dissolve soft clogs like hair or grease. While most of these are available to anyone in your local discount store, some are very heavy duty and should only be used by licensed plumbers. These chemicals eat away at these soft clogs near the surface of the drain opening, but they can eat away at other things.

Liquid drain cleaner can cause a lot of damage to you if it gets on you or in you. These chemicals can burn you if they come in contact with you externally or internally. If even a little splashback on you during use, be sure to wash it off immediately (or to follow any other protocol the manufacturer lists on the packaging), if it is left on your skin it could cause some serious burns. If ingested, a liquid drain cleaner can be fatal; this is why it is important to keep these products away from children and pets. These are some of the most hazardous items that the public can easily and readily purchase.

While these drain cleaners can often be effective, they may not always unclog your drain, particularly if the clog is deep. Shallow clogs near the surface work best with these products. If you have used a chemical drain opener with no success, you will have to manually unclog the sink. If these caustic chemicals remain in the pipes behind a deep clog, they may be stirred up by your further unclogging efforts. This means that these chemicals might come up the drain and could splash back onto your skin or even in your face.

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