If you looked at your heating bills during the previous winter and wondered why they seemed higher than normal, this post can help. We know you probably spent more time in your home last winter than usual (pretty much everyone did), so that will account for some of the increase in how much you paid for heat. But if you factor out that, as well as any rise in energy costs, and the price still seems too steep, then there are several steps you can take.
If Your Heating Bills Seemed Too High Last Winter…
November 8th, 2021Is Your Furnace Older Than 15 Years? We Have Some Vital Advice!
October 25th, 2021
A common question we hear from customers is when to replace their natural gas furnace. Homeowners want to get the most years possible out of their investment in a central heating system, but they also know that no furnace can last forever. At some point, a furnace will become less effective, less energy efficient, and even less safe. At what point is a furnace replacement ready?
There are several factors that can help tell you when a furnace needs to be replaced, such as regular malfunctions and soaring heating bills. But one solid determining factor is the furnace’s age. If you have a gas furnace that is older than fifteen years, our advice is to replace it. And we’re not the only people offering this same advice…
When Your Heater Isn’t Working, Don’t Try to Rely on Space Heaters Rather Than Repairs!
October 11th, 2021
When the winter arrives in Michigan, central heaters in homes across the state come on to keep people warm. You can’t afford to go without some kind of heating system for your home if you want to make it through the winter. Unfortunately, we can tell you plenty of stories about people who tried to patch together a “cheap” solution to home heating when their furnace or other central heater went out.
The most common “fix” for heat when a central heating system fails is to use space heaters. These can work as a temporary solution … and by temporary we mean “until our HVAC technicians arrive.” When you need heating repair in Brighton, MI, please don’t delay with calling for the service. Trying to get by with space heaters for a stretch can end up disastrous.
Schedule Heating Maintenance Now and Beat the Rush
September 27th, 2021
Fall started officially on the 22nd of September, but most people think of the season starting after Labor Day, or when the calendar leaf flips over to September. Now it’s almost October and the reality of fall (and a certain even colder season that follows it) will strike homeowners. They’ll start making cold weather preparations. One of the most important preparations is arranging for professional HVAC technicians to do a maintenance inspection and tune-up on their heating system.
We can’t overestimate the importance of annual fall heating maintenance. It helps home heating systems work at high energy efficiency with little chance of repairs cropping up. The peace of mind that comes along with heating maintenance is worth the cost alone.
Although you can have heating maintenance done anytime in the fall, or even during early winter, we urge you to have it scheduled as soon as possible. Or just “now.” Why?
The Sinking AC Condenser: How This Can Be Bad News
September 13th, 2021
Go outside your house and look at the condenser cabinet for the central air conditioner. You’ll notice that it’s placed onto a concrete slab, rather than just set on the ground. This is because the condenser is a heavy object and it would start to sink right down into the ground if it wasn’t put on a solid foundation. Laying down a concrete pad is a critical part of putting in the first AC for a new house.
That doesn’t mean the concrete slab won’t start to sink at some point! If you noticed during your trip to look at the condenser (and how often have you really looked at this critical part of your home comfort system?) that the unit appeared a bit uneven, then you may have a sinking condenser.
No, the condenser isn’t going to vanish into the ground. But an uneven condenser because of a sinking slab is still a problem that calls for air conditioning repair in Brighton, MI. Read on to learn more!
August AC Tips So You Have a Cool End of the Summer
August 16th, 2021
August brings two challenges for air conditioning systems:
- It is usually the hottest month.
- ACs have already put in several months of hard labor dealing with the heat.
The combination of these two mean air conditioners face a higher chance of malfunctions and breakdowns in August. It’s definitely one of the busiest times of the year for us! Our technicians tackle many emergency calls for air conditioning repair in Flushing, MI and throughout our service area.
We’re always happy to help with AC repairs whenever you need them, but we also want to provide the service of prevention. If you already schedule preventive HVAC maintenance in spring, you got your AC off to a good start. The tips below can help your AC have a good end to the season, which means you’ll enjoy it more too!
Why Ice Might Form on Your AC’s Coil
August 2nd, 2021
Here’s a common misunderstanding people often have about air conditioning systems: it’s normal for ice to appear on them, because it means the AC is doing an extremely good job of cooling the air.
Nothing about this is true. Air conditioners should never create ice as they operate, the same way that you shouldn’t see ice forming inside a modern freezer (unless you specifically put water in it to turn into ice). When you see ice developing on your AC, it will appear along the indoor coil, the evaporator coil, and that sends a warning that something is wrong with the air conditioner. Not only is a problem present in the AC, but the ice will cause the air conditioner to provide less cool air, not more. In most cases, ice on the coil means you need to call for AC repair in Flushing, MI.
Reasons to Consider a Geothermal System for Your Home
July 19th, 2021
Geothermal heat pumps (a.k.a. a “ground-source” heat pumps) are becoming more common for residential homes. People who once thought that installing geothermal heating and cooling was out of their reach are finding that these installations are more flexible and affordable than ever before. If a home already has a standard AC or heat pump, most of the indoor work for installation is already done—a geothermal heat pump will use the same ductwork the current AC or heat pump uses. Putting in the ground loops isn’t as difficult as it may seem either.
If you’re thinking about changing over to geothermal heating and geothermal cooling in Brighton, MI, you should know about some of the major benefits of this switch. It’s true that a geothermal installation is a larger investment than other HVAC systems, but the system can pay you back in many ways:
Why Is My AC Leaking Water?
July 5th, 2021
As the hot months of summer in Brighton keep getting hotter, your air conditioner is most likely going to be working overtime to keep your home cool and comfortable. If you have had your air conditioner for a long time, you must have faced several issues over the years that require repairs. One fairly common issue that people face with their cooling systems is an inexplicable water leak from their ACs.
If your air conditioner is leaking water, you might be confused about why that’s happening and if you need to do anything about it. We will discuss why your air conditioner might be leaking water inside your house and why you should consider hiring expert Brighton, MI geothermal heating and air conditioner services to address the problem before it gets worse.
The Hot, Stuffy Home—You May Need Air Duct Sealing!
June 21st, 2021
Your summer season inside your home has gotten off to a rough start. Even though you have a central air conditioning system that you’ve relied on before, something isn’t working right. It’s not just that the house isn’t cooling down enough, even though the air conditioner is sending out cooled air. It’s also that the house feels stuffy and humid, and your electric bills are higher than ever before. What’s going on?
There are several possibilities, but all of these problems are signs of a particular problem the house may have: leaking air ducts. When you’ve got leaky ductwork, it will create a host of problems like the ones we’ve already listed. If you’d like to have comfort restored in your house and an HVAC system that does what it’s supposed to do, call us for air duct sealing in Brighton, MI.