AC Not Cooling? What to Check First Before You Call
Warm air from the vents on a humid Michigan afternoon? Check the thermostat, filter, breakers, outdoor unit and condensate drain before you call for repair.
The Southeast Michigan HVAC library
61 guides written for the houses, utilities and weather around Ypsilanti and Ann Arbor. Troubleshoot before you call, understand a quote before you sign it, and know what a Michigan winter actually does to equipment.
Troubleshooting
What to check before you call, what the symptoms mean, and when to stop and get a technician out.
Why Your AC Coil Freezes Up (and How to Stop It Happening Again)
Ice on the copper line or frost in the furnace cabinet? The six reasons an AC coil freezes in Michigan, how to thaw it safely, and which causes mean a leak.
AC Capacitor Failure: Signs, Causes and What It Costs to Fix
Humming outdoor unit, fan that won't spin, AC that trips the breaker on hot afternoons: how to spot a failed AC capacitor, why they die in Michigan summers, and what the repair runs.
Furnace Not Turning On? A Step-by-Step Troubleshooting Guide
Furnace dead on a January night in Michigan? Check the thermostat, service switch, door panel, 3-amp fuse and condensate trap in order before you call, safely.
Furnace Blowing Cold Air: 7 Causes and What to Do About Each
Blower running but the air is cold? From a fan set to On to a dirty flame sensor, failed ignitor or overheating furnace, how to tell which problem you have.
Furnace Short Cycling: Why It Turns On and Off Every Few Minutes
A furnace that runs two minutes and shuts off is short cycling. How to tell a limit trip from a flame-sensor dropout, a thermostat issue or oversizing.
Furnace Error Codes: What the Blinking Light Is Trying to Tell You
The LED on your furnace board is a fault code. How to read it, what common codes mean on Carrier, Lennox, Goodman, Trane and Rheem, and which are urgent.
Pilot Light vs. Hot-Surface Ignitor: How Your Furnace Lights and Why It Matters
Standing pilot, intermittent pilot or hot-surface ignitor? How each furnace ignition works, how it fails, what you can safely do, and what it says about age.
AC Breaker Keeps Tripping: What Each Pattern Means
AC breaker tripping instantly, after a few minutes, or only on hot afternoons? Each timing points to a different fault, from a shorted compressor to a bad part.
Water Around the Furnace: Condensate Drain Problems Explained
A puddle at the base of the furnace in summer or winter almost always traces to the condensate drain. Where the water comes from, how to clear it, and leaks.
Thermostat Not Working? How to Tell If It's the Thermostat or the Furnace
Blank screen, no response, or a system that runs when it should not? Check batteries, the C wire, the furnace fuse and float switch, then jumper R to W.
No Hot Water? What to Check on a Gas or Electric Water Heater
Cold shower on a Michigan morning? Check the pilot, thermocouple, gas valve, high-limit reset and elements on gas and electric tanks, and signs a tank is done.
Buying guides
Repair-or-replace math, sizing, efficiency ratings, equipment tiers and the honest trade-offs for Michigan homes.
Repair or Replace Your Air Conditioner? An Honest Framework for Michigan Homes
When an AC repair is worth it and when it is money into a dying system: age, refrigerant, the failed part, efficiency and honest math for Southeast Michigan.
Repair or Replace Your Furnace? How We Make the Call
A cracked heat exchanger is a replacement; a flame sensor is not. How age, AFUE, the failed part, gas bills and safety decide if a furnace is fixed or swapped.
Furnace Efficiency Explained: 80% vs. 96% AFUE in a Michigan Winter
What AFUE measures, what the extra 16 points cost and save on a DTE gas bill, the venting and condensate differences, and when 80% is still the right call.
What Size Air Conditioner Do I Need? Tonnage for Southeast Michigan Homes
Tons, BTUs and square feet: how AC sizing works, why Michigan humidity punishes oversized systems, what a Manual J includes, and realistic sizes locally.
What Size Furnace Do I Need in Michigan? BTUs, Square Feet and the Manual J
Input vs output BTU, the 30 to 40 BTU per square foot rule for Southeast Michigan, why the old furnace size is usually wrong, and how a Manual J gets it right.
Heat Pump vs. Furnace in Michigan: What Actually Makes Sense Here
Can a heat pump heat a house through a Michigan winter? How dual fuel works, where the balance point lands on DTE rates, and who should switch.
Cold-Climate Heat Pumps in Southeast Michigan: What the Ratings Mean at 5°F
What makes a heat pump cold-climate rated, how to read capacity at 5°F and 17°F, defrost, sizing for a Washtenaw County design day, and where one truly works.
Single-Stage vs. Two-Stage vs. Variable-Speed: Which Is Worth Paying For?
What staging means on a furnace, an AC and a blower, how each changes comfort and humidity in a Michigan house, what breaks, and when the premium is worth it.
Best Furnace Brands: An Honest Take From People Who Repair All of Them
We repair every furnace brand and sell none. What differs between Carrier, Bryant, Lennox, Goodman, Trane, Rheem and York, and why the installer matters more.
