Serving the Ann Arbor Community
Ann Arbor sits in Washtenaw County, roughly 40 miles north of the towns we have served for decades. It is a city defined by older neighborhoods with mature trees, historic homes near the University of Michigan campus, and newer subdivisions spreading toward the outer edges. These varied housing stocks each present their own plumbing, heating, and cooling challenges, and that is exactly the type of work Thompson Plumbing, Heating & A/C Inc. has handled since Dale Thompson Sr. purchased the business in 1964 from Dave Roach.
The homes in Ann Arbor range from brick colonials built in the 1920s to contemporary construction with high-efficiency mechanical systems. A house near Burns Park may still use cast iron drain lines and a boiler that predates modern controls, while a home in the northeast subdivisions may have a two-stage furnace and a variable-speed air handler. We adjust our approach to match the equipment in front of us, and our factory-trained employees carry the knowledge to work across both old and new technology.
Cooling Systems Built for Michigan Summers
Ann Arbor summers bring stretches of high heat and heavy humidity, and a reliable air conditioning system is not a luxury during those weeks. When we install a central air conditioner, we start with a load calculation rather than a rule of thumb. This calculation accounts for the square footage of the home, the number and orientation of windows, insulation values, and the number of occupants. Sizing the equipment correctly prevents short cycling, which wears out components and leaves rooms unevenly cooled.
As Monroe County’s only Bryant Factory Authorized Dealer, we install and service Bryant cooling equipment with confidence in both the products and the parts supply behind them. A properly matched condenser and evaporator coil operates at the efficiency rating printed on the label, but a mismatched pairing does not. Our AC service and AC repair work covers refrigerant charge verification, capacitor testing, condensate drain clearing, and coil cleaning. When a compressor fails or a system reaches the end of its service life, we explain the condition plainly so you can decide between repair and replacement.
Heating Service for the Long Cold Season
Heating matters more than cooling in this part of Michigan, simply because the cold season lasts longer. Furnaces and boilers run for months, and small problems compound over that time. A cracked heat exchanger, a failing inducer motor, or a clogged flame sensor can shut a system down on the coldest night of the year. Our heating service includes combustion analysis, safety checks, and component testing to catch these issues before they leave you without heat.
Many Ann Arbor homes use forced-air natural gas furnaces, while older properties may still rely on hot water boilers with radiators or baseboard. We service both. A modern high-efficiency furnace can reach 96 percent or higher on the AFUE scale, meaning nearly all of the fuel converts to usable heat. Replacing an old 80 percent unit with a high-efficiency model reduces fuel consumption meaningfully across a long heating season. We walk through those numbers with homeowners so the decision rests on facts rather than sales pressure.
Plumbing Work Across Older and Newer Homes
Plumbing problems do not schedule themselves conveniently. A supply line can burst, a water heater can fail, or a drain can back up without warning. In older Ann Arbor homes, galvanized supply pipes corrode from the inside, restricting flow and eventually leaking. We replace these lines with copper or PEX depending on the layout and the homeowner’s preference. In newer homes, we handle fixture installation, water heater replacement, and repairs to systems that were sometimes assembled quickly during construction.
Water heaters deserve particular attention. A standard tank water heater lasts roughly 8 to 12 years, and the failure often shows up as a leak from the tank bottom. Tankless units last longer and heat water on demand, though they require adequate gas supply and proper venting. We size and install both types, and we explain the tradeoffs so the choice fits your household’s hot water demand.
What Sets Our Approach Apart
Three generations of the Thompson family are involved in the business today, and that continuity shapes how we treat every job. The company grew from a small operation that once ran out of what is now My Papa’s Restaurant before moving to its present location in the late 1960s. That history means we answer to our own name in the community, and we take that seriously.
Here are the standards we hold to on every Ann Arbor service call:
- Factory-trained technicians: Every employee completes training on the equipment we install and repair, so the person at your home understands the system fully.
- Correct sizing and installation: We calculate loads and match components rather than guessing, which protects efficiency and equipment life.
- Honest recommendations: When a repair makes more sense than a replacement, we say so, and the reverse holds true as well.
- Bryant Factory Authorized parts and support: Our dealer status backs the equipment we install with reliable parts and manufacturer support.
- Family accountability: A family-owned and operated business stays answerable to its customers over the long term.
Coverage Beyond Ann Arbor
While Ann Arbor draws much of our attention, our service area reaches across the region including Petersburg, Dundee, Ida, Britton, Ottawa Lake, Lambertville, Maybee, Milan, Temperance, Tecumseh, Monroe, and Erie, MI. The same crews and the same standards apply whether the job sits in the city or in one of the surrounding communities. Our comprehensive plumbing, heating, and air conditioning solutions cover installation, repair, and routine maintenance, and we handle both residential and light commercial work.
If you own property in Ann Arbor and need HVAC installation, AC service, AC repair, heating service, or any plumbing work, Thompson Plumbing, Heating & A/C Inc. brings decades of local experience to the job. We encourage homeowners to schedule seasonal maintenance ahead of the extreme temperatures, because catching a worn part in the fall or the spring costs far less than an emergency repair in January or July. Reach out to arrange service, and we will match the right solution to your home.