HVAC Installation in Holland, MI
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 Ottawa County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
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Eleven months of the year, your system is working
In Holland, heat runs October through May, eight months a year. Winter nights average 20°F from December through February, cold enough that a furnace is lighting and running through long stretches of hard cold, not just a few bad nights. Most homes here heat with gas, so the furnace and the ductwork it depends on need to be sized for those months at 20°F.
Cooling runs June through August, three months a year, with afternoons averaging 81°F. Shorter than winter, but the same system has to handle it. New equipment installed here has to meet the federal efficiency minimum either way, so installation is the chance to get a system sized for what both seasons ask of it.
- 8 months
- October through May, your system heats
- 3 months
- June through August, it cools
- 20°F
- the average winter night it heats against
- 81°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
Michigan requires HVAC contractors to hold a state license.
The Board of Mechanical Rules issues that license, and it tests the contractor before granting it. What you get from that is a record on file with the state and proof someone checked this person's knowledge of the trade before they were allowed to work on it. The license belongs to the contractor, not to any one job, so it tells you about the person doing the work, not about this particular installation.
For a job like a new heating and cooling system, that license is what stands behind the person in your house, but it is not what catches mistakes once the equipment is in. That comes from the local building office. Installing a furnace, an air conditioner or a heat pump needs a permit in most cities and counties here, and an inspection once the work is done. The license tells you the contractor was tested. The permit and inspection tell you this particular job was checked.
Sources: Michigan Legislature · Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs
- When should I replace my HVAC system?
- Replace it when repairs start costing more than they save, or when the system is old enough that another breakdown feels like a matter of time. Furnaces and air conditioners both run into trouble in their second decade, and a contractor can tell you where yours stands after looking at it. Here, the furnace runs eight months a year and the air conditioner three, so the furnace takes the harder use and often shows its age first. If yours is struggling to keep up on cold nights, that is worth acting on before it fails on you rather than after.
- Should I replace my furnace and air conditioner at the same time?
- If both are old, yes, and there is a real reason for it beyond convenience. A furnace and air conditioner installed together are matched to work as one system, and pairing an old unit with a new one can mean the new one never runs at its best. It also means one visit and one install instead of two disruptions a few years apart. If one unit is much newer than the other, a contractor can tell you whether it makes sense to wait on that one.
- What happens during an HVAC installation?
- A contractor removes the old equipment, sets the new furnace or air conditioner in place, and connects it to the ducts, gas line or electrical circuit, and the vent or condensate drain it needs. They check the ductwork for the new equipment, run the system through its paces, and test the safety controls before they leave. On a full furnace and AC replacement, this takes more than a few hours. A contractor looking at your house can walk you through what your install will involve.