Tank vs. Tankless Water Heater in Michigan: The Cold-Groundwater Reality
Tankless sounds efficient until 40-degree Michigan groundwater halves its flow. Gas line sizing, venting, hard water, costs, and who should go tank or tankless.
Maintenance
Season-by-season checklists, filter guidance, and the small habits that keep equipment running for 20 years.
Furnace Tune-Up Checklist: What a Real Inspection Covers
What a proper gas furnace tune-up covers in Southeast Michigan: CO test, heat exchanger, flame sensor, inducer, gas pressure, temperature rise, drain.
AC Tune-Up Checklist: Every Step of a Proper Spring Service
What a real central air tune-up includes: coil cleaning, capacitor test, charge by superheat or subcooling, 16-22°F temperature split, drain, amp draws.
How Often Should You Change Your Furnace Filter in Michigan?
Real change intervals for Michigan homes: 1-inch filters every 60-90 days, 4-5 inch media every 6-12 months, and what cuts those numbers in half.
Furnace Filter Sizes and MERV Ratings: Picking the Right One
How to read nominal vs actual filter sizes, what MERV 8, 11 and 13 capture, why MERV 13 in a 1-inch slot hurts airflow, and when a media cabinet pays.
How to Prepare Your Furnace for a Michigan Winter
A fall checklist for Southeast Michigan: test-fire the furnace in October, clear vents, check CO alarms, set the humidifier, and get ready for the cold.
How to Get Your Central Air Ready for a Michigan Summer
A spring checklist for Michigan homeowners: clear the condenser, change the filter, test the condensate drain, run the system above 65°F, beat cottonwood.
Water Heater Maintenance: Flushing the Tank and Replacing the Anode Rod
How to flush sediment from a gas water heater, why the anode rod decides tank life, what Michigan's hard water does to both, and when to call instead.
Whole-Home Humidifier Maintenance and Pad Replacement
Yearly care for bypass and fan-powered furnace humidifiers: replacing the water panel, cleaning the solenoid and orifice, setting the damper and humidistat.
Costs & pricing
Typical market pricing in Washtenaw and western Wayne County, what drives the number, and how flat-rate pricing works.
AC Repair Cost in Ypsilanti and Washtenaw County: What Jobs Actually Run
What common AC repairs cost in the Ypsilanti and Ann Arbor market: capacitors, contactors, fan motors, refrigerant leaks, coils, compressors, and why.
Furnace Repair Cost in Ypsilanti: What Common Fixes Run in 2026
Market pricing for gas furnace repairs around Ypsilanti: flame sensors, ignitors, pressure switches, inducers, blowers, boards and heat exchangers.
New Furnace Cost in Michigan: Installed Prices for 80% and 96% Units
What a new gas furnace costs installed in Southeast Michigan: 80% AFUE roughly $4,000-7,000, 96% roughly $5,500-10,000, and what sets the number.
New Central Air Conditioner Cost in Michigan: What Installed Systems Run
What a new 2 to 3 ton central air conditioner costs installed in Southeast Michigan, roughly $5,000-9,500, and what SEER2, coil, line set and permits add.
Water Heater Replacement Cost in Michigan: Atmospheric, Power-Vent and Tankless
Installed water heater pricing in Southeast Michigan: atmospheric gas roughly $1,600-2,800, power-vent $2,500-4,000, tankless $4,000-7,000, and why.
Heat Pump Installation Cost in Michigan: Cold-Climate and Dual-Fuel Systems
What a ducted cold-climate heat pump costs installed in Southeast Michigan, roughly $9,000-18,000 before incentives, plus dual-fuel and electrical factors.
The HVAC Service Call Fee Explained: What It Covers and What It Should Not
What an HVAC dispatch or diagnostic fee covers, what the Southeast Michigan market charges (typically $79-150), and the questions to ask before you book.
Flat-Rate vs Hourly HVAC Pricing: Which One Protects the Homeowner?
How flat-rate and hourly HVAC billing differ, where each goes wrong, what a fair flat-rate quote includes, and why the price approved should be the price paid.
Efficiency & rebates
DTE and Consumers Energy rebates, federal tax credits, and practical ways to cut heating and cooling bills.
Michigan HVAC Rebates and Tax Credits: Federal, Utility and State Programs
How the federal 25C credit, DTE and Consumers Energy rebates, and Michigan's HOMES and HEAR rebates fit together for furnaces, AC, heat pumps and water heaters.
DTE Energy Rebates for Furnaces, AC, Heat Pumps and Thermostats
How DTE Energy's residential rebates work for high-efficiency furnaces, central AC, heat pumps, smart thermostats and tune-ups, and how to apply.
Consumers Energy HVAC Rebates for Chelsea, Dexter and Western Washtenaw
How Consumers Energy's residential rebates work for homeowners in Chelsea, Dexter and Manchester: furnaces, heat pumps, thermostats, and how to apply.
How to Lower Your Heating Bill in a Michigan Winter
Practical ways to cut a DTE gas bill in Southeast Michigan, ranked by payoff: setbacks, duct sealing, attic insulation, humidity, furnace efficiency.
