Most Broomfield two-stories from the 1990s and 2000s have the same setup: a gas furnace in the basement, a cooling coil sitting on top of it, and an outdoor unit in the side yard. Two copper lines connect the outdoor unit to the coil, and the furnace blower moves the air for both heating and cooling.
Replacing the AC
The outdoor unit and the coil get replaced together. New units run on R-454B or R-32 and are rated with a matching coil. If the old copper lines are the right size and hold pressure, they can stay.
The furnace stays too, but its blower has to move enough air across the new coil, so we check it before we quote.
Replacing the furnace
A high-efficiency furnace vents through two white PVC pipes out a side wall and drains its condensate. An older furnace often shares a metal flue with the water heater. Take the furnace off that flue and the water heater may need its own vent fixed, so your quote should cover it.
If the AC is past about 15 years old, price both together. The coil gets disconnected and refit either way.
Adding a heat pump
A heat pump sits where the AC does and cools the same way. It also heats the house through most of a Broomfield winter. Pair it with a gas furnace and the furnace takes over on the coldest nights. That pairing is the most common whole-house system we install, and heat pumps get bigger rebates than a furnace or AC. See which ones you qualify for.
The room over the garage
A bedroom over the garage usually runs hot in July and cold in January. A bigger furnace won't fix it, because the room sits over an unheated garage at the end of a long duct run. A small ductless heat pump in that room usually does.
The planner shows the typical price for each job. For yours, send photos of the furnace and the outdoor side.
Common questions
Can I replace only the AC and keep my furnace?
Usually, yes. The outdoor unit and the coil change together, and we check that the furnace blower can handle the new coil. If the furnace is near the end of its life, doing both at once saves refitting the coil later.
Is a mini-split a heat pump?
Yes. It heats and cools like any heat pump, with an indoor unit on the wall instead of a coil in the ductwork. That makes it the usual fix for a room over the garage.