Cold Weather

How Not To Let This Weather Destroy Your Plumbing

• Run a trickle of water:  Run a thin trickle of water from the faucet furthest from the water line coming to your house. Usually, this is in a room at the back of the house.  Allowing the water to circulate through your home’s plumbing helps to keep it from freezing.  Some consider this a waste of water, but the cost of the water used is extremely slight compared to repairing broken pipes and the resulting water damage. Also, the water can be captured in a bucket and used for other purposes around the home, like watering plants and washing dishes.
• Disconnect and drain outdoor hoses: Detach all hoses from faucets and allow them to drain.  This action guard against the water in the hose or pipe from freezing and bursting the faucet or pipe to which it is connected.
• Eliminate the amount of cold air coming into the home around water pipes.
• If your home has a crawl space, cover the outside vents to prevent winter winds from freezing the pipes.
• Insulate pipes or faucets in unheated areas: Pipes located in unheated areas of your house, such as a garage or crawl space under the house or in the attic, are subject to freezing.  If you have time to do this before freezing temperatures arrive, wrap these pipes with insulation materials made especially for this purpose.  These materials can be found in most hardware stores or home improvement centers.
• If you have any questions or concerns regarding any of your HVAC or plumbing needs call toll-free at 888-611-7191

4 Ways Heat Could Be Escaping Your Home

Insulate the attic. Is there insulation in your attic? If so, how much? The existence and amount of insulation that is there is crucial to your home’s ability to hold in the rising warm air. If checking your attic insulation status is not something that you can easily do, contact a local contractor or insulation installer for an in-home evaluation.
Insulate your walls. Some older homes have very little insulation in their walls. The minimum that usually suggested for exterior walls is 6” thick. But, some have only four inches. Removing your walls to add more fiberglass insulation is all but impossible and can be a very involved home repair. Blown-in insulation is an easier and more efficient option. The amount of insulation in your walls can be increased quickly and easily by using it. If you think that some of your home’s heat loss could be attributed to the lack of insulation in your walls, then consider adding some blown-in insulation.
Replacement windows. Ill-fitting, warped, old windows can certainly be a contributing factor to your heat loss. Old wood windows with single pane glass are a far cry from the double pane insulated glass windows of today. Vinyl replacement windows are custom made to fit and are composed of the highest quality vinyl. These windows will add beauty while making your home more energy efficient.
Replace your doors. Entrance doors can be the focus of the exterior of your home. They can easily add character, color, and style to set your house apart. Unfortunately, if these doors are old, they very well could be allowing cold air into your home and hot air out. Replacing your doors with a new replacement fiberglass or steel door can stop this unwanted air exchange.
If you have any HVAC or plumbing questions call Green Apple toll-free at 888-611-7191

2 Major Reasons You Must Schedule An Annual Furnace Inspection

Reduce Repairs

Having a technician check your furnace significantly reduces the number of furnace repairs that you could have possibly done. Some heating problems can easily be averted through checkups. This is because the checkups include cleaning the furnace as well as fixing any small problems before they turn into major problems. Remember, your furnace works overtime during fall and winter due to the enormous demand of warming the home and this eventually results in system failure if a checkup is not done on time.

Saves time

Getting your furnace checked before winter is not only convenient but it will also save you on time and inconvenience. A furnace checkup will definitely save you from sitting in the cold as you wait for the technician to come. Besides, when done at the right time the charges are bound to be more affordable.
Green Apple 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 888-611-7191

When Not To Hesitate To Call A Plumber

After the clogged drain, the water leak is the most common and persistent trouble affecting home plumbing. Leaks in pipes and valves create water damage, lowers water pressure throughout a plumbing system, wastes water, and can even create unhealthy conditions. For example, you don’t want leaks in sewer lines allowing bacteria and other contaminants into your house, and even fresh water leaks can create the growth of harmful molds.
This list of leaky plumbing problems is one of the reasons you should never wait to call a professional Green Apple plumber to fix a leak. Any plumber will tell you that there’s no such thing as a “minor” leak. A leak can be small, but the accumulation of water still causes plenty of damage. Small leaks often get the opportunity to create problems because people brush them off and delay calling for a pro to fix them.
Green Apple 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 888-611-7191

How To Keep Your Furnace Fresh With New Filters

You don’t see your furnace filters often so many people don’t think of them often. When you have a clean furnace filter in place, your furnace will run optimally, keeping your home at an ideal temperature. A dirty filter will inhibit the performance of your furnace. It may even cause your furnace to fail.

What Kind?

There are so many different kinds of furnaces, and each has its own unique filter size, shape, and life cycle. Know your furnace filter size. As a homeowner it’s important to always have a few on hand. Use a marker and write the date on it when you put it in place. When you mark the date on your furnace filter you will know how long it’s been in place, and get a better idea of when it’s time to replace it. A good habit to get into would be to check it monthly.

When?

The disposable, inexpensive furnace filters will typically need to be replaced every 4 to 6 weeks, or whenever they get too dirty to function properly, or according to manufacturers recommendation. How can you tell if it is too dirty? Take the filter out and hold it up to the light. If you can mostly see through it, it’s still clean enough to function properly. If you can’t see through it, it’s time to change it.

Which Way?

