HVAC Installation in Billings, MT
A new system here will heat from September through May and cool from July through August every year. Tell us about the house, and a licensed contractor who covers Yellowstone County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
Nine months of heat, two months of real heat
Winters here bring nights that average 16°F from December through February. A new furnace or heat pump has to recover from that, night after night, from September through May. That is nine months of the year it is working to keep the house warm.
Summer asks less of it, just July and August, with afternoons averaging 83°F. Most homes in the county heat with gas, so a new furnace carries most of the load over the year. Whatever gets installed needs to be sized for both jobs, the long cold stretch and the short hot one.
- 9 months
- September through May, your system heats
- 2 months
- July through August, it cools
- 16°F
- the average winter night it heats against
- 83°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
Montana requires HVAC contractors to hold a state license.
The license is issued to the contractor, not to each job, so it covers the business behind the work rather than any single crew. Jobs under $2,500 fall outside this requirement, but installing a heating and cooling system runs well past that, so the contractor doing this job needs to hold the state license.
In most cities and counties, this installation also needs a permit from the local building office, with an inspection once the work is done. That permit and inspection come from the local building office, separate from the state license itself.
Source: Montana Legislature
- When should I replace my HVAC system?
- Replace it when repairs start costing more than they're worth or your system can't keep up anymore. If a contractor is out every winter for the same furnace, that's the equipment wearing out, not a bad stretch of weather. Rising energy bills with no change in how you use the system is another sign. Since your furnace runs September through May here, one that's already struggling gets pushed hard most of the year.
- Should I replace my furnace and air conditioner at the same time?
- If both are old, replacing them together makes sense, but it isn't required. A furnace and air conditioner installed years apart can still work fine side by side as long as each one is sized right on its own. What matters more is the condition of each unit. Since homes here need heat nine months a year and cooling only two, the furnace does most of the work and tends to wear out first.
- What happens during an HVAC installation?
- A contractor removes the old furnace and air conditioner, then sets the new equipment in place and connects it to your ducts, gas line or electrical circuit, and the vent or flue. Once everything is connected, they test the system to make sure it heats and cools correctly and check the airflow at your vents. In most cities and counties this work needs a permit from the local building office, with an inspection once the job is done. Montana also requires the contractor doing the work to hold a state license, and a contractor can walk you through what your specific house needs.