HVAC Installation in Visalia, CA
A new system here will heat from October through May and cool from June through September every year. Tell us about the house, and a licensed contractor who covers Tulare County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
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A system that works most of the year here
Tulare County asks a lot out of a heating and cooling system. Winter nights average 31°F from December through February, and summer afternoons run 84°F. Homes here need heat or cooling every month of the year, split between eight months of heat, October through May, and four months of cooling, June through September.
That kind of use puts real hours on a furnace and an air conditioner. Most homes here heat with gas, so the furnace carries the bulk of those winter months. When either system is replaced, it has to be sized for both jobs, the cold nights and the hot afternoons, since it will run through most of the year doing one or the other.
- 8 months
- October through May, your system heats
- 4 months
- June through September, it cools
- 31°F
- the average winter night it heats against
- 84°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
California requires HVAC contractors to hold a state license.
California licenses HVAC contractors through the Contractors State License Board. The board tests the contractor before issuing the license and keeps a record of who holds it. The license belongs to the contractor, not to any single job, so it is the same license whether they are working on your system or your neighbor's.
For an installation like this, that license is what stands behind the work. Most cities and counties also require a permit from the local building office for a job like this, with an inspection once the work is done.
Sources: California Legislative Counsel · Contractors State License Board
- When should I replace my HVAC system?
- Replace it when repairs get frequent, when the equipment is old, or when it can't keep the house comfortable anymore. A furnace or air conditioner near the end of its life tends to break down at the worst times, often in the middle of a cold snap or a hot spell. Homes here need heat or cooling in every month of the year, so there's almost no stretch where a failing system can just wait. If a contractor tells you a repair will cost a large share of what a new system runs, that's usually the point to stop patching and replace it.
- Should I replace my furnace and air conditioner at the same time?
- If they're close in age, replacing them together is usually the better move. A furnace and air conditioner installed years apart often weren't matched to run at their best together, and pairing an old unit with a new one can mean the new one never performs the way it should. Since homes here run one system or the other nearly all year, both halves get heavy use and tend to wear down on a similar schedule. A contractor can look at the age and condition of each unit and tell you whether replacing both now makes sense or whether one still has good years left.
- What happens during an HVAC installation?
- A contractor removes the old furnace, air conditioner, or both, and sets the new equipment in place, connecting it to the ductwork, gas line, electrical, and refrigerant lines as needed. They'll check that the ducts and electrical can handle the new equipment, since a system sized wrong for the house won't heat or cool it evenly. Once it's connected, they test it, check the refrigerant charge and airflow, and set the thermostat before finishing up. The exact steps depend on what's being replaced and the layout of the house, so a contractor walking the property can lay out what your installation will involve.