HVAC Installation in Wausau, WI
A new system here will heat from September through May and cool from July through August every year. Tell us about the house, and a licensed contractor who covers Marathon County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
A new system here works nine months a year, not one
Winter nights in Marathon County average 9°F from December through February. A new furnace or heat pump has to hold the house warm through that, night after night, for nine months, September through May. July and August are the only months it isn't heating, and those are the months it's cooling instead, with summer afternoons averaging 78°F.
That means almost the whole year, the system is doing one job or the other. It has to be sized right for both, not just built to survive the cold. Power matters too. Wisconsin saw 18% of households lose power for 24 hours or more in 2024, and Marathon County has logged 33 winter storms and 82 damaging wind events over the past ten years. A furnace with a standing pilot keeps working without electricity. One with electronic ignition does not.
- 9 months
- September through May, your system heats
- 2 months
- July through August, it cools
- 9°F
- the average winter night it heats against
- 78°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
Wisconsin requires contractors to register with the state.
That registration puts the business on file with the state, nothing more. Nobody tests the contractor's trade knowledge to get it, and the state does not check the work once it is done. Wisconsin also keeps counties and cities from layering their own HVAC license on top, so this registration is the only state-level record that exists anywhere in Wisconsin.
For a job like this, the protection comes from the local building office instead. In most cities and counties, installing a furnace, air conditioner or heat pump needs a permit, and the completed work gets an inspection before it is signed off. That inspection is what checks the gas connections, the wiring and the rest of the installation, not the state registration.
Sources: Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau · Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services
- When should I replace my HVAC system?
- Replace it when repairs stop making sense or the system can't keep up anymore. An old furnace or air conditioner that needs a major repair, like a cracked heat exchanger or a failed compressor, usually costs more to fix than it's worth. Watch for other signs too. Rooms that won't hold temperature, a system that runs constantly, or a jump in your energy bills with no other explanation all point the same way. Homes here need heat from September through May, so a furnace that's struggling early in that stretch is only going to get worse as winter sets in.
- Should I replace my furnace and air conditioner at the same time?
- If both are old, replacing them together is often worth considering, but it depends on the condition of each one. A furnace and air conditioner installed at the same time tend to wear out around the same time too, so if your furnace is failing and your AC is the same age, it may be close behind. They also share the blower and ductwork, so matching a new system to old equipment can affect how well it runs. A contractor can look at both and tell you whether it makes sense to replace one or both now.
- What happens during an HVAC installation?
- A contractor first removes the old equipment and checks the ductwork, gas line, and electrical connections to make sure they'll work with the new system. The new furnace or air conditioner gets set in place and connected to the ducts, venting, and power or gas supply. Once it's hooked up, the contractor tests it, checks refrigerant levels or gas pressure, and confirms it's heating or cooling the way it should before they leave. Homes here need heat most of the year, so that testing step matters. You want the system running right before the cold sets in.