HVAC Installation in Tuscaloosa, AL
A new system here will heat from November through March and cool from May through September every year. Tell us about the house, and a licensed contractor who covers Tuscaloosa County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
Ten months of the year, your system is working
Tuscaloosa County only gets a couple months of rest. Heat runs November through March, with nights averaging 36°F. Cooling runs May through September, with afternoons hitting 90°F. That is ten months where the system installed in your house is doing something.
Most homes here heat with electricity, so whatever you install needs to be sized right for both the cold nights and the hot afternoons. It is also worth asking a contractor how the system holds up when the power drops. Alabama saw 66 damaging wind events here over the past ten years, and close to one in five households in the state went at least a day without power in 2024.
- 5 months
- November through March, your system heats
- 5 months
- May through September, it cools
- 36°F
- the average winter night it heats against
- 90°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 licenses HVAC contractors in this state. That license belongs to the contractor, not to any one job, so it covers this installation the same way it covers every job that contractor takes on.
For an installation, that license is what stands behind the work. It is not the only step this job goes through. In most cities and counties, putting in a new furnace, air conditioner or heat pump needs a permit from the local building office, with an inspection once the work is done. That inspection is the local building office looking at the installation itself, separate from the license the state holds on the contractor.
Source: Alabama Board of Heating, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractors
- When should I replace my HVAC system?
- Replace it when repairs keep coming or the system can't keep up on the coldest nights or hottest afternoons anymore. Homes here need heat from November through March and cooling from May through September, so a breakdown means living without one or the other for real stretches of weather. If a contractor is telling you the same part is failing again, or your energy bills keep climbing while the house feels less comfortable, that's your answer. Weigh the cost of the repair against the age of the unit, and a contractor can tell you honestly which side of that line you're on.
- 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 new equipment with an older unit can mean the older unit holds back the performance of the new one. It also means you're not paying for a second installation visit when the other unit fails not long after. That said, if one system is only a few years old and running fine, a contractor can size a new unit to work with what you already have.
- What happens during an HVAC installation?
- A contractor removes the old furnace and air conditioner, or heat pump, and sets the new equipment in place, connecting it to your existing ductwork, refrigerant lines, gas line or electrical circuit as needed. They'll check the ducts for leaks or damage, since the new system depends on them to move air the way it's designed to. Once everything is connected, the system gets tested under a full heating and cooling cycle to confirm airflow, refrigerant charge and thermostat operation are all correct. A contractor will walk you through what your specific home needs before the work starts, since the details depend on your ductwork, your fuel source and the equipment you're replacing.