Furnace Replacement in Dardenne Prairie, MO. With cold fronts starting to come through, you might be thinking about replacing your furnace. Maybe it’s working, but your energy bills are skyrocketing; maybe you want to help the environment by reducing your carbon footprint; or maybe your home just isn’t as comfortable in cold weather as it used to be.
For whatever reason, it’s a big deal to replace your furnace, and being well-informed will help you make the right choice. You’ll want to consider several details, and we’ll overview the most important factors here, such as:
Whether your Dardenne Prairie, 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 suggest what we believe will be best for your situation. 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 Dardenne Prairie, MO HVAC contractor to inspect the furnace and give suggestions on what you should do next.
The clearest indicator is performance. If your furnace is not warming your home sufficiently, even when it is functioning properly, a replacement may be necessary.
Another thing to watch out for is the age – will have a lifespan of 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 bear the full 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:
Frequently, you can repair an older furnace, but repairs often get expensive, and older systems are likely outside their warranty coverage.
Repairs to older furnaces don’t always go how you’d like. The parts may be out of production, making them more expensive. Plus, after the initial part is replaced, the technician may locate additional issues, requiring further unexpected repairs.
If your older furnace keeps breaking down — especially during the freezing temperatures of winter — it’s likely time to consider replacement.
Upgrading your furnace improves performance and efficiency, helping you lower energy bills and shrink your carbon footprint, while increasing 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 vastly increased flexibility in your home’s temperature control.
Your new furnace will also have a comprehensive warranty, helping you keep costs down if you need repairs in the future.
SmartHouse offers both furnace repair and furnace replacement services in Dardenne Prairie, 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 factors to be aware of: 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 converted to heat and 20% is wasted. A higher percentage means less fuel loss and a lower bill. AFUE is not used for electric furnaces because electric heating doesn’t burn fuel in the same way and has virtually no heat loss.
Most traditional furnaces have a fuel source of either gas or electricity. 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 generally operate at or near 100% efficiency.
The amount of stages, or speeds, your furnace has affects its ability to keep you comfortable:
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 generating new heat through combustion.
Heat pumps perform in both steaming hot summers and freezing cold winters, a dichotomy that all Dardenne Prairie, MO residents know only too well. 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 present several edges over conventional systems, including:
The Daikin FIT heat pump features variable-speed inverter technology for efficient operations, precise temperature control, superb dehumidification during Dardenne Prairie, MO’s steamy summers, and unintrusive noise levels.
Heat pumps can also work alongside a traditional 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 extremely cold conditions, ensuring warmth and comfort 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, the federal government is offering tax credits for high-efficiency heating and cooling systems installed by December 31, 2025. These credits apply to 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 critically important.
At SmartHouse, we take care of it all – 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 count on!
At SmartHouse, we’re here to help you heat your home, increase 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 make a difference in your home’s heating.
We also offer these services in Dardenne Prairie, MO:
