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

Touring Your HVAC System: The Most Important Parts

Monday, October 28th, 2019

We 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.

Tags: Brighton, Heating System Repair
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Your Furnace Is Older Than 15: A Few Things to Know

Monday, September 30th, 2019

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.

Tags: Brighton, Furnaces, Gas Furnaces, Heating System Repair, Heating System Replacement
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My AC’s Compressor Died! Do I Need to Replace the Whole AC?

Monday, September 2nd, 2019

Shocked woman covering her mouth, possibly reacting to an unexpected cooling replacement issue.

Okay, we know this is an urgent, even alarming problem. When an air conditioning system’s compressor burns out, its AC can’t provide any cooled air. The compressor is what allows the AC to circulate refrigerant and move heat from inside the house to cool down. (A few months ago we wrote a blog post detailing exactly what a compressor does.) Without a working compressor, the air conditioner will only circulate room temperature air around the ventilation system.

What are your options when an AC compressor dies?

Replace just the compressor: If it’s still under warranty, only replacing the compressor is a practical and cost-effective solution, especially if the rest of the system is in good shape.
Replace the outdoor condenser unit: This includes the compressor, condenser coil, and fan, suitable if you’re on a tight budget and the indoor components remain sound.
Replace both the condenser and indoor evaporator coil (full AC replacement): Ensures matched components, improved efficiency, and includes a fresh system warranty, usually the best choice if the compressor is no longer under warranty.
Replace the entire HVAC system: If your heating system is also aging, replacing everything, the AC, air handler, and heater, at once can save time and money, especially if you’re transitioning to a heat pump.

You may have heard that replacing a dead compressor is so expensive that you’re better off having a complete air conditioning replacement. This is true sometimes, but not always. Below we’ll look at the different replacement options and help you think about the right choice for your situation.

Tags: Air Conditioner Repair, Air Conditioning Replacement, Brighton
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The AC Compressor: Why You Don’t Want It to Fail!

Monday, July 22nd, 2019

A short quiz. What is the most important component in your air conditioning system?

The blower fan
The condenser coils
The evaporator coils
The compressor
The thermostat
All of the above

If you answered “6,” you’re right! There isn’t such a thing as “the most important component” out of options 1-6, because if any of these fail, you won’t have cooling from your AC. No fan means no air sent into the ventilation system. Losing either set of coils means the AC can’t carry out heat exchange. No thermostat means cooling can’t be turned on. And no compressor means the entire air conditioning system is dead and probably needs to be replaced.

Tags: Air Conditioner Repair, Air Conditioning Replacement, Brighton
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Ways We Can Improve Your Cooling This Summer

Monday, July 8th, 2019

When it comes to cooling your home during the summer season, “good enough” just isn’t good enough. Not if you ask a member of our team, anyway. We are the local HVAC company in Brighton, MI, that you can count on to help you enjoy the level of comfort that you deserve, regardless of how hot it may be outside. Sometimes, that means upgrades to your system. In other instances, it may just mean a bit of rejuvenation.

Whatever the case, you need to know for certain that your AC is optimized and ready for action. You’ll have no doubt about it when you choose to work with us. From central ACs to heat pumps and ductless mini splits, we’ve got the experience and expertise necessary to help any air conditioning system excel. So read on, reach out with any concerns that you may have, and give us the pleasure of helping you to live in the most comfortable environment possible.

Tags: AC, AC Maintenance, air conditioner, air conditioning maintenance, Brighton
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Warning Signs Your Commercial AC Is in Trouble

Monday, June 24th, 2019

The early summer, before the heavy heat of July and August start up, is a good time to pay close attention to the air conditioning system for your commercial space. It’s just started doing it’s regular work, and making sure that it isn’t developing malfunctions is helpful to head off serious system breakdowns during the summer—the kind of breakdowns that lead to work stoppage and other costly interruptions.

The best step you can take to get ahead of potential repairs is to schedule routine maintenance for your commercial air conditioning in Brighton, MI. This should always be done during spring, before the system goes to work for the year. If you’ve already had maintenance for your AC, it should be in good shape. But just in case, watch for these warning signs you need to call our repair technicians for help:

Tags: Brighton, Commercial HVAC, Commercial HVAC Maintenance, Commercial HVAC Repair
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AC Tune-Up Benefits That May Surprise You

Monday, June 10th, 2019

A pre-summer air conditioning tune-up in Brighton, MI is one of the best things a local homeowner can do for their comfort during the middle of the year. We’ve written before about the numerous benefits of scheduling regular AC tune-ups. And they are numerous: lower operating costs, fewer repair needs, sudden breakdown prevention, an extended service life, and all-around peace of mind.

But there’s even more to talk about. Below we’ve listed a few benefits of having routine air conditioning tune-ups from professionals that you may not have known about.

Tags: air conditioning maintenance, Brighton
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What’s This “Tonnage” Mean for a New Furnace?

Monday, February 4th, 2019

When the time arrives for a new installation of a furnace in Brighton, MI for your house, you’ll have to navigate plenty of numbers and stats aside from the price of the unit. For example, there’s the AFUE rating, which is how the energy efficiency of a furnace is rated. The higher the percentage, the more efficiently it uses fuel.

One number you’ll hear often is the tonnage of the new system. It’s vital that your furnace has the proper tonnage for your home. What does this actually mean, and how do you find the right tonnage?

Tags: Brighton, Furnaces, Heating System Installation, Heating System Replacement
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Are There Risks If I Miss Furnace Maintenance This Fall?

Monday, October 1st, 2018

You don’t need us to tell you how important a working furnace is in this part of the country. We deal with harsh winters, and they can sometimes stretch into April. A home’s furnace is essential for getting a family through even a single day of winter.

But even though you know the importance of your furnace, have you considered skipping out on its regular maintenance for this year? (Or possibly you forgot it needs maintenance at all?)

Please don’t do this! Arranging for a professional inspection and tune-up for your gas furnace is easy to do: you only have to call us and schedule a convenient appointment. And there are many risks you’ll avoid this way! Below we’ve listed the problems you’ll dodge thanks to fall furnace maintenance:

Tags: Brighton, Furnaces, Heating System Maintenance
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How Wear and Tear Can Affect Your AC

Monday, August 6th, 2018

It’s August, and some of the harshest hot days are going to strike during this month and the next. Air conditioning systems have already put in a great deal of work, and with more on the way, homeowners may start to ask the question: “Is my air conditioner going to wear down so much that it breaks?” Nobody wants the answer to be “yes.”

Fortunately, in most cases a broken AC can be repaired. It just takes the right licensed professionals to do it. There are situations, such as an air conditioning system that’s more than 15 years old, where it’s more cost-effective to replace the system because the massive amounts of use have finally caught up with it.

But how does wear and tear affect an air conditioner? If you’re wondering what exactly in your home’s AC is running down through a hot summer, this is the post for you.

Tags: air conditioning maintenance, air conditioning repair, Air Conditioning Replacement, Brighton
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