You can set your thermostat lower when you run heat in conjunction with a humidifier. In winter, a humidifier can bring you health benefits in addition to improving your home ventilation. A humidifier is responsible to regulating moisture in the air, and depending on the time of year, the weather, your altitude, and the ventilation in your home, installing a humidifier can actually lead you to use your central heating system less often. The less often you run your heat, the less energy your heater consumes, saving you money in the long run.

Once you install a Long Hill humidifier, you might notice that static shock reduces. Static shock refers to the forces that cause your hair to stand on end when you rub a balloon against your head. Static can also deliver uncomfortable shocks to your body if it accumulates around a high-friction area such as on a suede couch or chair. A humidifier works against the static shock to create an overall more comfortable indoor air situation.

After you have a Long Hill humidifier installed in your home, you may also notice that winter nosebleeds may occur less frequently. This is because nosebleeds thrive in cold, dry air, and a humidifier returns moisture to this cold, dry air and keeps your nostrils moist and free of nosebleeds.

A humidifier can also restore moisture to your skin. Especially in winter when the air is generally less humid, your skin can get dry and flaky overnight when you run your heater alone. When you add a humidifier to your home ventilation system, you are returning moisture to your sleeping area. Long Hill humidifier installation is a Weltman Home Services specialty.

You can leave an energy efficient fan motor running all the time to circulate air through your home. An energy efficient fan motor provides better temperature regulation than a stagnant HVAC system. This stagnant air can create an unpleasant atmosphere. Furthermore, the fan motor forces air to pass through the air filter, therefore cleaning the air. A fan motor left running all day can provide better purity, better circulation, better temperature regulation, and better indoor air quality.

Many newer furnaces are equipped with highly efficient fan motors. They consume a lot less energy that fan motors made even 10 years ago. These fan motors help to even out temperatures on days where you would run neither heat nor air conditioning. If you live in a home with multiple floors, then running your fan motor can produce perceptible indoor comfort.

Turning on the heat is not always to best way to improve indoor air quality or home ventilation. Simply running the fan motor is a far more effective way to circulate air without consuming too much energy. You will notice after just a few hours of leaving your fan motor on that your indoor air is cleaner, crisper, and generally more pleasant to breathe.

A Short Hills home ventilation expert from Weltman Home Services will gladly show you how to get the most out of your home ventilation systems. Please contact us today to learn more about how running a fan motor can be an energy efficient home ventilation solution.

Most furnaces are around 78%, whereas the higher efficiency furnaces can be 96% efficient. A good high efficiency furnace should be around 96% efficiency. A 78% efficiency furnace would be beneficial to someone who is not going to be in the house for long. If you plan to move in one or two years, an 80% efficiency furnace would be sufficient rather than if you plan to stay in your home for awhile. Any furnace 95% and above is eligible for a tax credit that can save you hundreds of dollars.

You will need to consider how long you plan to keep the furnace before purchasing a Basking Ridge high efficiency furnace. Your payback on a furnace with, say, 95% efficiency may be longer than you expect, but if you plan to live in your home for 10 years, this payoff period will be worth the wait. As gas prices increase, the faster the payback on your energy efficient furnace.

This means that when you are planning to install a new furnace, you may want to consider trends in the cost of fuel before doing so. Your payback is the return on investment that you can expect to see after you have been using your system for a given amount of time. Many Basking Ridge residential heating customers consider the payoff to be an important factor in timing your system replacement.

Before you make an investment in a high efficiency furnace or a standard efficiency furnace, you will want to consider your desired payoff time, the length of time you plan to live in the home with the furnace, your monthly heat use patterns, and the impact of a tax credit on the total price of the new furnace. Lucky for you, a Basking Ridge furnace replacement technician at Weltman Home Services can help you make the decision.

The hot gas inside the heat exchanger can leak if the heat exchanger is cracked. Part of this gas is carbon monoxide, which can be harmful to your indoor air. Fixing a cracked heat exchanger is a complex heating repair procedure that should be left to the expertise of a professional trained HVAC technician or HVAC specialist.

Consider your heat exchanger the heart and soul of your furnace. Without it, your heater is useless, and if you are operating a home heating system with a cracked heat exchanger, you can put yourself and others in your home at risk. Rather than ignore a cracked heat exchanger until the point at which it makes more sense to replace your entire furnace, we encourage you to call Weltman Home Services so a trained Summit HVAC specialist can take a closer look.

