Furnace, heat pump, or both — the honest comparison
Charlotte sits in the rare climate band where all three answers can be right, and the deciding factors are your gas line, your ductwork and your electric rates. A modern 96%+ AFUE gas furnace delivers the hottest supply air and the cheapest heat during a deep cold snap. A heat pump wins the other 90% of the winter, sipping electricity at mild temperatures. And a dual-fuel system — heat pump primary, gas furnace backup that takes over below balance point — is the configuration we install most for homeowners who want the best of both and have gas service already at the house.
Installed pricing runs $6,000–$14,000 flat depending on configuration and efficiency tier, with 0% financing for 18 months available and Duke Energy rebates filed for you on qualifying equipment. The quote comes as three written options — good, better, best — with the operating-cost math shown for each, not just the sticker.
Old furnace limping into another winter? A free assessment now beats a waiting list in January — replacement slots vanish the same week the cold does its worst.
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Sized to the house, not the brochure
Every heating install starts with a Manual J load calculation — square footage, ceiling heights, insulation, window age, duct condition. Older Charlotte housing stock is wildly varied: a 1930s Dilworth four-square with plaster walls and a vented crawlspace loses heat completely differently than a 2019 Waxhaw build with spray foam. Installing the same "3-ton special" in both is how one house roasts upstairs while the other never quite warms up. The load calc takes us an hour and removes a decade of annoyance.
What installation day includes
- Removal and legal disposal of the old equipment, including refrigerant reclaim on dual-fuel changeouts.
- Venting and gas line work to current code, with permits pulled and the county inspection scheduled by us.
- Combustion analysis at startup — we tune the burner to spec, not "close enough."
- Thermostat configuration, including balance-point programming on dual-fuel systems so the changeover is automatic.
- Warranty registration (10-year parts) plus our 2-year labor coverage and a first year of Comfort Club included.
Most installs finish in one day. You'll get supply-register temperatures measured and shown to you before the truck leaves — comfort verified on a gauge, not promised on a flyer.
Both seasonal tune-ups, priority scheduling and 15% off repairs — included for 12 months with any new system.
INCLUDED W/ INSTALLClub Details