HVAC Installation in Hurricane, WV
A new system here will heat from October through April and cool from June through September every year. Tell us about the house, and a licensed contractor who covers Putnam County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
Hurricane asks a lot from a system, most of the year
Heat runs here October through April, seven months. Winter nights average 27°F through December through February. Summer adds four more months on top of that, with afternoons averaging 85°F. That's 11 months a year your system is doing one job or the other, with little rest between them.
Most homes in this area heat with electricity, so the system and the power behind it both matter. West Virginia has seen 16 winter storms and 142 damaging wind events over the past ten years, and last year 35% of households in the state lost power for at least 24 hours. Whatever gets installed should be sized for the cold nights and hot afternoons here, and able to come back on its own once the power does.
- 7 months
- October through April, your system heats
- 4 months
- June through September, it cools
- 27°F
- the average winter night it heats against
- 85°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
West Virginia requires HVAC contractors to hold a state license.
The license is held by the contractor, not issued for this one job. The Commissioner of Labor tested and recorded that contractor before they were allowed to take work in Putnam County, and that record stays with them from one installation to the next.
For a job like this, that license sits alongside a local permit. Putnam County, like most counties, requires a permit from the local building office before a furnace, air conditioner or heat pump goes in, and an inspection once it's done. The license tells you the contractor was tested. The permit and inspection tell you this particular installation was checked.
Source: West Virginia Legislature
- When should I replace my HVAC system?
- Once repairs start happening every year or the system can't keep the house comfortable, it's time to replace it. An old system working hard is more likely to break down when you need it most. Homes here need heat from October through April and cooling from June through September, so a breakdown often means going without one or the other for weeks, not days. If your system is old and just had a major repair, replacing it before the next season starts is usually the better move than paying for the repair and the replacement close together.
- Should I replace my furnace and air conditioner at the same time?
- If they're close in age, yes. Replacing them together means both parts of the system are matched and sized to work with each other, and a contractor only has to open up the ductwork and wiring once. If one unit is much newer than the other, it can make more sense to replace only the one that's failing and wait on the rest. A contractor can look at the age and condition of each and tell you whether pairing the work makes sense for your house.
- What happens during an HVAC installation?
- A contractor removes the old furnace, air conditioner or heat pump and sets the new equipment in place, then connects it to the ductwork, refrigerant lines, gas or electric lines, and thermostat wiring. The system gets tested to make sure it heats, cools, and cycles the way it should before the job is called done. In most cities and counties here, this work needs a permit from the local building office and an inspection once it's finished. West Virginia also requires the contractor doing the work to hold a state license.