Furnace Replacement in Lemay, MO. As the winter weather starts, you might be thinking about replacing your furnace. Maybe it’s working, but your energy bills are skyrocketing; maybe you want to reduce your impact on the environment; or maybe your home just isn’t as warm in the cold as you’d like it to be.
No matter the reason, replacing your furnace is a big decision, and understanding the basics will help you with it. There’s a lot to consider, and we’ll overview the most important elements here, such as:
Whether your Lemay, MO home needs a furnace replacement or repair to keep you warm, SmartHouse Heating and Cooling is here to help. We always put our customers first at every job, and we always suggest what we believe will work best for your home. We’re available to contact 24/7 – if you have a question, get in touch today by calling 314-644-1570, texting us at 314-310-2242, or reaching out online.
There are several signs that you need to replace your home furnace, and you probably won’t be surprised by many. The truth is, if there is any question in your mind, you need to call a local Lemay, MO HVAC contractor to examine the furnace and make recommendations on what you should do next.
The first thing to consider is performance. If your furnace is not comfortably keeping your home warm, even when it is working, a replacement may be necessary.
Another common criterion is the age – will have a lifespan of 15-20 years, and while some can outlast that, they often require frequent repairs. Plus, older systems are often out of warranty, leaving you to shoulder the cost when something fails.
If you’re already having work done on your HVAC system, like an air conditioning replacement, replacing your old furnace at the same time provides you with a new, paired, and more efficient system that is covered by a total warranty.
To recap, you should consider replacing your furnace if:
Often, you can repair an older furnace, but repairs often get expensive, and older systems are likely outside their warranty coverage.
Repairs to existing furnaces don’t always go how you’d like. The parts may be out of production, making them pricey. Plus, after the initial part is replaced, the technician may locate additional issues, requiring further unexpected repairs.
If your older furnace seems like it always needs repairs — especially during the freezing temperatures of winter — it’s likely time to consider replacement.
Upgrading your furnace improves performance and efficiency, helping you keep your bills down and decrease your environmental impact, while increasing your comfort.
Upgrading also can allow for smart thermostats, zoning systems, and variable speed motors for improved control, plus you can consider replacing your furnace with a heat pump for unprecedented flexibility in your home’s heating and cooling.
Your new furnace will give you a new, longer-lasting warranty, helping you keep costs down if you need repairs in the future.
SmartHouse offers both furnace repair and furnace replacement services in Lemay, MO. Call us now at 314-370-1816, or reach out online to get started.
If you’ve decided to replace your furnace, but aren’t sure what to look for, here are a few characteristics to keep in mind: efficiency ratings, gas vs. electric furnaces, and motor speed(s).
For gas, oil, or propane furnaces that convert fuel into heat, energy efficiency is measured with the Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency (AFUE) system. This is expressed as a percentage of how much fuel is converted to heat and how much is lost – an 80% rating means 80% of the fuel is turned into heat and 20% is wasted. A higher percentage means less fuel loss and higher savings. AFUE is not used for electric furnaces because electric heating doesn’t burn fuel in the same way and has next to no heat loss.
Most traditional heating systems have a fuel source of either gas or electricity. Gas furnaces burn natural gas to create heat and require a connection to a natural gas line and venting infrastructure. Gas furnaces with AFUE ratings of 90% and up are considered high-efficiency furnaces.
Electric furnaces use electricity to generate heat through resistance coils and may require an electrical upgrade, depending on your home’s current wiring. Because they don’t involve combustion, electric furnaces generally operate at or near 100% efficiency.
The amount of stages, or speeds, your furnace has affects its ability to efficiently provide you comfort:
Heat pumps combine heating and cooling into a single system, rather than requiring separate systems for each. They work by moving existing heat into or out of your home, rather than making new heat through combustion.
Heat pumps operate in both boiling hot summers and freezing cold winters, a dichotomy that all Lemay, MO residents have experienced firsthand. During winter, heat pumps absorb heat from the outdoors (even in freezing weather) and release it indoors. In the summer, the process is reversed as the heat pump brings the heat from inside your home to the outdoors.
Heat pumps feature several benefits over conventional systems, including:
The Daikin FIT heat pump features variable-speed inverter technology for efficient operations, unmatched control over temperature, superior dehumidification during Lemay, MO’s steamy summers, and unintrusive noise levels.
Heat pumps can also be combined with an existing gas furnace, in what’s called a “dual fuel system.” The heat pump handles the cooling and the majority of your heating needs, with the system automatically switching to the gas furnace in frozen conditions, ensuring a warm house no matter how far down temperatures go.
Right now, we’re seeing the best deal we’ve ever seen for high-efficiency HVAC systems, due to intersecting incentives that can offer you unprecedented savings:
On top of Ameren’s rebates, you can take advantage of tax credits the federal government is offering for high-efficiency heating and cooling systems set up by December 31, 2025. To take advantage of these tax credits, you will need to use a system such as high-efficiency central ACs, air source and ground source (geothermal) heat pumps, mini-split ACs or heat pumps, and smart thermostats (with installation).
Knowing your new system is installed correctly— fully code-compliant using industry best practices—means you’ll enjoy stress-free, energy-efficient comfort for years to come. That’s why partnering with the right contractor is crucial to your satisfaction.
At SmartHouse, we take care of the whole process – from picking out the right system to match your home to expert installation and more! We want your experience to be easy and worry-free, focusing on honest, clear communication, friendly, expert service, and outcomes you can depend on for years to come!
At SmartHouse, we’re here to protect your warmth, level up your comfort, and lower your energy bills. When we get started on a project, our technicians ask, “What is the right thing to do?” before making any decisions. Let us bring that attitude to your home.
We also offer these services in Lemay, MO:
