Your Premier Source for HVAC Installation Services in Houston, TX

Important Things to Consider
When Replacing an HVAC System

When you are ready to replace or change out your old HVAC system, there are many things to consider. Here are a few things to help you in the process.

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Contractor

• Air conditioning and heating equipment installations or change outs in Texas must be performed by a licensed air conditioning contractor. This is to protect your health and safety by ensuring that a company who knows what they are doing is performing the work. Additionally, all contractors must carry a certain amount of insurance. So this also protects you financially in the event that something were to happen to your house.

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Size

• Replacing your air conditioning system with the exact same size that is already there may not always be the right thing to do. Your home may be more efficient due to new windows, roof insulation, and so on. Or it may be less efficient. For these reasons, it is important to evaluate the current conditions. If a size change is made, then additional adjustments may need to happen for proper airflow.

Manufacturer

• Just like with most products, not everything is created equal, including HVAC equipment. Do your research and you will find that some HVAC equipment manufacturers create better equipment than others.

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Efficiency

• There are a lot of metrics that can be considered when looking at the efficiency of a system. To keep things simple, in the hot Texas climate, the SEER rating is a good metric. SEER stands for Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio. This is a measure of how much energy (and money) the system requires to operate in a year. Starting in 2023, there is also a SEER2 rating. This is essentially the rating under new testing standards required by the Department of Energy (DOE). The main thing you need to know is that the higher the rating (SEER or SEER2), the more efficient the system is, and the lower the operating cost will be. In other words, the higher the rating, the less money you will spend on electricity. Just make sure you are comparing SEER rating to SEER rating or SEER2 to SEER2 when looking at different systems.

Cost

• We don’t need to tell you that! Someone in the Greater Houston area can expect to pay anywhere between $9,500 and $30,000 or more for a new heating and air conditioning system. The size and efficiency of the system will determine where you are at in that range. For example, a minimum efficiency 1.5 ton system will be at the lower end of the cost spectrum whereas a variable speed, 5 ton system with a media filter and Wi-Fi thermostat will be at the higher end of the cost spectrum. Also, additional modifications like changing the ductwork and adding return grilles can add to the cost.

Warranties

• Most HVAC equipment manufacturers will provide a warranty on the various parts in their equipment, such as the compressor, fan motors, and so on. This warranty will only cover the cost of the part though. The manufacturer warranty will not cover the labor to replace the part. The contractor that installs the system can also provide a labor warranty. The labor warranty typically covers the labor to replace a part that goes out early. So pay special attention to both the manufacturer warranty on parts and the contractor’s labor warranty. Additionally, the contractor may also offer a certain amount of maintenance after the installation. For example, one or two years of maintenance where they come out once or twice a year to clean the system and inspect everything.