Furnace Replacement in O’Fallon, MO. With cold fronts starting to come through, you might be thinking about replacing your furnace. Maybe it’s functioning, but inefficient; maybe you’re trying to be more environmentally friendly; 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 being well-informed will help you make the right choice. There’s a lot to consider, and we’ll overview the most important components here, such as:
Whether your O’Fallon, 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 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 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 O’Fallon, MO HVAC contractor to inspect the furnace and give suggestions on what you should do next.
The first thing to consider is performance. If your furnace is not keeping your home adequately warmed, even when it is functioning properly, a replacement may be necessary.
Another common criterion is the age – most furnaces, if taken care of properly, last 15-20 years, and while some can outlast that, 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 having work done on your HVAC system, like extensive ductwork, replacing your failing furnace at the same time provides you with a matched, energy-efficient system that is covered by a comprehensive warranty.
To recap, you should consider replacing your furnace if:
Often, you can repair an older furnace, but repairs often are costly, and can add up with older systems out of warranty.
Repairs to older furnaces don’t always go how you’d like. The parts may be unavailable from the manufacturer, making them pricey. Plus, after the initial part is replaced, the technician may find more issues, needing further unexpected repairs.
If your older furnace is never running quite right — especially during the coldest days of the year — it’s likely time to consider replacement.
Replacing your old furnace with a new one will improve performance and efficiency, helping you keep your bills down and shrink your carbon footprint, while increasing 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 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 O’Fallon, MO. Call us now at 314-370-1816, or reach out online to get started.
If you know it’s time to replace your furnace, but aren’t sure what to look for, here are a few aspects to pay attention to: 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 lost. 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 produce heat and rely on a natural gas connection 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 current wiring. 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 both heat and cool your house in one device, rather than needing separate systems for each. They work by moving existing heat into or out of your home, rather than making new heat by burning fuel.
Heat pumps perform in both boiling hot summers and freezing cold winters, a dichotomy that all O’Fallon, 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 transports the heat from inside your home to out.
Heat pumps offer many advantages over conventional systems, including:
The Daikin FIT heat pump features variable-speed inverter technology for efficient operations, unmatched control over temperature, terrific dehumidification during O’Fallon, MO’s steamy summers, and quiet operation.
Heat pumps can also operate in concert with a conventional 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 transferring to the gas furnace in extremely cold conditions, ensuring a warm house 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, there are currently tax credits available from the federal government for high-efficiency heating and cooling systems put in by December 31, 2025. Qualifying systems include 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 working with the right technicians 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 anything else your system needs! We’re here to make your experience smooth and stress-free, focusing on honest, clear communication, friendly, expert service, and outcomes you can be sure of!
At SmartHouse, we’re here to protect your warmth, keep you comfortable, 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 O’Fallon, MO:
