Furnace Replacement in St. John, MO. As the winter weather starts, you might be thinking about replacing your furnace. Maybe it’s functioning, but inefficient; maybe you want to help the environment by reducing your carbon footprint; or maybe your home just isn’t as warm in the cold as you’d like it to be.
Replacing your furnace is a big decision, no matter why you’re doing it, 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 St. John, 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 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 signs that you need to replace your home furnace, 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 St. John, MO HVAC contractor to examine the furnace and provide guidance on what you should do next.
The most obvious sign is performance. If your furnace is not warming your home sufficiently, even when it is functioning properly, a replacement is probably needed.
Another thing to watch out for is the age – most furnaces, if taken care of properly, last 15-20 years, and while some can keep going, they often need to be repaired frequently. Plus, older systems are often past their warranty, leaving you to bear the full cost when something fails.
If you’re already having work done on your HVAC system, like an air conditioning replacement, replacing your outdated furnace at the same time provides you with a matched, energy-efficient system that is covered by a total warranty.
To recap, you should consider replacing your furnace if:
Most of the time, you can fix an older furnace, but repairs often get expensive, and older systems are likely outside their warranty coverage.
Repairs to older furnaces can be a bit of a gamble. The parts may be unavailable from the manufacturer, 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 chilling St. John, MO winters — it’s likely time to consider replacement.
Replacing your old furnace with a new one will improve performance and efficiency, helping you lower energy bills and shrink your carbon footprint, while enhancing 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 unprecedented flexibility in your home’s heating and cooling.
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 St. John, 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 pay attention to: 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 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 rating means less fuel loss and in turn, less spent on fuel. AFUE is not used for electric furnaces because electric heating doesn’t involve combustion and has virtually no heat loss.
Most traditional furnaces use either electricity or gas for fuel. Gas furnaces burn natural gas to produce heat and require a connection to a natural gas line and venting infrastructure. Gas furnaces with AFUE ratings of 90% or higher are classified as 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 number of motor speeds (AKA stages) your furnace has affects its ability to efficiently provide you comfort:
Heat pumps can handle both heating and cooling together, rather than requiring 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 operate in both boiling hot summers and freezing cold winters, a dichotomy that all St. John, MO residents are familiar with. During winter, heat pumps transport heat into your home from outside, regardless of freezing weather. In the summer, the process is reversed as the heat pump absorbs the heat from inside your home and releases it outdoors.
Heat pumps feature several benefits over conventional systems, including:
The Daikin FIT heat pump features variable-speed inverter technology for energy efficiency, highly accurate temperature control, terrific dehumidification during St. John, 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 cools your home, and handles most of the heating, with the system automatically switching to the gas furnace in extremely cold conditions, ensuring consistent warmth 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 offer you unprecedented savings:
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. 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 working with the right technicians is critical for your new system.
At SmartHouse, we take care of it all – from finding the perfect system to fit your needs 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 help you heat your home, increase your comfort, and lower your energy bills. 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 St. John, MO:
