Furnace Replacement in Affton, MO. As temperatures drop and we move towards winter, you might be thinking about replacing your furnace. Maybe it’s keeping your house warm, but at a high cost; maybe you want to help the environment by reducing your carbon footprint; or maybe your home just isn’t warming you as well as it used to.
For whatever reason, it’s a big deal to replace your furnace, and understanding the basics will help you with it. There’s a lot to consider, and we’ll overview the most important aspects here, such as:
Whether your Affton, MO home needs a furnace replacement or repair to keep you warm, SmartHouse Heating and Cooling is here to help. We take a customer-first approach with every house we visit, and we always make recommendations that 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 clues that your furnace needs a replacement, and not many of them will come as a surprise. The truth is, if there is any reason you’re thinking about replacing, you need to call a local Affton, MO HVAC contractor to inspect the furnace and make recommendations on whether to repair or replace.
The first thing to consider is performance. If your furnace is not comfortably keeping your home warm, even when it is functioning properly, a replacement may be necessary.
Another thing to watch out for is the age – the average lifespan of a well-maintained furnace is 15-20 years, and while some can last longer, they often require frequent repairs. Plus, older systems are often outside their warranty coverage, leaving you to shoulder the cost when something fails.
If you’re already replacing another part of your HVAC system, like an air conditioning replacement, replacing your failing furnace at the same time provides you with a newer, more efficient system that is covered by a comprehensive warranty.
To recap, you should consider replacing your furnace if:
Often, you can fix an older furnace, but repairs often are costly, and can add up with older systems out of warranty.
Repairs to existing furnaces can be a bit of a gamble. The parts may be out of production, making them more expensive. Plus, after the initial part is replaced, the technician may locate additional issues, resulting in further unexpected repairs.
If your older furnace is never running quite right — 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 improving your comfort.
Upgrading also can allow for smart thermostats, zoning systems, and variable speed motors for smoother control, plus you can consider replacing your furnace with a heat pump for highly flexible heating and cooling in your home.
Your new furnace should also come with a new warranty, helping you keep costs down if you need repairs in the future.
SmartHouse offers both furnace repair and furnace replacement services in Affton, MO. Call us now at 314-370-1816, or reach out online to get started.
If you’re ready to get a furnace replacement, but aren’t sure what to look for, here are a few things to keep in mind: efficiency ratings, gas vs. electric furnaces, and motor speed(s).
For gas, oil, or propane furnaces that produce heat by burning fuel, energy efficiency is measured with the Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency (AFUE) system. This is expressed as a percentage of how much fuel is turned into heat versus how much is wasted – an 80% rating means 80% of the fuel is used to make 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 use either electricity or gas for fuel. 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.
On the other hand, electric furnaces don’t use gas, and instead generate heat with electricity and resistance coils and may require an electrical upgrade, depending on your home’s setup. Because they don’t involve combustion, electric furnaces generally operate at or near 100% efficiency.
The number of motor speeds (AKA stages) your furnace has affects its ability to efficiently provide you comfort:
Heat pumps combine heating and cooling into a single system, rather than having separate systems for each. They work by moving existing heat into or out of your home, rather than creating new heat through combustion.
Heat pumps work in both steaming hot summers and freezing cold winters, a dichotomy that all Affton, MO residents have experienced firsthand. During winter, heat pumps bring heat from outside your home to within, even in freezing temperatures. In the summer, the process is reversed as the heat pump absorbs the heat from inside your home and releases it outdoors.
Heat pumps offer many advantages over conventional systems, including:
The Daikin FIT heat pump features variable-speed inverter technology for energy efficiency, precise temperature control, superb dehumidification during Affton, MO’s steamy summers, and quiet operation.
Heat pumps can also perform in the same system as a 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 transferring to the gas furnace in frozen conditions, ensuring warmth and comfort no matter how cold it gets outside.
Right now, we’re seeing the best deal we’ve ever seen for high-efficiency HVAC systems, due to overlapping incentives that can give you a once-in-a-lifetime savings deal:
Alongside 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 headache-free, energy-efficient comfort for years to come. That’s why partnering with the right contractor is critical for your new system.
At SmartHouse, we take care of everything – from finding the perfect system to fit your situation to professional setup and beyond! We’re here to make your experience smooth and stress-free, focusing on open, clear communication, friendly, expert service, and outcomes you can depend on for years to come!
At SmartHouse, we’re here to help you heat your home, level up your comfort, and keep your temperature costs down. When we start a job, our technicians ask, “What is the right thing to do?” before making any decisions. Let us show you the SmartHouse difference.
We also offer these services in Affton, MO:
