Five systems
Which system are you replacing or adding?
Pick the job that matches your house. Each page lists the questions that decide that job and what a quote should show. Send your details from any page and we will give you the questions and introduce one local contractor.
If your system has just stopped working, a repair may be the cheaper first question, and replacing it is a separate decision you can make afterward.
Three questions
Three questions to ask before anyone prices your system
The load worksheet
Will you do a load calculation and give me the worksheet?
Chimney and water heater
What happens to my chimney and my gas water heater?
The worksheet
What any quote should show
| Ask on every quote | Quote A | Quote B | Quote C |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1A load worksheet for your house | Quote A answer | Quote B answer | Quote C answer |
| 2How the new unit will vent | Quote A answer | Quote B answer | Quote C answer |
| 3What happens to the water heater | Quote A answer | Quote B answer | Quote C answer |
| 4Duct or pipe changes, listed one by one | Quote A answer | Quote B answer | Quote C answer |
| 5Who pulls the permit | Quote A answer | Quote B answer | Quote C answer |
| 6What is removed and hauled away | Quote A answer | Quote B answer | Quote C answer |
| 7A start date and a payment schedule | Quote A answer | Quote B answer | Quote C answer |
We tell you what to ask before anyone prices a new system, then introduce a local contractor who does the work.
Start your worksheet
Tell us about the house and the system. You get the three questions, and a local contractor only if you say yes.
Credit: $100 off your first job
The $100 comes off once your installation is booked through us.
- We fund the $100; the contractor's quote is unchanged.
- One credit per customer at each property.
- Book the job by December 31, 2026.
- Mention the credit when you book.
Spec FAQ
Questions before you ask for quotes
| You ask | Short answer |
|---|---|
| F1 Which system should I choose? | Start with what the house already has. A ducted house suits a furnace or a ducted heat pump, and a house on radiators suits a boiler. Ask each contractor to show the worksheet behind the choice. |
| F2 Can I buy only the part I need? | You may be able to. Say so on the first call. Some jobs link, such as a furnace and a cooling coil, so ask what the contractor recommends and why. |
| F3 Do you install the equipment? | No. A local contractor installs it. We tell you what to ask before anyone prices the job, and we introduce a contractor if you want one. |
Five systems
Which system are you replacing?
| System | In a line | Ask first | Page |
|---|---|---|---|
| Furnace Replacement and Installation | Ask about size, the chimney and your ducts first. | Chimney and water heater | See this system Furnace |
| Boiler Replacement | Start from your radiators, then ask about venting. | Ducts and pipes | See this system Boiler |
| Central Air Installation | Check your ducts and the sizing before you buy cooling. | The load worksheet | See this system Central air |
| Heat Pump Installation | Ask for the balance point and the backup plan. | The load worksheet | See this system Heat pump |
| Ductwork and Air Distribution | Find out what your ducts can carry before buying more capacity. | Ducts and pipes | See this system Ductwork |
Your situation
Start from your house
| If this is your house | In a line | System |
|---|---|---|
| A gas furnace that is original to the house | Ask about its size, its vent and the water heater. | Furnace |
| Radiators on every floor and a boiler in the basement | Start with what each room needs. | Boiler |
| No cooling in a house with ducts | Find out if the ducts can carry summer air. | Central air |
| You want one unit for heat and cooling | Ask for the backup plan below the balance point. | Heat pump |
| A room that is cold in winter and stuffy in summer | Check the ducts before you buy more capacity. | Ductwork |
| An oil boiler with a tank in the basement | Ask what leaves with the old tank and where the new vent runs. | Boiler |
Pipe run
How a job runs
- 01
Say what is in the house
Fuel, age, ducts or radiators, and the town you live in.
- 02
Take the questions to each bidder
Ask all three before any visit, and write the answers down.
- 03
See one local contractor
If you say yes, you meet one contractor who has your details.
- 04
Read the quote against the checklist
Book only if every line is there or explained.
The Heating and Cooling Syracuse pledge
- Asking us is free, and so is the introduction.
- You get the three questions before anyone quotes.
- You decide whether a contractor visits.
- Your $100 comes off the way our Terms set out.
The contractor you choose answers for the installation itself.
Heating and Cooling Syracuse, (315) 640-3590 Full start-up terms
Credit: $100 off your first job
The $100 comes off once your installation is booked through us.
- We fund the $100; the contractor's quote is unchanged.
- One credit per customer at each property.
- Book the job by December 31, 2026.
- Mention the credit when you book.
Notes
Notes before you choose
Every replacement quote rests on three things: how the size was worked out, what happens at the chimney, and what the existing ducts or pipes can carry. The five jobs below put those questions in a different order.
Why the jobs differ
A furnace replacement is mostly a vent and size question. A boiler job starts with the radiators. Central air depends on the ducts you own, and a heat pump depends on how cold your coldest night is. Duct work stands on its own because ducts limit everything attached to them.
Want the worksheet for your house?
If you are not sure which job you have, pick the not sure option on the form and say what the house has.
What every job has in common
Whatever you replace, three papers should come back from the contractor: a load worksheet, a note on the vent or the piping, and a written list of what is and is not in the price. If one is missing, ask for it before you compare totals.
Ready to compare quotes?
You will not find prices on this site. The contractor's written quote sets the price, and the three papers let you compare one quote against another.
Before you pick a page
Think about what bothers you most. If it is a quote you do not trust, start with the furnace or boiler page. If it is a room that never feels right, start with ducts. If it is the thought of winter on a heat pump, start with that page. Each one ends with the same worksheet, so you can read more than one.
Tell us the house and the system.
When you are ready, send your details from any page and say which system you have in mind. If you are unsure, say that. Name your town, say how old the house is and what sits in the basement today, and we will send back the matching questions.
Ask first, then compare quotes.