HVAC Installation in Columbia, SC
A new system here will heat from November through March and cool from May through September every year. Tell us about the house, and a licensed contractor who covers Richland County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
Ten months of the year, your system is running
Columbia asks for heat from November through March and cooling from May through September. That's ten months of the year with the furnace or the AC doing something. Winter nights average 36°F, so the heat isn't working against much, but summer afternoons average 91°F, and that's the load your new system needs to be sized for.
Most homes here heat with electricity, so the outdoor unit matters in winter as much as summer. And with 45% of South Carolina households losing power for at least a day in 2024, and 360 damaging wind events recorded here since 2015, a new install is also a chance to ask how the system handles a storm knocking the power out, not just a hot afternoon.
- 5 months
- November through March, your system heats
- 5 months
- May through September, it cools
- 36°F
- the average winter night it heats against
- 91°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
- When should I replace my HVAC system?
- Replace it when repairs start happening every year, or when the unit is old enough that a breakdown means going without heat or air until it's fixed. Ten months out of the year here call for either heat or cooling, so a system that fails has real consequences fast, especially in a summer stretch of 91°F afternoons or a cold snap down near 36°F. If a contractor has told you the same part keeps failing, or the repair quote is climbing close to what a new system costs, that's usually the point to stop patching it.
- Should I replace my furnace and air conditioner at the same time?
- If they're close in age, it's worth doing together, but it isn't required. A furnace and air conditioner installed at different times can still work fine side by side. The main reason to pair them is that a matched system is easier to size correctly and a contractor only has to open up the ductwork and connections once instead of twice. If your furnace is still young and your AC just failed, replacing only the AC is a reasonable call.
- What happens during an HVAC installation?
- A contractor removes the old equipment, sets the new furnace or air handler and outdoor unit in place, and connects them to your ductwork, electrical, gas line, and refrigerant lines as needed. They'll check that the new equipment is sized right for your house, test the system once it's running, and walk you through the thermostat and any new controls. On a full system swap, expect them to also check the ductwork for leaks and confirm airflow to each room, since a new system only performs as well as the ducts feeding it.