HVAC Installation in Flagstaff, AZ
A new system here will heat from October through May and cool from June through August every year. Tell us about the house, and a licensed contractor who covers Coconino County will get in touch.
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Flagstaff asks a lot of a heating and cooling system
Winter nights here average 23°F from December through February, and homes need heat from October through May, eight months of the year. Summer afternoons average 88°F, with cooling needed June through August. Between the two, a system is doing something almost all year. A new furnace or heat pump has to hold up through a long, cold winter, and the air conditioner still has to work when summer comes.
Almost half of homes here heat with gas, and the furnace has to be sized for those 23°F nights, not just an average day. Coconino County has seen 201 winter storms and 146 damaging wind events over the last ten years, and 7% of Arizona households lost power for at least 24 hours in 2024. A gas furnace with a standing pilot will keep running through an outage. One with an electronic igniter will not light until the power is back.
- 8 months
- October through May, your system heats
- 3 months
- June through August, it cools
- 23°F
- the average winter night it heats against
- 88°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
Arizona requires HVAC contractors to hold a state license.
The license is held by the contractor, not by the job. Arizona's Registrar of Contractors tests the contractor and keeps a record of them, and that record follows them from one job to the next rather than being issued fresh for your installation.
For a new heating and cooling system, that license is what stands behind the person doing the work in Coconino County. In most cities and counties, an installation like this also needs a permit from the local building office, with an inspection once the work is done. That is how the connections get checked here.
Sources: Arizona State Legislature · Arizona Registrar of Contractors
- When should I replace my HVAC system?
- Replace it when repairs keep adding up or the system is old enough that another breakdown is just a matter of time. A furnace working hard every winter night at 23°F deserves close attention as it ages, since a failed heat exchanger or cracked igniter usually isn't worth fixing on an older unit. If your energy bills have crept up with no other explanation, or a contractor keeps finding the same problem, that's your answer too. Homes here need heat or cooling 11 months of the year, so a system on its last legs won't get much rest before it's asked to work hard again.
- Should I replace my furnace and air conditioner at the same time?
- If they're close in age, yes, it usually makes sense to do both together. A furnace and air conditioner installed at the same time tend to wear out around the same time too, so replacing one alone often just means paying for a second installation not long after. They also share the same ductwork and blower in most systems, so matching them means everything is sized to work together instead of one part compensating for another. A contractor can look at the age and condition of each unit and tell you whether waiting on one makes sense for your house.
- What happens during an HVAC installation?
- A contractor removes the old equipment, sets the new furnace and or air conditioner in place, and connects it to your ductwork, gas line or refrigerant lines, and electrical. They check that the ducts are sized right for the new equipment, since a furnace or coil that's too big or small for the ductwork won't heat or cool the house evenly. Once it's connected, they test the system through a full cycle, check gas pressure or refrigerant charge, and confirm the thermostat is talking to the new equipment correctly. The exact steps depend on whether it's a straight swap or the ductwork and layout are changing too, so a contractor will walk you through what your installation involves.