HVAC & Generator Blog | First Choice Heating & Cooling

Boilers vs. Furnaces: The Great Debate

November 13th, 2017

The fall is the most popular period for replacing old heating systems or arranging for a new heating installation. People are usually thinking hard about the coming winter, and the weather is still warm enough that they can go without heat for the short period necessary to have the new heating system installation done.

There are many types of residential heaters, but there tend to be two major ones that people find themselves deciding between: the furnace and the boiler. These are the most common types of residential (and commercial) heating systems. They work in different fashions, and both have their own advantages. Let’s take a look at these advantages to help you get a better sense of the continual debate: “Install a furnace or a boiler?”

Heating Maintenance Is Essential in Fall!

October 30th, 2017

The official start of winter is less than two months away. But the cold weather doesn’t obey the calendar, so we can expect chilly temperatures to arrive even earlier. If you haven’t arranged to have your fall heating maintenance done yet with our professionals, check this off your “to-do” list right away!

You might think that maybe this is just an optional service. You can get it done maybe every other year, and it isn’t that important to have it done. But this is far from the truth. Heating maintenance is an essential fall step for your house. We’ll explain why.

How Air Purifiers Work to Clean Your Home’s Air

October 16th, 2017

UV-air-purifier-light Indoor air quality: people are often surprised to discover how serious a problem this is. The air inside buildings can be three to four times more polluted than the air outside, which is exactly the opposite of what many people assume is true.

If you have problems with pollutants in your home’s air, and standard indoor air quality air filters aren’t adequately solving the problem, you may need a Fenton, MI air purifier installed. That’s where we come in. We’ll find the right purifier to do the job, and match it with the right set of filters. (Purifiers almost always work in conjunction with filters, with the filters handling the larger particles and the purifiers targeting the ones that slip through the filters.)

How to Shut Down an Air Conditioner for the Season

October 2nd, 2017

You may still need to have your air conditioning system running for a stretch longer, since the fall can sometimes pull out surprise heat waves. But eventually, you’ll look at the upcoming weather forecast, see the low temperatures, and know that the cold weather is here to stay… at least until spring.

It’s important to have your heating system tuned-up and inspected before the cold weather, and you can arrange for this with our experts in HVAC in Brighton, MI. We offer maintenance for a range of heating systems, including furnaces and boilers.

But there’s something else you need to do once the air conditioner turns off for the season. No, the AC doesn’t need maintenance, not yet. (That will come in the spring.) But if you simply turn off the AC and leave it, it can suffer damage over the winter that may jeopardize its operation when you need it again. Here are steps to take to “winterize” your air conditioner. And remember, if you know your AC has a repair need, don’t let the repair go just because it’s the end of the cooling season.

What Is Air Sealing and How Does It Benefit Me?

September 18th, 2017

How efficient is your house? You might wonder what we mean by that. Are we talking about the electricity, the furnace, the insulation, the air conditioning system … what?

The answer is, Yes! We’re talking about all of that and more. Home energy efficiency is about thinking of the house as a whole system, one that conserves as much energy as possible. A key part of keeping a home energy efficient around the year is to maintain the heat envelope surrounding it. This means that during winter heat doesn’t escape, forcing the furnace or other heating system to work harder to replace it, and during summer heat doesn’t enter, putting extra pressure on the air conditioner.

You may not know if your house has a good envelope or not. But if you have trouble with winter drafts and stifling summer heat, it may be a good idea to contact us for air sealing in Fenton, MI to see that your house has a proper seal against temperature extremes. We especially recommend this for older homes, which were often constructed with inferior insulation and which may have developed air leaks over the years.

Common Air Conditioner Repairs at Summer’s End

September 4th, 2017

The last days of summer are a great time to pack in a few more fun activities you didn’t get to during the rest of the season. And one of those fun activities is arranging for repairs on your air conditioning system!

Uhm, wait, I’ve been handed a correction… Okay, this actually isn’t a fun activity, but it’s one that’s often necessary. If you have put off any repairs for your AC earlier in the summer, don’t wait to schedule them. Just because there are cooler days ahead doesn’t mean you might be able to scrape past with an AC that isn’t at 100%. It can mean bigger repairs down the road, elevated utility bills, a sudden system breakdown on a hot day, and even an air conditioner that has to be replaced years too early.

Time to Replace Your HVAC System? Here’s What to Look For

August 21st, 2017

The best time of the year to make a major change to the HVAC systems responsible for your year-round comfort in your house is during the spring and the fall—i.e. the times of the year when you need to rely on the AC or heater the least.

It’s already the second half of August, and even though the weather is still hot, the fall cooling is not far off. If this is the year to have your HVAC system updated with a new system installation in Fenton, MI, right now is a good time to start thinking about it. The earlier you plan for the job, the easier it will be to schedule it—and you’ll have your new system ready to go in time for any changes in the weather.

Why Is There Ice on the AC Coil? Is Something Wrong?

August 7th, 2017

We’ll cut to the quick: Yes, something is wrong with your central air conditioning system if you notice ice forming on its coil. If this was your first instinct, then you’re thinking along the right lines. People often dismiss the appearance of ice on an air conditioner as a sign that the system is perhaps working a bit too well. The air coming out of the AC is cool, so why wouldn’t ice be part of the process?

But as you may already know, an air conditioner doesn’t use ice to cool down the air it sends into a home. What it actually does is remove heat from inside the house and release it outside, a process called heat exchange. If the air conditioner is working correctly, no ice should develop during this absorption and release of heat.

Disabled Hartland couple gets new furnace when they call Channel 7 desperate for help

August 3rd, 2017

HARTLAND, Mich. (WXYZ-TV) – A Hartland couple called 7 Action News when they couldn’t get help from anyone else. We answered their call, and got them a brand new furnace.

Debby and Dan Taylor rely on their wheelchairs to get around. Both are diabetics and have each had a leg amputated. The cold weather has been hard on them, especially Dan, who recently suffered a stroke.

One week into Dan’s recovery, they found their home particularly cold. Their furnace had stopped working.

“We called all over,” Debby told Action News. “We called everybody, and nobody would help.”

The couple used their gas stove and space heaters to heat their home temporarily. A new furnace would’ve cost the family thousands of dollars they didn’t have.

Debby had her doubts, but she followed her husband’s advice and called 7 Action News. “I’ve seen many a times when the stations help people out,” said Dan. “I thought, ‘Well, why can’t they help us out?”

We reached out to the Southeast Michigan chapter of the Air Conditioning Contractors of America. Before long, we found the Taylors a furnace.

First Choice Heating & Cooling, a Fenton-based company, volunteered to install a furnace that was donated by a distributor to the Taylor family.

“I felt helpless until Channel 7 stepped in and helped us,” Debby said as she watched the new furnace get installed.

Are Leaky Air Ducts Stealing Money from You This Summer?

July 24th, 2017

You’ve had your air conditioner running steadily for a few months at this point, so you’ve already had a chance to see what your summer utility bills look like. Have they been noticeably higher this month? As we’ve pointed out before, this often indicates a repair need in the air conditioning system. We strongly recommend calling us for repairs as soon as possible: we’ll find out what’s wrong and fix it so that not only will your bills drop, but you’ll be in less danger of the air conditioner failing on you during a hot late summer day.

However, we may discover something outside of the AC unit itself is the source of those high bills. Another part of the HVAC system that frequently “steals” money from you without you realizing it is the ductwork.