A cracked heat exchanger is not to be taken lightly. Left unrepaired, a cracked heat exchanger can compromise your indoor air quality by leaking gases into the air. And if your home does not already have a carbon monoxide detector, these leaked gases can be toxic. The heat exchanger contains ribbons and coils that heat up from a nearly flame and when air passes over these coils, it is released into your air ducts as hot air. When the coils in heat exchanger are damaged, this passing air can carry harmful gases into your home.

To repair a cracked heat exchanger, please get in touch with a Summit heater repair technician at Weltman Home Services today.

A poorly tuned furnace or an old furnace that is not functioning properly can put carbon monoxide into your house. If your carbon monoxide detector has not been inspected lately, then it may not be able to detect this harmful compound in the air. Rather than run the risk of contaminating your indoor air, we recommend that you schedule a furnace safety inspection as soon as possible. If you moved into an older home and did not replace the furnace that was in the home from the time it was constructed, then this furnace might be damaged and therefore potentially dangerous. Furnace safety is a heating maintenance procedure that can save you money by preventing costly furnace repairs and furnace replacement.

A Short Hills furnace safety technician will gladly inspect your furnace to check for holes, cracks, and other signs of disrepair. A furnace safety check can reveal deeper issues that require more complex furnace repairs. The best way to find out the status and condition of your home furnace is to invest in an extra pair of eyes, those of a Short Hills HVAC specialist or Short Hills heating technician.

At this time of year, furnace safety should be at the top of your list of preparations for winter. You will need to make sure that the furnace you have installed is safe to run all winter long without compromising your health or the health of others living in your home. Maintenance is generally less expensive than repairs, so please do not hesitate to schedule a furnace safety inspection with a Short Hills furnace safety expert.

Thanks to the Basking Ridge electricians and Basking Ridge electrical contractors at Weltman Home Services, residential heating and commercial heating customers in Basking Ridge and the surrounding areas have a trusted go-to for heating repairs, heating system upgrades, and heating system replacement. If you are looking for a heating system replacement that will actually save you money, then we urge you to consider in-floor radiant floor heating installation.

In-floor radiant heating installation combined with ceramic floor tiles can lend to a stunning bathroom renovation that will actually make your floor work as a conductor of heat. The ceramic tiles will trap heat even after you shut off the heating system, so when you step into your bathroom on a cold November morning, your bare feet will be pleasantly warm. In-floor radiant heating installation is a job fit for a Basking Ridge HVAC specialist, Basking Ridge electrician, or Basking Ridge electrical contractor. You can get the most out of an electrical in-floor radiant system if you plan to operate it only within one room, such as a home addition, where installing an entirely new central heating unit is impractical.

The type of in-floor radiant heating system that you choose will depend on factors such as the size of the space you plan to heat, whether you plan to embed the electrical cable within a concrete slab floor or in the space beneath the floor, and the carrying capacity of your floors – to name a few. To learn more about the in-floor radiant heating installation service that we provide, please contact Weltman Home Services today.

If you have outdoor landscape lights installed along the sides of your driveway, then you probably have them automated using a timer that you can control from inside your home. What happens if this timer breaks? It is possible that your driveway lights would stay on all day, or stay off all night. After installing any type of outdoor landscape lighting such as driveway lighting, it is important to make sure that the controlling switches are in proper working order. If your timer or light switch has stopped working, then a Short Hills electrician or Short Hills electrical contractor from Weltman Home Services can help you.

In the event that you cannot turn off your driveway lights, then we recommend calling a Short Hills electrician or Short Hills electrical contractor immediately. The longer you wait, the more energy waste and, consequently, the higher your next electricity bill. The electricians on the Weltman Home Services team want to help you get the most out of your investment in outdoor landscape lighting, so we will gladly assist you with repairing your landscape lighting controls.

Outdoor sensor lighting requires electrical maintenance to make sure that you are getting the most out of the automated timer features. To learn more about how we can help you maintain your driveway lighting, or if you are interested in driveway lighting installation, then please get in touch with a Short Hills electrician or Short Hills electrical contractor at Weltman Home Services today. We look forward to hearing from you!

The Long Hill plumbers and Long Hill plumbing contractors at Weltman Home Services are flexing their plumbing services muscles this season as they answer service calls from residential plumbing and commercial plumbing customers seeking plumbing repairs, plumbing maintenance, and new plumbing fixture installation. When it comes to new fixture installation, a Long Hill plumber is the first person you should call. Weltman Home Service’s team of professional trained plumbers and plumbing contractors have years of experience working with leading makes and models of bathroom and kitchen fixtures. If you are looking to make an upgrade to your bathroom, then a Long Hill plumber from Weltman Home Services would be glad to assist you.

