First Choice Heating & Cooling Blog: Archive for the ‘Heating’ Category

Noisy Furnace at the End of the Season?

Monday, April 13th, 2020

furnace-flamesIt’s probably going to be the last month you will run your furnace for a good long while. You have a few more days left, and it’s easy to think that it doesn’t matter much if the furnace isn’t working as well as it usually does.

However, no matter when you need to have heater repair in Grand Blanc, MI, it’s important to have it scheduled as soon as possible—no matter how close the warmer weather may be. In the case of a gas furnace (which is what you probably have) allowing the heater to run without a malfunction can potentially be dangerous.

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Understanding Risks of Delaying Furnace Replacement

Monday, March 30th, 2020

furnace-oldThe end of the winter season is a period when we recommend homeowners who have heating equipment that is older than 10 years give consideration to when it needs to be replaced. No, this doesn’t mean that a heating system that’s older than 10 years is an automatic replacement. But this is the period when the heater may start to show signs of wearing down, losing energy efficiency, and becoming a higher risk for a breakdown.

This is especially important for gas furnaces, which is probably the type of central heater your house uses. When you think about the recent performance of the furnace, are you on the fence about replacing it? We want to help you understand what kind of risks you’re taking if you delay replacing a furnace that needs it.

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A Few of the More Common Boiler Repair Needs

Monday, February 17th, 2020

water-heater-tankOne of big advantages of having a boiler to heat your home is that boilers in general need fewer repairs than furnaces or heat pumps, the other common central heating systems. Why is thos? It’s because boilers have fewer mechanical moving parts. The lower number of mechanical parts, the less wear due to operation over the years. You can anticipate only having to make an occasional call for boiler repair in Brighton, MI, and you can expect to get 20 to 30 years of service from a well-installed boiler, which can be twice as long as the lifespans of heat pumps and furnaces.

Zero repairs, however? Probably won’t happen. Boilers still have mechanical parts, and they’re complex devices that can malfunction in different ways. A system that heats and circulates water comes with its own set of potential problems.

Let’s look at a few repairs your boiler might need:

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The Top 6 Furnace Repair Troubles

Monday, February 3rd, 2020

home-basement-furnaceWhy are furnaces so common as heaters in homes? Even with other options, like boilers, heat pumps, and electric baseboard heaters, furnaces are still the type of comfort system people think of first when they want winter heat. There are several reasons for the widespread use of furnaces: they’re powerful, dependable, and for a house that already has ducts, a flexible fit.

Furnaces have a few drawbacks, such as the occasional malfunction. We’ve handled heating repair in Brighton, MI for almost twenty years, so we know all about fixing furnaces that are struggling. Below are six ones we often see. When you run into one of these malfunctions that are threatening your winter comfort, call First Choice and we’ll restore your warm house.

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What Zone Control Does for an HVAC System

Monday, January 20th, 2020

worker-with-ductsZone controls give you more power to control how your house is heated and cooled. An HVAC system without zone controls provides general heating and cooling to the house whenever it is turned on. Each room vent in the house sends out conditioned air, regardless of whether the rooms require it or not. You’re familiar with this system because you probably have one like it. On a cold day in winter, when you turn the furnace on for warmth, all the rooms in the house receive heat blown through the ventilation system.

This is convenient—but you can probably already tell why it isn’t always for the best. Would you want an electrical system where flipping a single light switch turns on every light in the house? Of course not, that’s wasteful. Do you need to accept the same type of operation from your HVAC system? Not when you have zone controls.

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Electric vs. Gas Furnace Efficiency—There’s a Trick to It

Monday, January 6th, 2020

money-saving-chimneyAre you looking to have a new heating system installed in your house? If you are, one of the most important bits of information you’ll want to find out about potential models is their efficiency. A high-efficiency furnace uses less energy to provide more heat, and therefore costs less to run.

Or at least, that’s what it seems to mean.

The truth is a bit more complicated. Efficiency is a rating of the heating output of a furnace compared to the amount of energy it uses. This doesn’t necessarily mean that a furnace with a higher efficiency rating will automatically cost less to run. A good example of this is the difference in the efficiency ratings of gas furnaces and electric furnaces.

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Why Is My Furnace Inadequate at Warming the House?

Monday, December 9th, 2019

cold-man-with-thermostatThis is not the way you want to start the winter—with a furnace that turns on but falls short of providing the comfort you expect.

We have good news and bad news about your underperforming furnace. The good news is that the problem may turn out to be a simple one that you can correct yourself. The bad news is that it may … well, not be simple. However, if you find yourself with a furnace in the second category, you don’t have to worry about trying to fix it. In fact, you should never attempt to fix it. For furnace repair in Howell, MI, call on the top professionals in the area—the First Choice Heating & Cooling HVAC technicians.

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Why Is My Boiler Making Strange Sounds?

Monday, November 25th, 2019

woman-surprised-by-loud-soundUsing a boiler is a great way to enjoy even, comfortable heating throughout your house during the winter. Among the choices for heating in Brighton, MI, a boiler remains one of the best—and they have the extra benefit of needing far fewer repairs than furnaces thanks to the smaller amount of moving parts.

But you may encounter boiler problems at some point, and one of the most common signs something is wrong is when the boiler makes odd noises. Boilers run quieter than furnaces—that’s another one of their advantages—so when any sound from your boiler catches your attention, it might indicate a need for repairs.

But what causes these strange sounds? We’ll look into the usual suspects.

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Touring Your HVAC System: The Most Important Parts

Monday, October 28th, 2019

inside-air-ductWe would like to introduce you to your HVAC system. Okay, you’ve already met it. You may have lived for more than a decade with it. But we’re willing to wager you’ve never gotten time to sit down and understand all its parts, what they do, and how they fit together.

It’s not essential for you to grasp the technical details of your residential HVAC system. You have professionals like us to shoulder that responsibility and help you whenever you need HVAC service in Brighton, MI. But we believe a bit of knowledge is one of the best tools you have to ensure you receive the finest service from your home heating, cooling, and ventilation system. It helps you to know when something is broken and how serious the problem is.

With this in mind, we’re going to give you a tour of the most vital parts of the HVAC system—some which you might not have realized are part of the HVAC system.

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Basic Gas Furnace Troubles We Often See

Monday, October 14th, 2019

old-furnaceWe know you may not have turned on your natural gas furnace for the season yet. We’re not trying to rush you to do it either. But we want to help our customers prepare for heating season, and our dedication goes farther than our maintenance program. Sharing information about potential furnace repair in Howell, MI helps make it easier for our customers to tell when something isn’t right with their heating system. Any type of furnace malfunction must be taken care of right away—it’s not only a matter of comfort, it can be a matter of safety.

Below are the most common types of furnace issues we address during the winter.

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