HVAC Installation in Albuquerque, NM
A new system here will heat from October through April and cool from June through August every year. Tell us about the house, and a licensed contractor who covers Bernalillo County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
A new system here has to earn its keep for 10 months a year
Albuquerque asks a lot of a heating and cooling system. Winter nights average 23°F from December through February, and a furnace has to bring the house up to temperature night after night for seven months, October through April. Summer afternoons average 88°F, and the same system's cooling side carries that load for three months, June through August.
That is ten months of the year when the house depends on one or the other. A system sized and installed for Bernalillo County has to handle both ends of that range, not just the one you're thinking about today.
- 7 months
- October through April, 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
New Mexico requires HVAC contractors to hold a state license.
The license comes from the Construction Industries Division, and it is issued to the contractor, not to any single job. That license is what stands behind the work when a contractor takes on an installation like this one.
The license covers the contractor. It does not cover the permit. In most cities and counties in New Mexico, installing a new furnace, air conditioner or heat pump needs a permit from the local building office, and an inspection once the work is done.
Source: New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department
- When should I replace my HVAC system?
- Replace it when repairs stop making sense or the system can't keep up anymore. If your furnace has to run most of the day to hold a temperature during the cold months, or your air conditioner short cycles on a hot afternoon, that's the equipment telling you it's near the end. Age matters too. A furnace or air conditioner in the last few years of its expected life that needs a major repair, like a cracked heat exchanger or a failed compressor, is usually not worth fixing. Frequent breakdowns during the months you actually need heat or cooling are another sign, since a system that fails when you need it most leaves you without heat or cooling until it's fixed.
- Should I replace my furnace and air conditioner at the same time?
- If both are old, yes, it's worth doing together. A furnace and air conditioner installed at the same time are matched to work as one system, and a contractor can size both for your house in a single visit. It also means one round of ductwork checks and one permit and inspection instead of doing it separately down the road. That said, if one unit is much newer than the other, replacing just the failing one is reasonable. A contractor can tell you whether your existing furnace or air conditioner is a good match for a new partner or whether it makes more sense to do both.
- What happens during an HVAC installation?
- A contractor removes the old furnace and air conditioner and sets the new equipment in place, then connects the ductwork, refrigerant lines, gas or electric lines, and the condensate drain. They'll check the ducts for leaks or sizing problems, since a new system moving air through undersized or leaky ducts won't perform the way it should. Once everything is connected, they test the system through a full heating and cooling cycle and check the airflow, refrigerant charge, and thermostat settings. Replacing a furnace or air conditioner needs a permit from the local building office in most cities, along with an inspection once the work is done.