Furnace Replacement in Clayton, MO. As cold temperatures arrive with 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 reduce your impact on the environment; or maybe your home just isn’t as comfortable in cold weather as it used 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 factors here, such as:
Whether your Clayton, 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 recommend 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 clues that your furnace needs a replacement, and few of them will surprise you. The truth is, if there is any reason you’re thinking about replacing, you need to call a local Clayton, MO HVAC contractor to examine the furnace and make recommendations on whether to repair or replace.
The clearest indicator is performance. If your furnace is not comfortably keeping your home warm, even when it is working, 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 keep going, they often require frequent repairs. Plus, older systems are often past their warranty, leaving you to pay the full cost when something fails.
If you’re already doing other HVAC upgrades, 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 total warranty.
To recap, you should consider replacing your furnace if:
Often, you can fix an older furnace, but repairs often get expensive, and older systems are likely outside their warranty coverage.
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, needing 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 shrink your carbon footprint, while enhancing your comfort.
Upgrading also can allow for smart thermostats, zoning systems, and variable speed motors for better control, plus you can consider replacing your furnace with a heat pump for vastly increased flexibility in your home’s temperature control.
Your new furnace will give you a new, longer-lasting warranty, helping you save on parts and repair costs if something goes wrong in the future.
SmartHouse offers both furnace repair and furnace replacement services in Clayton, 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 things to keep in mind: efficiency ratings, gas vs. electric furnaces, and motor speed(s).
For gas, oil, or propane furnaces that burn fuel to make 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 use either electricity or gas for fuel. Gas furnaces burn natural gas to create heat and rely on a natural gas connection and venting infrastructure. Gas furnaces with AFUE ratings of 90% or above are categorized as high-efficiency furnaces.
Electric furnaces use electricity to generate heat through resistance coils and may require an electrical upgrade, depending on your home’s present condition. Because they don’t involve combustion, electric furnaces typically 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 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 operate in both boiling hot summers and freezing cold winters, a dichotomy that all Clayton, MO residents know only too well. 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 transports the heat from inside your home to out.
Heat pumps feature several benefits over conventional systems, including:
The Daikin FIT heat pump features variable-speed inverter technology for energy efficiency, unmatched control over temperature, superb dehumidification during Clayton, MO’s steamy summers, and unintrusive noise levels.
Heat pumps can also perform in the same system as a gas furnace, in what’s called a “dual fuel system.” The heat pump cools your home, and handles most of the heating, with the system automatically switching to the gas furnace in icy conditions, ensuring a warm house no matter how low the temperature drops.
Right now, we’re seeing the best deal we’ve ever seen for high-efficiency HVAC systems, due to combined incentives that can give you a once-in-a-lifetime savings deal:
Alongside Ameren’s rebates, the federal government is offering tax credits for high-efficiency heating and cooling systems installed by December 31, 2025. You qualify for this if you pick high-efficiency central ACs, air source and ground source (geothermal) heat pumps, mini-split ACs or heat pumps, and smart thermostats (with installation).
Getting your new system installed right— fully code-compliant using industry best practices—means you’ll enjoy worry-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 fit your situation to expert installation and more! We want your experience to be easy and worry-free, focusing on sincere, clear communication, friendly, expert service, and results you can be sure of!
At SmartHouse, we’re here to help you stay warm, keep you comfortable, and save on 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 Clayton, MO:
