HVAC Installation in Ruston, LA
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 Lincoln Parish will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
Ten months of work a year, in weather that goes both ways
A new system here has two seasons to answer for, not one. Summer afternoons average 92°F, and winter nights average 37°F from December through February. Homes in Lincoln Parish need heat from November through March and cooling from May through September, ten months out of the year with barely a break between them.
More than half of homes here heat with electricity, which puts real load on the grid in a cold snap. That matters when storms hit it. Louisiana saw 49% of households lose power for at least a day in 2024, and this area has logged 51 damaging wind events and 5 winter storms over the past ten years. A new furnace or heat pump has to hold up through that kind of year, not just a mild one.
- 5 months
- November through March, your system heats
- 5 months
- May through September, it cools
- 37°F
- the average winter night it heats against
- 92°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
Louisiana requires HVAC contractors to hold a state license.
The Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors tests contractors before issuing that license, and it keeps a record of who holds one. The license belongs to the contractor, not to any single job, so the same license that covers your installation is what stays on file afterward if a problem turns up.
On a heating and cooling install, that license is what stands behind the work. In most cities and counties, putting in a new furnace, air conditioner or heat pump also needs a permit from the local building office, and the finished work gets an inspection before it is signed off. That permit and inspection run alongside the state license, not in place of it.
Source: Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors
- When should I replace my HVAC system?
- Look at how often you are calling for repairs, not just the age of the equipment. Once a furnace or air conditioner starts breaking down more than once a season, replacing it usually makes more sense than paying for another repair. Short cycling, running longer than it used to, or leaving rooms uneven are also signs the system is wearing out. With 5 months of heat needed here and 5 months of cooling, a failing system does not get much of a break either way, so waiting for total failure means going without heat or air in weather that will not let up soon.
- Should I replace my furnace and air conditioner at the same time?
- If both are old and starting to fail, yes, and here is why. A furnace and air conditioner installed together are matched to work as one system, and pairing new equipment with an old unit can keep the new one from running at its full efficiency. It also means avoiding a second installation a few years later when the older unit finally gives out. If one of the two still has real years left in it, a contractor can look at both and tell you whether replacing just one makes sense for your house.
- What happens during an HVAC installation?
- The old furnace, air conditioner, or both come out, and the new equipment goes in and gets connected to your ductwork, gas or electric line, and thermostat. The contractor checks the ducts, refrigerant lines, and electrical connections to make sure everything matches the new equipment, since a mismatch there can hurt performance even with a good unit. Louisiana requires the contractor doing this work to hold a state license, and most cities and counties require a permit and an inspection once the job is done. A contractor will walk you through what your specific house needs before work starts.