HVAC Installation in Reno, NV
A new system here will heat from October through May and cool from July through August every year. Tell us about the house, and a licensed contractor who covers Washoe County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
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Ten months a year, your system is working
Winter nights around Reno average 23°F from December through February, and your furnace has to make up that difference every night for eight months, October through May. Summer afternoons average 84°F, so the air conditioner gets its own two months of real work in July and August. Only a few weeks in between ask nothing of either system.
A new system installed here has to handle both jobs well, not just one. Gas heat is the common choice in this area, and whatever you install should be sized for those 23°F nights, not a mild average. Washoe County has also seen its share of winter storms and damaging wind, and with 13% of Nevada households losing power for a day or more in 2024, it's worth asking your contractor how your new system holds up when the power drops and comes back.
- 8 months
- October through May, your system heats
- 2 months
- July through August, it cools
- 23°F
- the average winter night it heats against
- 84°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
Nevada requires HVAC contractors to hold a state license.
The Nevada State Contractors Board licenses HVAC contractors, and that license belongs to the business, not to any single job. It means the board tested the contractor and keeps a record of who they are before that contractor is allowed to take on work like this. The same license covers a furnace swap, a heat pump installation, or any other HVAC job the contractor does.
For this kind of job, the license is what stands behind the contractor's qualification to do the work. It does not replace the permit step. In most cities and counties, including here, installing a new furnace, air conditioner or heat pump needs a permit from the local building office, and the finished installation gets inspected before it is signed off.
Sources: Nevada Legislature · Nevada State Contractors Board
- When should I replace my HVAC system?
- Replace it when repairs keep coming back or a technician tells you a major part like the heat exchanger or compressor is failing. Homes here need heat from October through May and cooling in July and August, so the system runs for most of the year with little time to rest. Waiting until it fails in the middle of winter, when nights average 23°F, leaves you without heat when you need it most. A contractor can look at the age and condition of what you have and tell you whether repair still makes sense or whether replacement is the better move.
- Should I replace my furnace and air conditioner at the same time?
- If both are old, yes. A furnace and air conditioner installed at different times often were not matched to work together, and once one fails from age the other is usually close behind. Homes here run the furnace for eight months and the air conditioner for two, so both get real use over the year. Replacing them together also means one permit, one inspection, and a system sized correctly for the house instead of new equipment paired with an old, mismatched part.
- What happens during an HVAC installation?
- A contractor removes the old furnace and air conditioner or heat pump, then sets the new equipment in place and connects it to the ductwork, gas line or electrical circuit it needs. This includes running refrigerant lines to the outdoor unit, wiring the thermostat, and checking that the vent hood and gas connections meet code on a gas furnace. Most cities and counties here require a permit for this work and an inspection once it is done, and the contractor handles filing for that as part of the job. Before they leave, they run the system through a full heating and cooling cycle to check that it is working the way it should.