HVAC Installation in Phenix City, AL
A new system here will heat from November through March and cool from May through October every year. Tell us about the house, and a licensed contractor who covers Russell County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
Eleven months a year, one system or the other is running
In Phenix City only one month goes by without the heat or the air conditioning working. Heat runs November through March, with winter nights averaging 38°F from December through February. Cooling runs May through October, with summer afternoons averaging 91°F. A new system here has to handle both ends of that with barely a break between them.
Most homes in the area heat with electricity, and the power itself is not always reliable. Alabama saw 18% of households lose power for at least 24 hours in 2024, and the area has recorded 30 damaging wind events over the past ten years. It is worth knowing how a new system responds when the power comes back, since some parts restart on their own and some need a hand.
- 5 months
- November through March, your system heats
- 6 months
- May through October, it cools
- 38°F
- the average winter night it heats against
- 91°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
Alabama requires HVAC contractors to hold a state license.
The Alabama Board of Heating, Air Conditioning & Refrigeration Contractors tests and records the contractors who hold this license. It covers the contractor as a business, not each job that contractor takes on, so the same license applies whether the work is in Russell County or anywhere else in the state.
For a new heating and cooling system, that license is what stands behind the person doing the work, but it is not the only check on the job. Most cities and counties in Alabama require a permit from the local building office before a furnace, air conditioner or heat pump goes in, and an inspection once it is installed. That inspection is where the gas and electrical connections get looked over, which matters because a bad connection is the dangerous part of putting in a new system.
Source: Alabama Board of Heating, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractors
- When should I replace my HVAC system?
- Replace it when repairs start costing more than they used to, or when the system can't keep up on the hottest afternoons or coldest nights. An aging furnace or air conditioner works harder to hold the same temperature, even before it breaks down for good. Homes here need cooling from May through October and heat from November through March, so there isn't much of the year when either system gets to rest. If a contractor has been out more than once this year for the same unit, that's usually the sign it's time to stop repairing and start planning for new equipment.
- 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 pairing an old unit with a new one can mean the new one never runs at its best. It also means one installation visit instead of two down the road. A contractor can look at the age and condition of both and tell you whether replacing just one makes sense for your house.
- 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 ducts, the electrical supply, and for gas furnaces, the gas line. Refrigerant lines get connected and charged, the ductwork gets checked for leaks, and the system gets run through a full heating and cooling cycle before the contractor leaves. Alabama requires the contractor doing this work to hold a state license from the Alabama Board of Heating, Air Conditioning & Refrigeration Contractors. How long the job takes depends on the equipment and the house, so a contractor will walk you through the timeline for yours.