Binsky Home Services Blog

Have You Added These Home Maintenance Tasks to Your Fall To-Do List?

The Binsky Home Team — Thu, 30 Oct 2014 13:00:24 +0000

A great thing about the new season is that it provides you with an opportunity to finish some fall home maintenance tasks that you may have been putting off, plus those designed around the season. Add these to your fall to-do list and you’ll be in good shape:

Check above your home — It’s time to get up on your roof and clean out your gutters and downspouts, which have probably become clogged up by leaves and other debris. While you’re up there, also check out your shingles and chimney for any damage.
Check below your home – Inspect the crawlspace under your home for any standing water and remove it. Standing water can be a source of mold and mildew, both of which can seep inside your home and cause respiratory problems. Also clear out any evidence of animals.
Replace the filter – At the start of the fall season, replace the air filter so that airflow won’t be impeded, thereby alleviating the strain placed upon your furnace. You may need to replace it again after a month or two, so check it periodically throughout the fall and winter seasons.
Catch up on tasks — Thanks to the better weather that accompanies the new season, now’s a great time to complete tasks like painting the walls or shampooing the carpet because you can leave the door open to air it out.
Maintain your furnace – If you want your furnace to operate at its optimal efficiency level, you should hire a professional HVAC technician each year to tune it up.
Improve your airflow — To ensure proper airflow, wipe dust away from areas such as your ceiling fans, cold-air returns, baseboard heaters, and dryer vents with a microfiber cloth.
Test your generator – Every household should have an emergency generator, regardless if you’re in an area that’s susceptible to blackouts. Use this time to test it out.

For more expert advice on fall home maintenance, or if you have any other home comfort questions, please contact the friendly professionals at Binsky Home Services. We’ve been serving the needs of Bridgewater and the surrounding areas since 1938.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Central New Jersey about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about home maintenance tips and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Credit/Copyright Attribution: “mtkang/Shutterstock”

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Air Leaks Are Energy Sappers — How to Find Them

The Binsky Home Team — Tue, 28 Oct 2014 13:00:21 +0000

Air is never static, and it is always circulating throughout your home. Air leaks occur through tiny crevices around windows and doors, not to mention through your home’s walls, ceiling and attic. Insulation in your walls and attic is not sufficient to close those gaps alone.

Associated with air leaks are energy loss, poor indoor air quality and a lack of humidity control. All of this can affect your pocketbook, not to mention your personal health and your home’s structural viability.

The U.S. Department of Energy recommends inspecting the following areas to find and seal air leaks where ever you may find them:

Interior Inspection

Electrical outlets and switch plates – Seal with foam insulation pads which are readily available. This includes plates where cable or phone lines enter the home.
Door and window frames - Use paintable caulking sealants around the window edges and weatherstripping around the door frames to seal air leaks.
Baseboards- Seal the bottoms of the sheetrock with caulking sealant. Many people are not aware that sheetrock does not go all the way to the floorboards.

Other areas to consider are vents, fans, fireplace dampers, attic access points, wall/window mounted air conditioners, and electrical or gas service entrances.

Exterior Inspection

Inspect the corners of the house, outdoor water service that passes through the walls of your home, and the foundation of the home. Include areas where exterior brick or siding meets. Thermographic imaging scans work well here to detect air leaks.

With another cold winter predicted for eastern states, taking the time to protect your Bridgewater home now will give you the piece of mind that you are not paying large utility bills for unnecessary energy loss. Performing these inspections yourself is doable but may be an overwhelming task, which is why you might consider scheduling an appointment with an HVAC professional to perform a full energy audit of your home.

For more information on energy audits and sealing your home for energy efficiency, contact us at Binsky Home Services. Our company has been providing quality HVAC services to Central New Jersey for more than 70 years.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Central New Jersey about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about air leaks and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Credit/Copyright Attribution: “dny3d/Shutterstock”

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Winterizing Your Home: Tips to Increase Your Comfort

The Binsky Home Team — Thu, 23 Oct 2014 13:00:19 +0000

Cold winter weather can impact the comfort and security of a home and its occupants. Fortunately, there are a number of ways to winterize your home to increase comfort, reduce heating costs and keep the structure safe from damage. Try these effective winterizing tips:

