HVAC Installation in Arlington, VA
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 Arlington County will get in touch.
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Eleven months of work, most years
Arlington asks a system to run almost year round. Heat from October through April, seven months, on nights that average 29°F. Cooling from June through September, four months, on afternoons averaging 86°F. Only one month sits idle.
A new system here has to handle both ends without much rest between them. More than half of homes heat with electricity, so the furnace or heat pump carries that cold straight through winter. And with wind events and winter storms both a regular part of the record here, a system that comes back on by itself after the power drops is worth asking about when you're choosing what goes in.
- 7 months
- October through April, your system heats
- 4 months
- June through September, it cools
- 29°F
- the average winter night it heats against
- 86°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
Virginia requires HVAC contractors to hold a state license.
Virginia licenses HVAC contractors through the Board for Contractors. The license covers the contractor, not each job, so the same license applies to this installation and to whatever other work that contractor takes on. Virginia sets one exception. Work under $1,000 does not need a licensed contractor at all. An installation of a heating and cooling system runs well past that line, so the license applies here.
The license is what stands behind the contractor doing this work. The installation itself still goes through the local building office. In most cities and counties, putting in a new furnace, air conditioner or heat pump needs a permit, and an inspection once the system is in. That inspection is what checks the work itself, not the license.
Sources: Virginia General Assembly · Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation
- When should I replace my HVAC system?
- Once a system is old enough that repairs are getting frequent, or it can no longer keep up on the coldest or hottest days, it is time to replace it rather than keep patching it. A furnace or air conditioner nearing the end of its life tends to break down at the worst moment, and here that means a 29°F night or an 86°F afternoon with no heat or cooling to fall back on. If a contractor tells you a repair costs a large share of what a new system would run, that is usually the point to stop repairing. Rising energy bills with no other explanation can also mean the system is working harder than it should to do the same job.
- Should I replace my furnace and air conditioner at the same time?
- If both are old, replacing them together is often the better choice, though it depends on the condition of each one. A furnace and air conditioner installed years apart may not be far apart in age by the time one fails, since homes here run one or the other for 11 months of the year. Replacing both at once also means the whole system is matched and installed together, rather than pairing new equipment with an aging part that was never meant to run alongside it. A contractor can look at both units and tell you whether one has enough life left to wait.
- What happens during an HVAC installation?
- A contractor removes the old equipment, sets the new furnace, air conditioner or heat pump in place, and connects it to the ductwork, wiring, refrigerant lines and, if there is one, the gas line. They check the ductwork itself for leaks or sizing problems, since a new system connected to bad ductwork will not perform the way it should. Once everything is connected, they test the system, check refrigerant charge and airflow, and walk through the thermostat and any settings with you. In most cities and counties this job needs a permit from the local building office, and an inspector checks the work once it is done.