Whole-System Services
HVAC Installation and System Replacement in Oakland County
Replacing the furnace and the air conditioner together is a big decision. Our family-owned crew measures your home, explains every option honestly and handles the HVAC installation from the first visit to the final test. On time, with the price agreed first.
Tell us what it is doing. We will tell you straight what happens next.
- Sized to your home
- Family-owned, crew of four
- 100% satisfaction guaranteed
HVAC installation, planned as one system
A furnace and AC replacement is something you live with for a long time, since a furnace typically lasts 15 to 20 years. The equipment itself matters less than you might think. How it is sized, matched and connected decides whether the house is comfortable or whether one bedroom is still cold in January. Maverick Heating and Cooling has been installing heating and cooling systems in Oakland County for 7 years.
We are family-owned, with a crew of four, and we do this the careful way on purpose. We measure the house instead of copying the label on the old furnace. We look at the ducts before we recommend equipment. We lay out your options, tell you which we would choose in your place, and put a price on each before any work starts. If your current system has years left in it, we will say so.
What to watch for
Signs it is time for a new HVAC system
No single one of these means you must replace. Two or three together usually do.
Both units are getting old
Furnaces typically last 15 to 20 years and air conditioners often somewhat less. Common guidance is to start weighing replacement once the furnace is past 15 and the air conditioner past 10, instead of waiting for a failure.
Repairs are stacking up
One repair on an older system is normal. Several in two years, or one that would cost more than half the price of new equipment, usually means the money is better spent on a replacement.
The air conditioner runs on R-22
R-22 has not been made or imported since 2020, so a repair that needs refrigerant depends on a shrinking recycled supply. The system can still be serviced, but a leak is a strong reason to replace.
Rooms that never feel right
Hot upstairs, cold over the garage, clammy in July. Sometimes that is the ducts and sometimes equipment that was the wrong size from day one. A replacement is the chance to fix both.
A major part has failed
A cracked heat exchanger or a dead compressor on an old system is where most people stop repairing. We show you what failed and price both routes.
What we do
What a full HVAC system replacement includes
A complete system is more than two boxes. These are the parts we replace, connect or check on a whole-system job.
Furnace or air handler
The indoor unit that makes the heat and houses the blower. That one blower moves the air for heating and cooling alike.
Air conditioner or heat pump
The outdoor unit. An air conditioner only cools. A heat pump cools in summer and reverses to heat the house in the cold months.
Indoor coil
It sits at the furnace and does the actual cooling. Refrigerants are not interchangeable and most new equipment uses a newer one, so the coil is matched to the outdoor unit and replaced with it.
Venting and combustion air
A high-efficiency furnace vents through plastic pipe, usually out a side wall, not up the old chimney. We plan that route before the job starts.
Duct connections
New equipment is rarely the same shape as the old. We build the transitions that join it to your ducts and seal them.
Condensate drain
Both the cooling coil and a high-efficiency furnace make water. It needs a proper drain, trap and, where there is no floor drain nearby, a pump.
Thermostat and controls
Two-stage and variable-speed equipment needs a thermostat that can run it. We fit one that suits the system and show you how to use it.
Gas and electrical connections
Gas piping, the shutoff, the power supply and the outdoor disconnect, connected and tested before the system is started.
Should you replace the furnace and AC at the same time?
Often, yes. The furnace and the air conditioner share a blower, and an air conditioner's efficiency rating is based on the outdoor unit, the indoor coil and the blower working as a matched set. Bolt a new outdoor unit to a 20-year-old furnace and you may not get the performance you paid for. Doing both together also means the system is taken apart once, and everything is the same age from then on.
But not always. If the furnace is eight years old and the air conditioner is twenty, replace the cooling side and keep the furnace. If the furnace fails in January and the air conditioner is young and healthy, replace the furnace. We would sooner do half a job that makes sense than a whole one that does not. For replacing one or the other, see furnace installation and AC installation.
Which new HVAC system fits a Michigan home?
Most homes here heat with natural gas and forced air, and for them the choice comes down to three setups. A fourth covers houses and rooms without ducts. In a Michigan winter the heating side does far more work than the cooling side, so that is where to spend your attention.
- Gas furnace plus central air. The familiar pairing. Strong heat in the coldest weather, and it uses the ducts and gas line you already have.
- Dual-fuel (hybrid). A heat pump heats in mild weather and the gas furnace takes over when it turns properly cold. A sensible fit for a home that already has gas.
- Cold-climate heat pump. All-electric heating and cooling. Models built for cold climates keep heating in single-digit temperatures. Standard models lose efficiency in cold weather and often lean on backup heat.
- Ductless. Ductless mini-splits suit additions, finished attics and older homes with boilers and no ducts. Each indoor unit has its own control.
Sizing: the load calculation and the duct check
The label on the old furnace tells you what someone chose decades ago, before the new windows and the attic insulation. We size a new system with a load calculation, the industry method that works from the house itself: its size, insulation, windows, air leakage and which way it faces. An oversized furnace runs in short, noisy bursts and takes extra wear. An oversized air conditioner cools the house fast, shuts off before it has pulled the humidity out, and leaves you cool but clammy.