A bathroom renovation should not break your bank. Many homeowners undertake their bathroom renovations in parts, installing a new showerhead here, fixing a loose bathroom faucet there. No matter the scope of your bathroom renovation, a Long Hill plumber is here to help. Might we suggest replacing your decade-old toilet that keeps breaking down with a brand new water efficient low flow toilet? Low flow toilets can reduce your water consumption considerably because they require such a small amount of water to function. Some low flow toilets boast per flush rates of 1 gallon per flush! If you would like to learn more about how your bathroom renovation can actually save you money down the line, please get in touch with the Long Hill low flow toilet installation specialists at Weltman Home Services. We look forward to helping you lower your water bills.

Did you know that there are several, very easy things you can do to lower your utilities bills? Do not be fooled into believing that the only way to save money on utilities is to purchase high-end appliances that tout endless energy savings. While there are a wealth of energy efficient electrical home appliances on the market that can satisfy your home energy needs at a fraction of the cost you are currently paying, there are yet more steps that you can take in your own home to make the cost of energy lower than ever before. For starters, you can teach your children early on to understand where energy comes from and how to be mindful of their consumption habits. Here are a few ways to make your children smarter energy users:

1. Have them pay part of the electric bill with their own allowance.

If your kids have to give up a few dollars of their allowance to account for their energy habits, then they will be better able to make the connection between electricity and finances. When your kids are paying for it themselves, they will soon be able to see that electricity is not free and it does not grow on trees. In fact, it costs money – their money!

2. Show them your electrical panel.

You do not have to be a Basking Ridge electrician to know that electrical appliances require an electric current to operate. Your kids, however, may have no idea why there is a metal box built into the wall with various switches and labels. Play around with your electrical panel and show your kids how the electrical systems in your home are powered. The more they know about the appliances they use and the switches they sometimes leave on, the more informed they can be about their electricity usage.

3. Involve them in electrical repairs and maintenance.

The next time you schedule an electrical maintenance or electrical repairs visit from a Basking Ridge electrical contractor, let the kids watch us work. We will gladly keep them in the loop of the electrical equipment, electrical systems, and electrical procedures that we perform. Understanding your energy consumption habits is much easier when you learn as much as you can about electricity.

How can you tell if your home heating system needs to be replaced or if it just needs a tune-up? While there are some heating systems issues that can be resolved with a few tweaks and perhaps an added part to improve performance, there are other heating issues which can actually pose health hazards to you and others living in your home. For example, if you have been using the same electric furnace for over 15 years and have not kept up with its maintenance, then this electric Maplewood furnace may contain a contaminated filter, might be exposed to frayed wiring, or the interior of the furnace may have molds or bacteria growing within it.

Any of these furnace problems could produce odors, or worse yet, they may not be evident to you at all. The best way to find out the condition of your home furnace is to have a professionally trained Maplewood HVAC specialists, Maplewood heater maintenance technician, or Maplewood heater repair technician inspect your furnace.

Proper furnace maintenance is the only sure-fire way to reduce the likelihood of more severe heater issues that can lead to system failure or electrical fires. If you neglect to maintain your furnace, then you increase the risk of having the furnace blow a fuse, an occurrence which would deplete the furnace’s capacity to produce heat. A Maplewood electrician can take an inside look at your furnace to provide you qualified insight into whether your heating system needs to be enhanced or replaced entirely.

Furnace replacement may not be necessary, but the best way to find out is with the assistance of a Maplewood electrical contractor or Maplewood electrician from Weltman Home Services.

If you live in New Jersey, then you may be eligible for Summit energy rebates if your current or future clothes washer is among those listed as energy or water efficient as denoted by the ENERGY STAR rating program. If you are still using the same clothes washer that was installed in your home when you bought it over 15 years ago, then you are long overdue for Summit clothes washer replacement. Your new Summit washing machine could save you money in the long run by helping you to conserve water and to more efficiently heat the hot water that your clothes washer uses. Hot water consumes the majority of energy in terms of your total residential energy needs, so if you can employ systems that more effectively heat your water, then those systems will save you money and you will notice that your water and heating bills are lower after you have begun using the new clothes washer.

Energy rebates exist to help consumers save money and save the environment. The government, therefore, incentivizes us to make smarter decisions about where our energy comes from and how much energy our home appliances consume. That is why New Jersey state government offers energy rebates, but beware, they will only last as long as the funding is available, so please do not hesitate to contact a Summit plumber or Summit plumbing contractor so that he or she may help you choose the most energy efficient top loading clothes washer or water efficient front loading washer to suit your particular energy needs. The more energy efficient your clothes washer, the less expensive it is to heat the hot water that you use to clean your clothes. Start saving money today!

Today, Americans use an incredible amount of electricity. In fact, the demand for electric current is a hundred times greater for the average household than it was 50 years ago. The way a new home is equipped for electricity has changed drastically since then.

For instance, these days an air conditioning system can use more electricity than the whole house would have fifty years ago. And, because of all the new technology constantly being introduced into the world, it’s not uncommon for us to have some sort of electronic device – like a TV, computer, video game box, or other electricity-eating gadget – powered on twenty four hours a day.

And that doesn’t include the items we own that are perpetually turned on and drawing power, even when we’re not using them. All of this electricity running through a home puts a lot of stress on your home’s wiring, just as it does on the electrical panel.

Plus, today’s homes have many more “plug-ins” for appliances, electronics, and such, which are in much greater demand today than they were even 20 years ago.

The fact is, if your home is over 20 years old, you should definitely look into upgrading your service panel.

It’s even more important to do so if you’re using extension cords and power strips to plug several devices into a single receptacle.  With an upgraded panel, each circuit would run straight from the distribution panel, thus eliminating a major fire hazard.

Bottom line, your home is a great candidate for an upgraded circuit panel if:

• It has less than 200 amps of electricity available with the current service panel, or if it has screw in type fuses.
• You have to shut off one appliance, like your microwave, to run another.
• You’re undertaking a major renovation or home addition
• Your panel box is making a crackling sound
• Your fuses blow regularly
• Your circuit breakers trip frequently
• Your appliances aren’t running on full pPower
• Lights flicker
• Outlets are two-pronged (non-grounded)
• You need more outlets
• You need to add a sub panel. 240v circuit, or a surge protector
• A ground fault interrupter (GFI) outlet is required
• Homeowners Insurance Requires an Upgrade

Let a Weltman Licensed Electrician Do the Job for You.

At Weltman Home Services, we can tackle all of your family’s electrical service needs, including upgrading your service panel. It’s not a job for the weekend warrior, no matter how versatile you might be.  It IS a job for a professional.

Contact us today.  We’re ready to schedule service now.

One of the best ways to prepare your house is to know the basics of your home plumbing system, especially in case of emergency.

Essentially, that means if you know where problems CAN occur, you’re far better prepared to take preventive action on your own, or with the help of your friendly, neighborhoold plumber.

• Hot Water Heaters – During the winter, your water heater has to work extra hard to produce hot water. To make sure your water heater can meet the demand, you should request professional service.  At Weltman Home Services, we’ll inspect all connections, make sure the temperature is set properly, test the pressure release valve and remove the sediment build up.

• Pipes – Pipes located in garages and crawl spaces are more prone to freezing than indoor pipes and should be properly insulated.  Frozen water can cause your pipes to expand and  break, which can cause severe flooding and damage to your home.

• Outdoor Plumbing – If your home has an outdoor shut off valve, turn off the outdoor water supply. After the water is disconnected, drain the remaining water from the pipes so that the standing water does not freeze. Also, make sure all hoses are disconnected and completely drained. If water is left in the pipes and then freezes, it will expand the pipe, either damaging or breaking it.

• Outdoor Water Lines - If you have an outside bathroom, pool slide, or even an irrigation system, the water needs to be blown from the lines.  This is done with an air compressor…a job you tackle yourself if you really know what you’re doing.  Otherwise, contact your friendly professionals at Your 1 Plumber and we’ll be happy to do the job for you to prevent those lines from freezing.

• Unattended Homes – If you’re leaving your home during the winter, even for a few days, make sure it’s equipped with a programmable thermostat that is set no lower than 55 degrees.

Here are a few more things can do to prepare your home for winter and, in the process, avoid serious damage:

• Gutters – As soon as all the leaves are off the trees, clean your gutters of any debris. Clogged gutters can cause ice buildup or ice dams on the roof, which can leak under shingles and flashing.

• Roof – Take a good look at the shingles. Make sure none are missing or curled up. Also check for signs of leaks – i.e., stains, cracks, damp spots – and make sure you seal the cracks.

• Driveways and sidewalks – Seal any cracks on your driveways or sidewalks because the freezing and thawing temperatures will only make them bigger.

• Install a whole-house generator – When ice and wind storms hit your home, you don’t want to be without power for very long.  A whole-house generator from Weltman can do just that:  provide all the electricity you need, just as if the power outage hadn’t occurred.  Compare that to the home store variety…these run on kerosene, they’re smelly and noisy, and they provide a very limited amount of power, and certainly not enough to keep your home heating and hot water systems running.

Whatever the home comfort or safety need, Weltman Home Services is always here to lend a helping hand.

If you’re planning to buy or sell a home in New Jersey, it’s in your best interest to hire an independent and licensed home inspector to help avoid unpleasant surprises on both sides.

And yes, we did say “licensed.”  While there are plenty of firms and individuals offering to inspect your home, not all of them have taken and passed New Jersey’s 330-hr. home licensing course.  Why 300 hours?  Because it’s an intensely painstaking process.

How to Find a Qualified Home Inspector

1. Ask for opinions. Talk to friends who have had an inspection recently. Did their inspector do a good job? You can ask the inspector for references, too, but keep in mind they probably won’t give you the names of unhappy clients.

If you are working with a real estate agent you trust, ask who they recommend.

2. What does the inspection cover? What systems are covered in the home inspection?   Are there some services that require an extra fee, such as a septic inspection? A septic report is required for FHA and VA financing. Doing it at the same time as the home inspection is usually less expensive than bringing the inspector back again later.

Will you be given a detailed report with photos of problem areas? It should include a checklist showing results for all systems evaluated. It should also include reports in paragraph form.

Ask for a time estimate. A thorough inspection can take 3-5 hours or more.

3. Inspect the inspector. If statements in the appraisal or pest report cause the lender to ask for a structural inspection they will expect that inspection to be done by a licensed professional.  Before you select an inspector find out what type of licensing the lender requires if a structural inspection is necessary. If your inspector qualifies, it may save you time and money since you won’t have to hire a second person to verify structural integrity.

4. Important questions

·  Where was the inspector trained?

·  Does he or she attend continuing education classes?

·  Does the inspector belong to a professional organization? If so, what are the requirements   for membership? Entry should require more than just an application fee.

·  Does the inspector carry Errors & Omissions insurance? This type of malpractice I      nsurance may come in handy if the inspector overlooks a major problem.

5. On inspection day. It’s best if you attend the inspection yourself. Inspectors report all defects they find, no matter how minor. Home buyers sometimes get excited about minor problems simply because they don’t have an understanding of what’s really wrong. Witnessing problems first-hand will give you a better grasp of what is and is not an issue.

6. What gets inspected.  Although architectural details, wall and floor coverings, modern conveniences and many other factors are important in the buying decision, the focus of this inspection is on the structural, mechanical, electrical condition of the property.

The inspection is designed to give the real estate agent or prospective purchaser a system to detect some of the readily accessible major flaws or deficiencies in the significant components and systems of a home. It is not designed to, nor does it profess to facilitate detection of all flaws, problems or occurrences that might exist in any given home.

How Weltman Home Services Assist You

Three of the main areas on an inspector’s check list are right up our alley.

Plumbing Inspection

An inspection should consist of testing the interior water supply and distribution system including water pressure, water heating equipment (estimating age and approximate time toreplacement) and the appropriateness of vents, flues, and chimneys. Most inspectors will flush toilets to check for leaks and run all faucets to assess water pressure and the immediacy and volume of available hot water.

Electrical System Inspection

The inspector should check for over current protections, grounding, and the presence of any aluminum wiring (a serious fire hazard and banned for many years in mos

t states). Most inspectors remove the face of the electrical box if it is safe to do so. The inspector should also check a representative number of switches and outlets in the house and note the adequacy of smoke detectors if the state does not require a separate inspection by the local fire department before the deed transfers.

Heating and Air Conditioning Systems

No matter the time of year, the furnace should be tested by turning up the thermostat and checking the response. Air conditioning cannot be checked if the ambient outdoor temperature is below a certain point. If the energy source is oil an inspector will check the condition of the tank and any visible lines running from the tank to the furnace. Some inspectors will run an efficiency check on the furnace for an additional charge.

Weltman Home Services…Your Friends in the Business.

If you have concerns about your plumbing, heating, cooling, or electrical systems – even if you’re NOT planning to buy or sell a home – come to the folks who can make it all better, just as we’ve been doing since 1962.

Weltman Home Services.  “Your Neighbors Know…We Care!”

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