HVAC Installation in Hickory, NC
A new system here will heat from October through April and cool from May through September every year. Tell us about the house, and a licensed contractor who covers Catawba County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
What Catawba County asks of a new system
A new system here works almost the whole year. Homes in Hickory need heat from October through April, seven months, then cooling from May through September, five more. There is barely a break between them.
Winter nights average 31°F through the coldest stretch, December through February. Summer afternoons average 87°F. Most homes here heat with electricity, so a heat pump that handles both jobs is worth asking your contractor about. Catawba County has also seen 9 winter storms and 66 damaging wind events over the past ten years, and across North Carolina a quarter of households went at least 24 hours without power in 2024. Whatever gets installed should be sized and set up with that in mind, not just the mild days.
- 7 months
- October through April, your system heats
- 5 months
- May through September, it cools
- 31°F
- the average winter night it heats against
- 87°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
North Carolina requires HVAC contractors to hold a state license.
The license comes from the State Board of Examiners of Plumbing, Heating and Fire Sprinkler Contractors, and North Carolina tested the contractor before granting it. It covers the contractor, not the job in front of them, so it means this person was qualified to do this kind of work. It does not mean the state checks each installation.
That check happens locally instead. In most cities and counties, installing a new furnace, air conditioner or heat pump needs a permit from the local building office, and the finished work gets an inspection when it is done. The license is what stands behind the contractor. The permit and inspection are what stand behind this particular system.
Sources: North Carolina General Assembly · North Carolina State Board of Examiners of Plumbing, Heating and Fire Sprinkler Contractors
- When should I replace my HVAC system?
- Once your furnace or air conditioner is breaking down more than once a season, or a contractor tells you the heat exchanger or coil is failing, it is time to plan a replacement rather than keep patching it. An older system working harder to do the same job also gets harder to find parts for. Homes here need heat or cooling every month of the year, so a system on its last legs does not get a season off to wait it out.
- Should I replace my furnace and air conditioner at the same time?
- If they are close in age, replacing them together is usually the better call. A furnace and air conditioner installed years apart were matched to the equipment available at the time, and pairing an old coil with a new furnace, or an old furnace with a new coil, can leave you with a system that never runs quite right. A contractor can look at both and tell you whether one is still good for years or whether replacing both now makes more sense.
- What happens during an HVAC installation?
- A contractor removes the old furnace and air conditioner or heat pump, sets the new equipment, and connects it to your ductwork, gas or electric line, and condensate drain. Once it is running, they check refrigerant levels, airflow and thermostat operation before calling the job done. Replacing this kind of system needs a permit from the local building office in most cities and counties, along with an inspection when the work is finished. A contractor licensed with the State Board of Examiners of Plumbing, Heating and Fire Sprinkler Contractors handles that paperwork as part of the job.