HVAC Installation in Des Moines, IA
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 Polk County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
A furnace and an air conditioner here both earn their keep
Homes in Polk County need heat or cooling eleven months of the year. The furnace runs October through May, the air conditioner June through August, and there is little time between when neither is working. Winter nights average 16°F through those months, and summer afternoons average 83°F. A new system has to hold up on both ends, not just one.
Most homes here heat with gas, and a gas furnace still needs electricity to run the igniter and blower. That matters because Iowa sees real storms. Polk County has had 21 winter storms and 191 damaging wind events over the past ten years, and in 2024 fifteen percent of Iowa households lost power for at least 24 hours. A furnace installed here needs to be sized right for the cold nights it will face, and it needs to come back on its own the moment the power does.
- 8 months
- October through May, your system heats
- 3 months
- June 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
Iowa requires HVAC contractors to hold a state license.
Iowa licenses HVAC contractors through the Iowa Plumbing and Mechanical Systems Board. That license is tied to the contractor, not the job, so it tells you the person or company doing the work was tested and is on file with the board.
For an install like this, that license is what stands behind the work. In most cities and counties, replacing a furnace, air conditioner or heat pump also needs a permit from the local building office, with an inspection once the work is done. That inspection checks the installation itself, separate from the contractor's standing with the state.
Sources: Iowa Legislature · Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing
- When should I replace my HVAC system?
- Replace it when repairs start costing more than they should, or when the system can no longer keep up on the coldest or hottest days. Age matters too. A furnace or air conditioner working hard for 15 years or more is a candidate, especially with winter lows here averaging 16°F, since a struggling furnace has no room for error on a night like that. If a technician keeps coming back to fix the same part, that is usually the sign to stop patching and start planning a replacement.
- Should I replace my furnace and air conditioner at the same time?
- If both are old, yes, it usually makes sense to replace them together. A furnace and air conditioner installed at the same time 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. Homes here need heat eight months a year and cooling three, so the furnace does most of the work and tends to wear first. If your air conditioner still has years left in it, a contractor can tell you whether it will pair well with a new furnace or whether replacing both now is the better move.
- What happens during an HVAC installation?
- A contractor removes the old furnace, air conditioner, or both, and sets the new equipment in place, connecting it to the ductwork, gas line or electrical circuit, and the condensate drain. They will also check the ducts and the electrical setup to make sure the new equipment is sized and wired correctly, since a furnace or air conditioner that does not match the ductwork will not heat or cool the house evenly. Most cities and counties require a permit for this work and an inspection once it is done. A contractor will price and schedule the job based on your home and the equipment you choose.