Should I replace my furnace at the same time as my AC?

Replacing a Furnace Along With an Air Conditioner Can Make Sense (Sometimes)

With the hot days of summer ahead of us, many homeowners across Indianapolis will have to replace their air conditioning systems.

One of the most consistent questions we receive from homeowners across the Indianapolis area when a new AC is required is, “do I have to, or should I, replace my furnace at the same time?”

This is an important question, and one that is far too often glossed over by the HVAC industry. Ask almost any HVAC company this question, and you’ll get the same answer: Yes. How convenient for them, that you have to spend another $2-$3,000 on a new furnace.

To make a customized answer as simple as possible, here’s a list of the reasons you should and shouldn’t replace your furnace when you replace your air conditioner:

Reasons NOT to Replace Furnace When Replacing Your Air Conditioner

1) Your furnace is less than 10 years old and not caused you any issues.

2) You don’t have the money to replace it now. Ultimately, if you don’t have the budget to do it, don’t do it.

3) You are planning to move in the next year (let the inspector force you to replace it).

4) You have looming financial commitments. Have a child about to go to college? Save your resources until those priorities are met.

Reasons to Replace Furnace When Replacing Your Air Conditioner

1) Your furnace is older than 10 years and has had repairs.

2) You have the resources to replace it now (there are efficiency savings from doing them both at once).

3) You have a downflow furnace. What’s this mean? It means your existing furnace has to be completely removed and reinstalled to perform the Air Conditioner replacement. Learn more about the various types of furnaces in our HVAC 101 to know whether or not you have a downflow furnace.

4) The manufacturer is offering financial incentives to replace both systems at once.

5) To achieve the desired efficiency for the new air conditioner, it requires a complimentary furnace. Many high efficiency air conditioners must be be paired with a high efficiency furnace blower to achieve the best efficiency.

Important Note: Beware of “Free Furnace” Ads

While you are making this decision, you may come across ads from various HVAC companies touting a free furnace with the purchase of a new AC. While this seems like a great deal, the majority of these are patently false. What these “deals” are really doing is taking the normal price for a new furnace and AC (say, $8000), and offering an AC for $8000, along with a “free” furnace. In the end, it’s just a way to get more money out of you. Unless you are getting a high end AC unit, it should not cost $8000 on its own. Be sure to ask companies offering this deal for more details on exactly what you are paying for, and compare it with other companies. Purchasing both units can get you savings in a variety of ways, but not like this.

We are committed to providing honest options that don’t try to deceive our customers. You can trust us to offer fair prices on excellent products. So when you see a “free furnace” deal, call us instead for a trustworthy and refreshingly different experience.