Lower Your Cooling Bill and Beat the Humidity in a Michigan Summer
Why Southeast Michigan AC bills are about dew point as much as heat, and how fan settings, coil condition, sizing, shading and DTE rates change the bill.
Michigan homeowner
Refrigerant changes, permits, carbon monoxide, Michigan basements, and how long equipment really lasts here.
The R-22 Refrigerant Phase-Out: What Michigan Homeowners With Older AC Systems Need to Know
R-22 hasn't been made or imported since 2020. What that means for a pre-2010 AC in Ypsilanti or Ann Arbor: repair costs, recharges, and when to replace.
R-454B and the 2025 Refrigerant Change: What It Means for a New AC in Michigan
New ACs built after Jan 1, 2025 use A2L refrigerants like R-454B instead of R-410A. What changed, why, and what it means for a replacement in Michigan.
Getting an HVAC Inspection Before Buying a Home in Washtenaw County
A home inspector runs the furnace for five minutes. A dedicated HVAC inspection opens it up. What we check and how buyers in Washtenaw County use it.
Carbon Monoxide and Your Furnace: A Michigan Homeowner's Safety Guide
How gas furnaces produce carbon monoxide, why cracked heat exchangers on 15-plus-year-old units are the main risk, where to put CO alarms, what to do.
HVAC Permits in Ypsilanti and Washtenaw County: When You Need One and Who Issues It
Furnace, AC and water heater replacements need a mechanical permit in Michigan. Which office issues yours, who pulls it, and what the inspector checks.
Michigan Basements and HVAC: Moisture, Rust, Sump Pits and What They Do to Your Furnace
Damp Southeast Michigan basements rust furnaces, corrode water heaters and feed dust and mold into ducts. Why they get wet and how to protect the equipment.
Ductwork Leaks in Older Michigan Homes: Where They Hide and What They Cost You
Panned joist returns, unsealed trunk seams, fallen flex runs: the duct leaks we find in pre-1980 homes near Ypsilanti, what they cost you, and the fix.
How Long Do Furnaces Last in Michigan? Real Lifespans by Type and What Shortens Them
Gas furnaces in Southeast Michigan last 15 to 25 years. What separates a 15-year furnace from a 25-year one, how 80% and 90% units age, and the end signs.
How Long Do Air Conditioners Last in Michigan? Lifespan, Failure Points and the Replacement Decision
Central AC in Southeast Michigan lasts 15 to 20 years thanks to a short cooling season. What kills units early, what compressor failure means, when to replace.
Water heaters
Leaks, pilot lights, lifespan, temperature settings and when a tank is done.
Water Heater Leaking? What to Do Right Now and What the Leak Location Tells You
Water under your water heater: shut off the supply and the gas or power, then find the source. Which leaks are repairable and which mean a new tank.
Water Heater Pilot Light Won't Stay Lit: Thermocouples, Vapor Sensors and What's Safe to Try
Pilot lights, then dies when you let go? Usually a thermocouple, dirty pilot, tripped vapor sensor or draft problem. What each means and what's safe to try.
How Long Does a Water Heater Last in Michigan, and the Signs It's Time to Replace It
Tank water heaters in Washtenaw County last 8 to 14 years, less on hard well water. How the anode rod sets the clock and the warning signs before a leak.
What Temperature Should a Water Heater Be Set To? Scalding, Legionella and the 120-Degree Answer
120°F is the standard water heater setting, balancing scald risk against Legionella and energy use. How to check your tap temperature and when 140°F fits.
Indoor air & comfort
Winter humidity, static, dust, and the upstairs-hot-downstairs-cold problem in two-story Michigan homes.
Whole-Home Humidifiers in a Michigan Winter: What They Fix, What They Cost to Run, and Which Type to Get
A furnace-mounted humidifier takes a Michigan house from 15% humidity in January to a comfortable 35%. Bypass vs fan-powered vs steam, and what each fixes.
Ideal Indoor Humidity in Michigan: Winter and Summer Targets and How to Hit Them
Aim for 30-45% indoor humidity in a Michigan winter, lower below 10°F outside, and under 55% in summer. Why the target moves and how to measure it.
Static Shocks Every Time You Touch Something? Your House Is Too Dry, and Here's the Fix
Zapped on doorknobs, light switches and the dog all winter? Indoor humidity is under 30%. Why Michigan houses drop that low and the permanent fix.
Why Is My House So Dusty? Ductwork, Filters and the Real Sources of Indoor Dust
Dusting every two days and it comes right back? Leaky return ducts pulling from the basement, a bypassing filter and crawlspace air are the usual causes.
Upstairs Hot, Downstairs Cold: Fixing Uneven Temperatures in a Michigan Two-Story
Second floor hot in summer, bedrooms cold in winter? Why colonials in Canton and Saline do this, and the fixes in order of cost, from balancing to zoning.
Still stuck after reading?
Call or text and describe what the system is doing. If it is something you can safely fix yourself, we will tell you. If it is not, we will come out.