Clean the gutters. After the leaves have fallen, clean out the gutters and downspouts so runoff from melting snow can drain away. When it doesn’t drain properly, ice dams can form where water backs up under the roofing and infiltrates the attic, ceilings and walls.
Seal air leaks. Block indoor drafts around windows and doors with caulking, weatherstripping or by installing exterior door sweeps. Use weather-resistant caulk, expandable foam or masonry sealant to plug gaps, cracks and holes outside around extruding pipes, electrical wires and vents.
Add more attic insulation. The Department of Energy (DOE) recommends insulating the attic floor to at least a total of R-49 to keep heated air in the living space below.
Have the furnace serviced. Schedule a professional inspection, cleaning and tuneup to maximize efficiency. Check the air filter monthly and change it as needed to maintain proper airflow and reduce the risk of fire.
Inspect the ductwork. Leaky, unsealed ductwork can cost you up to 60 percent of the furnace output. Check the connections on ducts that run through an unheated basement or attic, and seal the joints with metal-backed tape or mastic sealant.
Address drafty windows. Install storm windows, or purchase inexpensive window film insulation kits to combat air infiltration.
Check the chimney. Hire a professional sweep to inspect the chimney and clean it if necessary to eliminate creosote buildup. Having a screened chimney cap installed can help keep out foreign objects and rain.
Protect vulnerable water pipes. Drain the water lines that go to outdoor hose bibs and cover the spigots with polystyrene insulators to prevent freezing. If they’re accessible, wrap pipes routed though the basement, garage or crawlspace with pre-formed foam insulation sleeves.

Contact us at Binsky Home Services today for more winterizing tips to increase the comfort level in your Central New Jersey home this winter.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Central New Jersey about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about winterizing your home and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Credit/Copyright Attribution: “Cranach/Shutterstock”

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A Carbon Monoxide Detector Smells What You Can’t

The Binsky Home Team — Tue, 21 Oct 2014 13:00:16 +0000

In 2002, a record high of half of one percent of the entire population of New Jersey was hospitalized for unintentional carbon monoxide poisoning. All those residents were victim of a silent killer that’s undetectable to our senses. Carbon monoxide detectors can “smell” what you can’t, though, so having an adequate number around your home is an absolute must.

Defining the Dangers

Carbon monoxide gas, or CO, is tasteless, odorless and invisible, a triple-hitter combination which makes it extremely dangerous. It is toxic in abnormal concentrations – a little is naturally present in our atmosphere – and it can expel the breathable atmosphere from an enclosed space, until occupants actually asphyxiate without ever knowing anything is wrong.

The U.S Consumer Product Safety Commission calculates that “[o]n average, about 170 people in the United States die every year from CO produced by non-automotive consumer products. These products include malfunctioning fuel-burning appliances such as furnaces, ranges, water heaters and room heaters.”

A Deadly Combination

That CO is undetectable to human senses goes at least some way to explaining those deaths; many of the victims likely had no idea this fatal gas was present in their environment. Therein lies the reason you need an adequate number of CO detectors in your home; they can “smell” the gas before it reaches harmful concentrations, then warn you of the hazard.

Preventative Measures

In 2011, the Florida Department of Health undertook a comprehensive study of causes of resident deaths; the information it compiled is infinitely transferable to New Jersey. In its advice on how to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning, the report ranks as its No. 1 piece of advice: “Have heating systems; water heaters; ventilation systems; and any other gas, oil, or coal burning appliances serviced by a qualified technician every year.” The use of carbon monoxide detectors comes in second.

Homeowners in Bridgewater, Piscataway and the surrounding areas are invited to contact Binsky Home Air Conditioning, Plumbing and Heating to discuss CO. Never use a barbecue grill indoors, never use cooking appliances for heating purposes, and call Binsky to arrange the maintenance calls that could save your life.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Central New Jersey about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about carbon monoxide detectors and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Credit/Copyright Attribution: “Creations/Shutterstock”

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As the Weather Changes, It’s Also Time to Switch Your Heat Pump

The Binsky Home Team — Thu, 16 Oct 2014 13:00:04 +0000

Cool weather is just around the corner here in New Jersey. Most of know we are vulnerable to storms and Hurricane Sandy should serve as a reminder. With fall closing in, it is time to switch your heat pump into heating mode.

An air-source heat pump is a very efficient system of providing heated and cooled air by extracting heat from outdoors and converting to heated air inside your home. Most conventional HVAC furnace systems use combustion to generate heat. However, it is recommended that when you are preparing to switch your heat pump over for the season that you employ a professional HVAC technician to perform the necessary maintenance service.

As a homeowner, you play a vital role in the maintenance process. There are steps that you should take to keep your system operating at peak efficiency, and after a long summer, there are some things you should attend to:

Trim back overgrown vegetation away from the outdoor condenser unit
Gently clean the coils/fins on the outdoor unit with coil cleaner and rinse with a garden hose to flush out the dirt and debris
Replace the air filter on the indoor unit on a regular basis

There are steps in the maintenance process that should be left to an experienced and qualified professional. You should expect a technician to perform the following services during the maintenance:

Inspect the On/Auto switch and thermostat function
Tighten any loose electrical connections
Tighten the belt and lubricate components in the blower unit to be followed up with measuring and calibrating air intake
Clean the indoor evaporation coils and flush condensate drain
Measure refrigerant charge in the system and add if needed
Measure heat transfer temperature by testing temperature difference in the supply and return air stream

By scheduling maintenance to switch your heat pump, you can go into the winter with the confidence that your heat pump will perform as needed.

For more information about heat pump maintenance before winter comes, contact us at Binsky Home Services, where we have been proudly serving Central New Jersey since 1938.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Central New Jersey about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about heat pumps and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Credit/Copyright Attribution: “Slavo-Valigursky/Shutterstock”

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Three Types of Furnaces and the Difference You Should Know About

The Binsky Home Team — Tue, 14 Oct 2014 13:00:02 +0000

Deciding what kind of furnace to purchase for your central New Jersey home depends on how much heat you would like delivered throughout your home. Not all furnaces heat the same way. Some save you more money while others may put out large amounts of heat inefficiently. Read on for your options concerning these types of furnaces:

Single-stage furnaces
Two-stage furnaces
Variable-speed furnaces

Single-Stage Furnaces

A single-stage furnace has only one setting: high. The nice thing about this type of furnace is that it can usually heat your home, and keep it warm, in a relatively short amount of time. However, every time your furnace turns on, it is pumping out the maximum amount of hot air that it can. This can lead to higher energy bills, especially when compared to other types of furnaces.

Two-Stage Furnaces

There are two settings on a two-stage furnace, which can help lower your energy bills when compared to a single-stage furnace. The first stage of heating only operates at partial capacity, which is perfect for early spring and late fall. The second stage only turns on when it is needed, usually only during the coldest months.

Variable-Speed Furnaces

Installing a variable-speed furnace lets you control exactly how much heat is being put into your home by way of a fan with variable speeds. This can give you the perfect mix of comfort, and energy savings. In addition, whenever the furnace is not on, you can turn just the fan on to help circulate air through your ventilation system, helping to improve indoor air quality.

For more information about what types of furnace installation options you have, and for any of your other heating, cooling or plumbing needs, call the professionals at Binsky Home Air Conditioning Plumbing Heating to find out more about the services we offer. Our company has been helping homeowners with their home comfort needs for more than 75 years. Let us help you as well.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Central New Jersey about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about furnaces and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Credit/Copyright Attribution: “Mark-Hayes/Shutterstock”

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Do an Energy Audit and See Where You Can Save

The Binsky Home Team — Thu, 09 Oct 2014 13:00:59 +0000

Though it may still feel like summer outside, another cold New Jersey winter is definitely on the way. Soon it will be time for winter coats, hot chocolate and, unfortunately, heating bills. Many homeowners accept high heating bills as inevitable, but there are ways to lower your heating costs. Hiring a professional to conduct an energy audit in your home is a great first step in finding out how you can start lowering your energy use and saving on your heating bills.

During a home energy audit, an auditor will visit your home and take a look around. The auditor will want to see every room in the house, and it’s important that every space is accessible. The inspector will be searching for any gaps insulation or air leaks that might be letting drafts in and costing you extra money. You should also have some of your old utility bills on hand, as many energy audits include an analysis of your prior electric and gas use.

You can also expect your evaluation to include some tests using tools that may be unfamiliar to you. Many auditors use thermographic cameras, which detect the temperatures of surfaces and are useful for finding drafts or spots where insulation is lacking. Blower doors tests are also common, and work by lowering the pressure of the interior of your home to help locate air leaks. Many auditors will also examine your heating ducts, as duct leaks can be major energy-wasters.

Once your audit is complete, the inspector will want to meet with you to discuss the findings. You should receive a thorough analysis of the energy use and sealing of your home, and recommendations for steps you can take to improve the house. Once you understand where to find them, sealing air leaks with caulk, spray foam, or weatherstripping should be your first priority, and adding insulation to poorly-insulated areas should be next on your list.

For more information on scheduling a home energy audit and lowering your heating bills, contact us at Binsky Home today.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Central New Jersey about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about energy audits and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

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Basic Guide for Planning a Bathroom Remodel

The Binsky Home Team — Tue, 07 Oct 2014 13:00:52 +0000

If you feel in over your head while planning a bathroom remodel, step back and break down the process into bite-sized pieces. Here’s a basic guide to help you stay on track while planning a bathroom remodel.

Decide on a Budget

The cost of a bathroom remodel varies tremendously depending on the changes you want to make and the quality of the products you choose. Take a close look at your finances and decide what you can afford to spend. Popular options for financing a bathroom remodel include taking out a home equity home, FHA loan or personal loan or borrowing against your life insurance policy. Unless you get money directly from your savings, you must pay it back.

As you set a budget, remember that labor accounts for about one-third of the project’s cost. If you forgot to allow for labor, cut back on the most luxurious features to fit it into your budget.

To allow for last-minute changes and unforeseen problems during the bathroom remodel, set aside 10 percent of the project’s cost just in case. If you don’t end up needing this failsafe, you can use the extra money to buy luxurious towels and other add-ons you thought you had to skip.

Decide What Changes to Make

Assess how you plan to use the bathroom. A master bath is the perfect place for a sophisticated spa while the kids’ bathroom needs to withstand plenty of wear and tear.

Then, consider how many more years you’ll be in your current home. If the answer is less than five years, your bathroom remodel should be geared toward increasing your resale value. If you plan to stick around longer than five years, pick changes that meld best with your family’s needs.

Keep the Essentials in Mind

Every bathroom needs effective storage, useful lighting, efficient fixtures and plenty of room to move around. Look at your bathroom with new eyes and imagine it in a new light to help maximize its potential.

For more help planning a bathroom remodel, please contact Binsky Home, serving central New Jersey since 1938.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Central New Jersey about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about bathroom remodels and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Credit/Copyright Attribution: “Egasit-Mullakhut/Shutterstock”

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My Tankless Water Heater Takes a While To Heat — Why Is That?

The Binsky Home Team — Thu, 02 Oct 2014 13:00:55 +0000

The tankless water heater is not a new technology, having been used in Europe for decades, but only in recent years has begun to enjoy sweeping popularity in America. Unlike conventional water heaters that consist of large tanks full of water maintained within a preset temperature range, tankless water heaters only apply heat to the water “on demand,” when it’s required.

Because conventional water heaters must continually cycle on and off to maintain heated water within certain temperature parameters, energy is being consumed whenever the unit is turned on, which is typically 24/7. A tankless water heater, on the other hand, is always off except when hot water is being called for by the operation of one of your home’s hot water valves. Several factors contribute to a tankless heater being more economical to operate, including:

Only as much energy, in the form of electricity, natural gas or propane, as needed to heat the amount of hot water required at any one time is used
The standby heat loss suffered by conventional tank water heaters doesn’t affect tankless heaters

A tankless water heater can be placed just about anywhere, either inside or outside the home, but where it’s located will determine how fast water is delivered to various locations. A tankless heater located in one end of your home may take several minutes to deliver hot water to a tap located at the other end of the home. Unlike a conventional tank system, water is only heated when delivery is called for and the travel time to reach a far-removed location must be factored in.

To shorten this lag time, the heater can be located closer to the tap. Sometimes the installation of multiple heaters in different parts of your home is the ideal solution to faster delivery to all taps.

Serving our Central New Jersey clients for more than 80 years, Binsky Home has been family owned and operated for three generations and remains an industry leader in all aspects of indoor air comfort and quality. Contact Binksy with any tankless water heater questions or any other indoor home comfort topics.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Central New Jersey about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about tankless water heaters and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Credit/Copyright Attribution: “David-Koscheck/Shutterstock”

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Keep Your Home’s Temperature Set While You Are Away During the Day

The Binsky Home Team — Tue, 30 Sep 2014 13:00:52 +0000

You may be tempted to crank up your home’s heat when you start to feel the first chill of fall. During this time of year is when it is best to brush up on how to program your thermostat to save you energy and money. If you have a programmable thermostat, you can avoid turning up the heat when the first chill of fall hits.

You can set your thermostat and forget it when you use a programmable thermostat. This will help you keep your utility bills lower, and help you avoid the temptation of raising the temperature. Families can have their homes temperature set around their schedules. You program the thermostat once and let it save you money.

This is what a weekday thermostat schedule looks like for families that are gone during the day for work and school.

6:30 a.m. – The thermostat is programmed so that the heat turned on a little while ago, and the temperature in the house is now 68 degrees. This happens in time for the house to be warmer when the family starts to wake up.

8:00 a.m. – This is the time the family leaves the house and the thermostat is set to 56 degrees. Leaving the thermostat set lower for the eight hours can save them from 5 percent to 15 percent on their heating bill each year. The savings are approximately equal to 1 percent for every degree the thermostat is set lower for eight hours.

5:00 p.m. – A little while ago the heat turned back on to makes sure the temperature in the house is 68 degrees for the family when they start to return home.

11:00 p.m. – Everyone is now in bed, probably wearing warm pajamas and sleeping under blankets. At this time, the thermostat is set back to 56 degrees again.

The family never had to touch the thermostat to have their home’s temperature set. You can program the thermostat to suit your schedule at the beginning of each season.

For more information on saving money with programmable thermostats and other home comfort questions, contact Binsky Home.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Central New Jersey about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about programmable thermostats and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Credit/Copyright Attribution: “Danylo Samiylenko/Shutterstock”

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Binsky Home Services Blog

Have You Added These Home Maintenance Tasks to Your Fall To-Do List?

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