Max Sr & Paul Schoenwalder Plumbing, Heating and Air Conditioning, A Corp. Blog: Posts Tagged ‘Union NJ’

Features to Look for in a New Furnace

Monday, November 28th, 2022

couple-coffee-floor-paint-samplesChoosing the latest and greatest technology when it comes to something like a cell phone or a smart TV is a matter of convenience and, let’s admit it, fun. You picked out that smartphone with the high megapixel camera because you love showing off your awesome photos, or you got that new TV to watch the big game in a way you never have before.

However, when it comes time to pick out a new furnace, you might not be so excited to go for the latest and greatest technology. After all, you won’t be looking at the furnace, and heat is heat, right? We certainly don’t think so. While it may not be as flashy as some of the other technology in a home, a new furnace with the latest features can certainly help you feel more comfortable and save money. It’s worth it!

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4 Common-Sense Ways to Save Money on Heating

Monday, March 12th, 2018

hot-house-air-conditioningWe could all use a bit of extra spending money, but those monthly bills get in the way. Often, homeowners are paying a lot more than they have to on home necessities without realizing it. Some small changes to the way you use and maintain your heating system can help it to run more smoothly and reduce your monthly spending on energy and fuel costs.

As heating experts, we know of many ways to upgrade a heating system and help your home to operate more efficiently—things we wouldn’t recommend homeowners try on their own. However, there are also some small things you can do which, when you think about it, just make sense!

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What You Should Know about Common Toilet Repairs

Monday, February 26th, 2018

toilet-repair-openIt’s certainly not a fun topic to address. But the more time you spend on preventing repairs for an essential item like a toilet, or addressing them the right way, the less you’ll have to worry about them. It’s so frustrating when something you use and need every day, like a toilet, is out of order or difficult to use properly. We want to help.

Today, we go through the details of a few common toilet repairs, and what you should do to ensure these don’t happen or that they don’t become too severe. Please feel free to contact our team for more information.

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Why You Cannot Afford to Wait for Heating Repair

Monday, February 12th, 2018

piggy-bank-dollarYour heater has started to act strangely, making weird noises or having trouble at startup, but you’re not sure you should get it serviced just yet. You don’t want to spend money fixing a heater that is still working, after all, and you feel you might as well wait and see what happens. But this logic is flawed: your heating system won’t fix itself!

In fact, a problem is likely to get a lot worse over time. And in the end, this might cost you. Don’t wait to schedule heating repair! Find out what might happen if you do in the guide below.

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The Difference Between Two-Stage and Regular Furnaces

Monday, January 29th, 2018

furnace-burner-litWhen you’re shopping around for a new furnace, you might start to develop a new vocabulary. There’s the AFUE—Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency—that helps you determine the efficiency of your new system. And another set of terms you may see used often are as follows: “one-stage,” “two-stage,” and “modulating” furnace.

You might notice that modulating and two-stage furnaces receive a higher rating for efficiency and performance (or simply find that the price for these units is higher). Wondering why this is? Does a two-stage or modulating furnace really make that much of a difference? Find out in today’s guide to these powerful systems.

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Why Won’t My Heat Pump Heat Anymore?

Monday, January 1st, 2018

question-mark-blue-whiteA heat pump is a highly efficient air conditioning and heating system, all in one. Most heating systems, like furnaces and boilers, have to generate heat using natural gas or large amounts of electricity. Heat pumps use electricity, but they only have to move heat, rather than generating it. This results in much lower energy usage than comparable systems, especially if you purchase a high-efficiency heat pump.

However, like any system, a heat pump can run into trouble. One of the most alarming is when a heat pump just won’t heat! You might hear that the fan has turned on and the system appears to be running—so why don’t you feel any heat from the vents?

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Troubleshooting a Gas Hot Water Boiler

Monday, December 4th, 2017

boiler-system-residentialIn general, we don’t recommend that you attempt to troubleshoot a boiler on your own, and certainly don’t believe the average homeowner should attempt to make repairs to a hot water boiler. This could be dangerous, and time-consuming when you don’t know what to look for. Technicians with the proper training can come to your home and make a quick assessment with all the tools they need to do so.

Still, it’s useful to know what can go wrong. That way, you know why it’s so important to take care of issues quickly and have a better idea of what to expect.

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Get Better Efficiency from Your Heating System

Monday, November 6th, 2017

money-heat-blue-chimneyHeating systems have improved in many ways since we first became a company in 1912. The most noticeable and needed improvement has been in terms of safety. Today’s heating systems don’t even require you to keep a pilot light lit. They can ignite themselves with electronic ignition systems, and only when the thermostat calls for heat.

No matter which system you choose, the risk of a gas leak, carbon monoxide leak, or fire is much, much lower than it once was. What differs from system to system, though, is efficiency rating. Heating systems have better efficiency than ever before, so why are you still paying an arm and a leg every winter?

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What Type of Heating System Is Best?

Monday, October 9th, 2017

furnace-burner-litWhen it comes to purchasing a new computer, television, bicycle, or even a simple lightbulb, most people want the best item they can afford. They want the fastest system, the clearest picture, the bike that requires the least maintenance, the most efficient bulb. The “best” is sometimes hard to define, but a lot easier when you spend a lot of time interacting with those items. When it comes to finding the “best” heating system, it’s a bit of a mystery.

In large part, finding the best heating system for a home is so difficult because there’s no easy answer. There is no one heater to rule them all. The best heating system is simply the one that’s best for your home. And that depends on several different factors.

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Why Join a Maintenance Plan for Your AC and Heater?

Monday, September 11th, 2017

clipboard-document-homeSome of the major investments you own are things you take every opportunity to protect. Your car, for example, hopefully receives regular oil changes and tire rotations. Your computer likely has antivirus protection installed. And you may use surge protectors to reduce the possibility of power surges that can slowly wear out your electronics.

The devices you don’t see or think of so often, though, may miss out on some of this protection you typically put into your investments. When it comes to your HVAC equipment—your heating and air conditioning equipment—the best way to make sure you get the service you need is with an HVAC maintenance plan from a local contractor.

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