Signs It's Time for a New Furnace
Replacing a furnace on your schedule is easier, and usually cheaper, than an emergency swap on the coldest night of the year. These are the signs we look for:
- Age. Most gas furnaces last 15 to 20 years. Past that point, efficiency drops and parts get harder to find.
- Repair bills that keep coming. When a repair on an older furnace approaches half the cost of a new one, replacement is usually the better investment.
- A cracked or corroded heat exchanger. The heat exchanger keeps carbon monoxide out of your living space. If it's damaged, it's time for a new furnace.
- Higher gas bills for the same comfort. An older chimney-vented furnace can't match a modern condensing model.
- Cold rooms and short cycling. A furnace that was never sized correctly, or has worn out, struggles to keep the whole house even.
Choosing the Right Furnace for Your Lafayette Home
We install three Armstrong Air gas furnace lines, and the right one depends on your home, your venting and your budget:
- A801E, 80% AFUE: an affordable chimney-vented replacement that fits many existing setups, with a compact 33-inch height for tight spaces.
- A931E, 93% AFUE: our most affordable condensing furnace, ENERGY STAR qualified, for upflow, downflow or horizontal installation.
- A97USMV, up to 97% AFUE: a modulating furnace with a variable-speed ECM fan motor that adjusts heat output to even out temperature swings.
Efficiency is only half the decision. We size every furnace from a heat loss calculation of your home rather than the size of the old unit, because an oversized furnace short cycles and an undersized one runs nonstop in January. We install furnaces for natural gas and, for rural properties, propane. Pair any of them with a Pro Series air conditioner or heat pump and a Comfort Sync thermostat for app-based control from your phone.
Our Furnace Installation Process
- In-home assessment. We look at your ductwork, venting, gas line and electrical service, and ask where the house is uncomfortable today.
- Load calculation and options. You get a free estimate with more than one equipment option, so you can compare efficiency and cost side by side.
- Installation. Our licensed and insured technicians remove the old unit, set the new furnace and connect the gas, venting and controls.
- Safety and performance testing. We verify gas pressure, check venting and combustion air, test every safety control and confirm there is no carbon monoxide.
- Walkthrough. We show you the thermostat and filter and explain how our maintenance agreement keeps the new furnace running efficiently.
Replacing Your Furnace and Air Conditioner Together
If your air conditioner is about as old as your furnace, replacing both at once often makes sense. A matched Armstrong Air system is designed to work together: pair a variable-speed furnace with a Pro Series air conditioner and a Comfort Sync thermostat, and the system adjusts airflow and output for steadier temperatures and better humidity control. You also get one installation visit instead of two. Ask about our full system installation special when you request your estimate. Prefer to move away from a separate AC altogether? A heat pump paired with your new furnace creates a dual fuel system that heats efficiently most of the winter.
What Affects Furnace Replacement Cost?
Every installation is quoted on its own. The price depends on the furnace's efficiency and features, the size your home needs, whether the venting has to change (for example, moving from a chimney to plastic venting for a condensing furnace), and any ductwork or gas line updates. We provide free estimates with no hidden fees, and financing is available for qualified applicants. Need a repair instead? Our furnace repair team works on all makes and models.
