Furnace Replacement in St. Louis Hills, 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 as comfortable in cold weather as it used to be.
No matter the reason, replacing your furnace is a big decision, and being well-informed will help you make the right choice. There’s a lot to consider, and we’ll overview the most important factors here, such as:
Whether your St. Louis Hills, MO home needs a furnace replacement or repair to keep you warm, SmartHouse Heating and Cooling is by your side. 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 clues that your furnace needs a replacement, and not many of them will come as a surprise. The truth is, if you think you need to replace it for any reason, you need to call a local St. Louis Hills, MO HVAC contractor to examine the furnace and give suggestions on what you should do next.
The clearest indicator is performance. If your furnace is not comfortably keeping your home warm, even when it is functioning properly, a replacement is probably needed.
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 out of warranty, 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If you’re already replacing another part of your HVAC system, like an air conditioning replacement, replacing your outdated furnace at the same time provides you with a new, paired, and more efficient system that is covered by a total warranty.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 become expensive fast, especially with older systems outside of warranty coverage.
Repairs to existing 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 identify additional issues, resulting in 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.
Upgrading your furnace improves performance and efficiency, helping you keep your bills down and shrink your carbon footprint, while improving your comfort.
Upgrading also opens the door to 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 St. Louis Hills, 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 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 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 use either electricity or gas for fuel. Gas furnaces burn natural gas to convert it into 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 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 keep you comfortable:
Heat pumps combine heating and cooling into a single system, rather than needing separate systems for each. They work by moving existing heat into or out of your home, rather than creating new heat by burning fuel.
Heat pumps work in both boiling hot summers and freezing cold winters, a dichotomy that all St. Louis Hills, MO residents have experienced firsthand. 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 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 energy efficiency, precise temperature control, superior dehumidification during St. Louis Hills, 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 shifting to the gas furnace in icy 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 combined 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 installed 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).
Getting your new system installed right— 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 crucial to your satisfaction.
At SmartHouse, we take care of the whole process – from picking out the right system to match your home to professional setup and beyond! We want your experience to be easy and worry-free, focusing on open, clear communication, friendly, expert service, and results you can depend on for years to come!
At SmartHouse, we’re here to keep your home warm, keep you comfortable, and keep your temperature costs down. When we first visit a house, 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 St. Louis Hills, MO:
