For a company to not only last but also thrive for more than 80 years, a customer-centered approach is of the utmost importance. That is why Binsky Home Service— heating, cooling and plumbing experts serving all of Central Jersey—is committed to providing homeowners with the most experienced and highly trained technicians, punctual service and honest pricing.

“Binsky has been around a long time and the brand has always been about quality and service,” says Nicholas Van Horn, master technician. “Our mission is to make sure customers are happy and comfortable in their homes.”

House & Home spoke to Van Horn to learn more about that level of service, including Binsky’s focus on incorporating technology into home comfort.

Technology has obviously led to many advancements in our homes. Has it had a major impact on heating and cooling, particularly in regard to smart thermostats?
Yes. I would say almost 60 percent of the homes that we go into nowadays have smart thermostats. With any type of thermostat where you can schedule the temperature to go down when you’re not home and to go back up when you return home, you’re going to save a significant amount of money on your energy bill. In most cases, the thermostat is connected to your phone, so it will report that you’re home and will automatically change the thermostat to your comfort level. Some thermostats, such as the Lennox S30, even have learning capability and will program themselves.

Will your system also benefit from having a smart thermostat?
Yes. Without a smart thermostat, your system’s motors will fail prematurely when running harder than designed. With a smart thermostat, you’re going to extend the life of your equipment. Any time you decrease your cycle rate or how often your heating and air conditioning turn on, you’re obviously going to have less wear and tear on the system overall. A dirty filter can easily raise the electrical expenditure by 30 percent. A cool feature of the smart thermostat is that you can preset reminders for filter changes or request that alerts be emailed on system performance.

Is there a wide range in price points for smart thermostats?
The prices start around $200 and go up to around $600. Any thermostats that are less than $250 are usually going to require additional wiring. Certain thermostats are compatible with other smart devices in the home (such as Alexa) and allow for voice commands.

How do you help a homeowner decide which is the best smart thermostat to install?
Before we offer any products, we assess the customer’s home and discuss what capabilities the customer will require. For example, if they have concerns about indoor air quality, we may recommend a thermostat to monitor the outdoor pollen count. On days with high particles, the smart thermostat will cycle your equipment to remove those allergens from the air automatically.

Are there any other technological advancements you can tell us about?
Recently, there has been a big emphasis on indoor air quality: putting in ultraviolet lights, advanced air filters and anything that will collect pollutants from inside the home. With ultraviolet lights you need to replace the lights regularly. The thermostats can be programmed to time those light changes for each specific type of light. Then you have air filters. With a good quality 4inch-thick air filter you can reduce your filter changes (saving more money). Some filters can last an entire year, and the thermostat will help you remember to change it. The best unnoticed feature is the smart thermostat’s ability to monitor your indoor humidity. Keeping the humidity higher in the winter will help prevent any colds or flu from passing between people within the house. With the onset of climate change, people are finding they are more concerned about reducing their carbon footprint and increasing the quality of air in their homes. I personally feel these products will address those concerns.

Binsky has been around for more than 80 years. Does hiring a company like yours make a big difference for these projects?
We always have the homeowners’ happiness in the forethought of anything we do. Generally, we sit down and have a conversation with the client to figure out exactly what products are going to benefit their home and the comfort level they’re looking for in their house. Then we find a solution that fits their budget. We can offer you cost-conscious solutions for systems that will give you the effects of the higher-end systems without having to break the bank.

Binsky Home Service
281 Centennial Ave., Suite C | Piscataway, N.J.
(732) 369-0400 | BinskyHome.com

Published (and copyrighted) in House & Home, Volume 20, Issue 4 (October 2019). 
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