Then the ducts. New equipment can only deliver the air the ducts will carry. A typical duct system loses about 20 to 30 percent of its air through leaks and poor connections, and a return that is too small will choke any furnace. If the ducts need work we tell you up front. Our ductwork page explains what that involves.
What drives the cost of HVAC replacement in Oakland County
We do not publish a price, because an honest one depends on your house. Size comes first, set by the load calculation. Efficiency is second: a furnace's AFUE is the share of the fuel that becomes heat, and SEER2 and HSPF2 are the ratings for cooling and for heat pump heating. Higher numbers usually cost more to buy and less to run. Single-stage equipment is either on or off. Two-stage and variable-speed models run longer at a lower output, which is usually quieter and more even, and they cost more.
The rest is the house. A furnace in an open basement is a simpler job than one in a tight closet or an attic. Moving to a high-efficiency furnace means a new vent route and a drain. Duct repairs add to the job. We price each option separately so you can see what you are paying for.
How it works
From first call to start-up
Call and tell us
Tell us what you have now, how old it is and what bothers you about it. We set a time to see the house, and we keep it.
We measure the house
We run the load calculation, inspect the ducts, venting, drain and electrical supply, and ask how you use the rooms. Then we give you your options, each with a price.
Installation, start to finish
Our crew removes the old equipment, sets the new and connects ducts, refrigerant lines, venting, drain, gas and power. You know beforehand how long the house will be without heating or cooling.
Start-up and walkthrough
We start the system, test heating and cooling, check airflow and set up the thermostat. Then we show you the filter, the shutoffs and the controls. 100% satisfaction guaranteed.
Why Maverick
Family-owned, on time and honest for 7 years
Family-owned
A family business with a crew of four, in business for 7 years.
On time
You planned your day around us. When we give you a time, that is when we are at your door.
Honest work
We show you what is wrong and tell you the price before we start. If a small fix does it, we say so.
100% satisfaction guaranteed
We stand behind every job. Your satisfaction is guaranteed, 100%.
Should I replace my furnace and air conditioner at the same time?
If both are near the end of their lives, yes. They share a blower, the cooling coil sits at the furnace, and new cooling equipment performs as rated only with matched parts. If one is much younger than the other and working well, replace only the old one. We will tell you honestly which case you are in.
How much does a new HVAC system cost in Oakland County?
It depends on the size your house needs, the efficiency and type of equipment you choose, how easy the equipment is to reach and whether the ducts, venting or wiring need work. A figure given without seeing the house is a guess. We come out, measure, and give you a price for each option before you commit to anything. Call 248-930-2080.
Is a heat pump a good choice in Michigan, or should I stay with gas?
Both can work. Heat pumps built for cold climates keep producing heat in single-digit weather, so the idea that they cannot cope here is out of date. Whether one costs less to run than a gas furnace depends on your gas and electric rates and your house, and we will not promise a saving we cannot show. Many homeowners with gas choose dual-fuel and get some of each.
What is a dual-fuel HVAC system?
A dual-fuel, or hybrid, system pairs an electric heat pump with a gas furnace. The heat pump cools the house in summer and heats it in mild weather. Below an outdoor temperature chosen when the system is set up, the gas furnace takes over.
Do I need new ductwork with a new HVAC system?
Usually not all of it. Most homes keep their main ducts and get new connections at the equipment, some sealing and sometimes a larger return. Ducts that are badly undersized, falling apart or run uninsulated through an attic or crawl space are a different story. We inspect them before recommending equipment and tell you plainly what needs to be done and what can stay.
How long does it take to replace an HVAC system?
It depends on the job, and before we start we tell you how long yours will take and how long you will be without heating or cooling. A like-for-like furnace and air conditioner in an open basement is the quickest job, and a new vent route, duct changes or a change of system type all add time.
When is the right time of year to replace an HVAC system?
Spring and fall, when you can go without heating or cooling for a short while and nothing is urgent. Systems that fail in January or July get replaced in a hurry, with less time to weigh the options. If your equipment is old and has started needing repairs, plan the replacement for mild weather. Building or adding on? See HVAC for new construction.
Keep reading
Related services
Other work we do alongside HVAC installation.
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Heating
Furnace Installation
A new furnace sized to your house by calculation, installed carefully and tested before we leave.
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Cooling
AC Installation
New central air sized to your house, for replacements and homes getting AC for the first time.
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Heating + cooling
Heat Pumps
Cold-climate and dual-fuel heat pumps installed, repaired and serviced. One system that heats and cools.
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Heating + cooling
Ductwork
Leaky, crushed or undersized ducts repaired, sealed and replaced so every room gets its share of air.
Where we work
HVAC Installation across Oakland County
We are a family-owned crew of four serving these communities and the towns around them.
- Troy
- Rochester Hills
- Royal Oak
- Southfield
- Farmington Hills
- Novi
- Waterford
- West Bloomfield
- Pontiac
- Bloomfield Hills
- Birmingham
- Auburn Hills
- Clarkston
- Lake Orion
Do not see your town? Call 248-930-2080 and ask, or see our full service area.
Too hot or too cold?
Call the family that shows up
On time. Honest about the problem and the price. 100% satisfaction guaranteed.
248-930-2080Maverick Heating and Cooling · Family-owned · Oakland County, MI