SolvedHeating Installation
Anyone dealt with a new heating system coming in with wildly different replacement recommendations in Chicago?
Asked by Ava Morganin Chicago, Illinois· 4/6/2026· 606 views
I'm in Chicago, Illinois and dealing with a 7-year-old new heating system in our townhouse. Over the past few service calls, it has been coming in with wildly different replacement recommendations and we're now noticing the technician who came out last time did not leave any actual readings behind.
One contractor quoted $1,919 for repair, while another jumped straight to a $9,087 replacement because of the age. The weather here has been dealing us dry afternoon heat, so I do not want to wait too long, but I also do not want to approve the wrong scope.
If you were comparing bids on this, what would you want checked first? I especially want to know how much weight you would give to load calculation, venting requirements, duct sizing, and equipment staging.
replacementquotessizing
9 Answers
46
✓ Accepted Answer
The price range alone does not tell you enough. Ask what was tested, what failed, and which assumptions are built into the quote. For a new heating system that is coming in with wildly different replacement recommendations, the first things I would ask for are load calculation, venting requirements, duct sizing, and equipment staging. If the contractor is recommending bigger work, ask them to explain which measurement supports that recommendation and whether they ruled out airflow or controls first. In Chicago, Illinois, pricing can move around, but the diagnostic process should still be clear.
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The recommendation should be tied to measurements, not just the age of the equipment. Age matters, but it is not a diagnosis on its own. For a new heating system that is coming in with wildly different replacement recommendations, the first things I would ask for are load calculation, venting requirements, duct sizing, and equipment staging. If the contractor is recommending bigger work, ask them to explain which measurement supports that recommendation and whether they ruled out airflow or controls first. In Chicago, Illinois, pricing can move around, but the diagnostic process should still be clear.
22
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The price range alone does not tell you enough. Ask what was tested, what failed, and which assumptions are built into the quote. For a new heating system that is coming in with wildly different replacement recommendations, the first things I would ask for are load calculation, venting requirements, duct sizing, and equipment staging. If the contractor is recommending bigger work, ask them to explain which measurement supports that recommendation and whether they ruled out airflow or controls first. In Chicago, Illinois, pricing can move around, but the diagnostic process should still be clear.
14
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We used the directory reviews to filter out firms that were vague about what they had actually tested. That saved us a lot of time. We had a related issue with our new heating system in Chicago. Once we forced every quote into the same format, the decision got much easier because the weak recommendations stood out immediately.
Logan Singh·4/6/2026
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If you can, ask whether they checked airflow before recommending equipment. We nearly replaced a system when the bigger issue was elsewhere. We had a related issue with our new heating system in Chicago. Once we forced every quote into the same format, the decision got much easier because the weak recommendations stood out immediately.
Leo Nguyen·4/7/2026
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If this landed on my schedule, I would want to document the core readings first and then explain exactly why the repair does or does not make economic sense. For a new heating system that is coming in with wildly different replacement recommendations, the first things I would ask for are load calculation, venting requirements, duct sizing, and equipment staging. If the contractor is recommending bigger work, ask them to explain which measurement supports that recommendation and whether they ruled out airflow or controls first. In Chicago, Illinois, pricing can move around, but the diagnostic process should still be clear.
12
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The price range alone does not tell you enough. Ask what was tested, what failed, and which assumptions are built into the quote. For a new heating system that is coming in with wildly different replacement recommendations, the first things I would ask for are load calculation, venting requirements, duct sizing, and equipment staging. If the contractor is recommending bigger work, ask them to explain which measurement supports that recommendation and whether they ruled out airflow or controls first. In Chicago, Illinois, pricing can move around, but the diagnostic process should still be clear.
11
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The price range alone does not tell you enough. Ask what was tested, what failed, and which assumptions are built into the quote. For a new heating system that is coming in with wildly different replacement recommendations, the first things I would ask for are load calculation, venting requirements, duct sizing, and equipment staging. If the contractor is recommending bigger work, ask them to explain which measurement supports that recommendation and whether they ruled out airflow or controls first. In Chicago, Illinois, pricing can move around, but the diagnostic process should still be clear.
10
0
The recommendation should be tied to measurements, not just the age of the equipment. Age matters, but it is not a diagnosis on its own. For a new heating system that is coming in with wildly different replacement recommendations, the first things I would ask for are load calculation, venting requirements, duct sizing, and equipment staging. If the contractor is recommending bigger work, ask them to explain which measurement supports that recommendation and whether they ruled out airflow or controls first. In Chicago, Illinois, pricing can move around, but the diagnostic process should still be clear.