Do you know what direction the air is flowing through your furnace? If you’re not sure, ask your Green Apple HVAC technician to show you. Mark your furnace with an arrow and write “Air Flow”. Inexpensive filters may also have an arrow or “Air Flow” marked on it. Make sure to place the filter in the proper orientation.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding any of your HVAC or plumbing needs call toll-free at 888-611-7191

How Not To Make Your Furnace Work Too Hard

What Is The Average Life Span Of A Furnace?

While some furnaces can last over 40 years (extremely rare), the average lifespan of a typical gas furnace is around 15-30 years. As long as you have scheduled yearly furnace maintenance, your furnace should easily last over 15 years.
Here are some factors that will affect how long your furnace will last:

• Make and model of the furnace (newer systems have longer lifespans than older units).
• Frequency and quality of furnace maintenance. In order to maintain manufacturer’s warranties and keep your system clean and efficient, schedule fall furnace maintenance every year with a licensed Green Apple technician that also fully cleans your system. Learn more about professional furnace tune-ups.
• Moisture levels and proper ventilation. Too much moisture can cause heater components to rust and premature breakdowns. Moisture is especially harmful to heat exchangers.
• Proper installation. According to Energy Star, over half of all new HVAC systems are improperly installed. As a result, rated efficiency levels can be reduced as much as 30% and can lead to premature breakdowns, comfort problem, and insufficient air distribution and dehumidification. The most important day of your furnace’s life is the day it is installed.

As you can see, many factors play a role in how long your furnace will last. No one thing will be able to tell you how long your furnace will last (age, tune-ups, humidity levels, installation). If you have any questions or concerns regarding any of your HVAC or plumbing needs call toll-free @888-611-7191

You Would Never Have Guessed Not To Put These Down Your Drain!

Household Fluids

Household fluids include things such as household cleaners and car fluids. While these don’t necessarily cause clogs in your pipes, these chemicals can be harmful when they are mixed into the water supply. If you’re washing them down the drain, they will make it into the water. Car fluids also should never be disposed of through your household water system. Check with your city or county, or a local auto parts store, for disposal guidelines. And, last, but not least, avoid allowing toxic household cleaners into the water system by switching to all-natural cleaners. If you’re feeling especially industrious, you can make your own.

Produce Stickers

These seemingly harmless little stickers can actually cause big problems inside of your pipes. They may not seem like it, but even the little bit of adhesive that’s on them can be enough to cause them to stick to the insides of the pipes. If they make it past your pipes, they can also get caught in wastewater treatment pipes and filters, causing problems with the equipment designed to treat your water. If somehow they make it past both of these barriers, they can end up in the water supply. Any way you look at it, that just spells trouble.
If you are experiencing any problems with  any of your HVAC or plumbing concerns call Green Apple toll-free at 888-611-7191

Do You Have The Correct Size Furnace In Your Home?

How Furnace Sizes Are Measured
The first step to finding the correctly sized furnace for your home is understanding how they are measured.
Furnace’s heating capacity is measured in thousands of British Thermal Units (BTU). But keep in mind that two furnaces with the same BTU can actually be different “sizes.”
Furnaces are rated based on how much fuel energy they consume when running. But the amount of energy they output can be different based on their efficiency rating.
For example, a 100,000 BTU furnace with outputs 95,000 BTU while a 100,000 BTU furnace with 80% AFUE only outputs 80,000 BTU. So when comparing furnace sizes, make sure you are comparing apples to apples (the output BTU).
The Importance of Getting a Correctly Sized Furnace
You, like many others, may think that “bigger is better” when it comes to purchasing a brand new furnace.
This is not always true. You definitely want to stay away from a furnace that is too small, but buying one that is too big can also be a problem.

• Consequences of a furnace that is too small – If you buy a furnace that is too small for your home, it will struggle to keep your house warm on cold nights. Furnaces that are too small will also make your energy bill higher.
• Consequences of a furnace that is too big – Furnaces that are too big for your home can be a problem because they will heat up your home too quickly, resulting in an inefficient operation known as “short cycling.”
• If you have any questions or concerns regarding any of your HVAC or plumbing needs call toll-free at 888-611-7191

How To Prepare Your Furnace For The Upcoming Cold

Before winter arrives, the most important thing you need to do for yourself and your family is to ensure that your furnace is operational, safe, and as energy-efficient as you can make it. When that first really cold day hits, you don’t want to turn on the furnace only to discover that it isn’t working. (A lot can happen during the warmer months to affect your furnace.)
No doubt about it, your best bet is to call a Green Apple professional and have them come out and inspect your furnace. During a regular maintenance inspection, the technician also will clean the furnace, change the filter, check for leaks and unhealthy gases, and ensure that everything is operational.

• Change the furnace filters regularly. Some suggest every three months; others suggest monthly. At least take a look at the filter after 30 days of operation. You’ll be able to tell if it needs to be changed. If your filter still looks pretty good, you can put off changing it.

• Stock up on filters during the warmer months. You often can find a bargain on furnace filters and other winter items during those hot summer months.

• Remove any items you have stored near the furnace, particularly anything that is likely to catch fire. Also, remove any household items that are suddenly sitting on top of or in front of your air ducts and return vents.

• If you have any questions or concerns regarding any of your HVAC or plumbing needs call toll-free at 888-611-7191