First Choice Heating & Cooling Blog: Posts Tagged ‘Furnaces’

4 Ways to Make Your Electric Furnace More Efficient

Monday, December 5th, 2022
Man spraying foam insulation for better home heating efficiency.

Electric furnaces have proven to be an energy efficient alternative to gas and oil furnaces, but they can still run into issues. You enjoy lower energy bills and more efficient heating, but there’s a huge possibility that you can make your electric furnace even more efficient.

Electric furnace efficiency can be achieved through internal and external means. Let’s talk about what you can do to improve energy efficiency before your next maintenance call.

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Boilers Need the Same Level of Maintenance as Furnaces

Monday, November 7th, 2022
Boiler with parts pulled out to work on.

We all know that furnaces require annual maintenance, but many homeowners can often overlook the fact that their boiler needs the same level of care. Boiler maintenance helps prevent long-term problems from popping up and prolonging extensive, expensive repairs. Here’s how similar your maintenance schedule should be for your boiler and furnace.

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Is That Furnace Repair Worth the Cost?

Monday, February 28th, 2022

ancient-furnace

rustic old furnace

If an expensive appliance in your home breaks, your first thought won’t be to simply toss it out but to have it professionally repaired. Life would get extremely expensive if you kept replacing dishwashers, refrigerators, furnaces, and air conditioners the moment they showed signs of trouble.

On the other hand, all appliances have life cycles and will not last forever. As an appliance ages, it will accrue more repairs and begin to work less effectively and efficiently. At a certain point, you’ll have to make the choice about investing in another repair or getting a new appliance.

We’re experts when it comes to furnace repair in Burton, MI, so we can help you understand when it’s worthwhile to repair an old furnace and when it’s time to move on with a new one.

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How to Manage If Your Furnace Fails This Winter

Monday, December 20th, 2021

cold-sweater-manThe average low temperature during our winters is 15°F. Some other parts of the Midwest get even colder, but 15°F is still extremely cold and nothing you want to face in your house unless you have a powerful and reliable furnace to warm you.

The good news is that if you have the right furnace and you’ve already scheduled its pre-season maintenance from HVAC professionals, the heater likely will make it through the season without an emergency breakdown. But there’s always a chance you might have a failed furnace at some point in the season, probably on one of the coldest days because that’s when the furnace has to put in the most work. 

In the event your furnace fails, run through a series of troubleshooting steps, such as this one we posted two years ago. If those don’t work, shut off the furnace completely at the furnace switch (this will help keep you safe) and call our experts for furnace repair in Brighton, MI. We’ll be there as soon as we can, but you’ll need to find ways to manage the cold temperatures until then. We have some tips about that:

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Is Your Furnace Older Than 15 Years? We Have Some Vital Advice!

Monday, October 25th, 2021

furnace-with-pipesA 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…

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Why Your Furnace Isn’t Heating the House Evenly

Monday, December 7th, 2020

cold-man-and-woman-in-parkasWhat do you expect from your home’s furnace when you start it up for the season? Heat, obviously! But just plain heat isn’t enough, otherwise you could do well for a house with just a cheap space heater. No, you have a furnace because you want heat distributed throughout your house so all the rooms enjoy warmth. That’s the whole point of having a central heating system.

So if you’ve started your furnace for the season and noticed that not all the rooms are getting warm the way you expect, you may have a problem. It’s possible there’s a simple explanation. Or you may need to call our technicians for furnace repair in Howell, MI to see that you’re getting the heating performance you deserve from the furnace.

We know a little something about furnaces, so we can share some of the reasons that your furnace isn’t providing even heating:

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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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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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Your Furnace Is Older Than 15: A Few Things to Know

Monday, September 30th, 2019

ancient-furnace

rustic old furnace

Keeping track of your furnace’s age is a good idea. This is because knowing how many years you’ve had your system provides guidance on if and when you need to consider repair or replacement.

If you are the owner of a furnace in Brighton, MI and you have had your forced-air heating system for over 15 years, it may be time to call a professional. The experienced technicians at First Choice Heating & Cooling will be able to help you make informed decisions regarding your unit.

There are some things you need to know about your heater when it reaches this age. If you are interested in the indicators that may show your furnace need replacing, read on.

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