Most homes around Katy heat with a gas furnace that sits in the attic and runs only a few months a year. When it is time for a furnace installation, Spring Branch Air Conditioning & Heating sizes the new system to the house first.
Family owned since 1956. Owned since 2019 by Chris Crawford, a retired Air Force veteran.
Before quoting a new system, a Spring Branch AC technician diagnoses what the existing furnace is actually doing. Plenty of heating calls end in a repair, and that is the outcome we look for first. Real technicians work here, not professional salespeople.
When replacement is the better call, the install comes down to three things.
Sizing. A furnace that is too large for the house warms it faster but burns more fuel and creates bigger temperature swings from room to room. Our technicians run a load calculation on the home instead of matching whatever was there before.
Efficiency. AFUE measures how much of the fuel a furnace turns into heat. The minimum that can be sold in southern states is 80% AFUE, and Spring Branch AC installs from that floor up to 98.3% AFUE. A high efficiency furnace can cut operating costs by up to 50% compared with a ten year old unit, and a model with an energy efficient motor saves 20% to 50% of the energy used to run the fan.
Ductwork. All supply ductwork should be insulated to R-8. R-6 shows up constantly in existing Houston installations and does not hold up in attics that run past 130 degrees. A new furnace pushing air through under insulated duct will not deliver what it is rated for.
Furnace work sits alongside the rest of the heating and air conditioning services Spring Branch AC runs across the Houston area.
The furnace is past the 10 year mark Most systems run 10 to 20 years. Manufacturers have de-engineered equipment to the point that major problems now tend to show up closer to year 10.
Repairs are getting more frequent When the furnace needs work every season and the parts bill keeps climbing, the math starts to favor a new system over another repair.
Heating bills keep climbing month over month Gradually rising bills with no change in how you run the thermostat usually mean the furnace is losing efficiency as it ages.
The furnace sounds different than it used to Any change in operating sound is worth a call. Small noises caught early keep both the damage and the repair cost down.
The furnace was built in 1990 or earlier Furnaces from that era often rate 65% AFUE or lower, which means about a third of what you spend on gas never reaches the house as heat.
Dealer status covers the full Amana line. The parent company runs a manufacturing plant in west Houston, which keeps equipment and warranty parts close to Katy.
NATE is the independent certification standard for HVAC technicians. Earning it requires passing testing on real world system scenarios.
Spring Branch AC is licensed by the State of Texas, fully insured, and a member of the Texas Air Conditioning Contractors Association.
Nobody on the truck works on commission, so the recommendation you get reflects what the technician found in your system.
Furnace pricing depends on the size the house calls for, the AFUE rating you choose, and the condition of the existing ductwork and venting. Estimates are free, so you have the number before anything gets ordered.
Financing runs through Synchrony Financial, subject to credit approval. The most used plan is 0% interest for 18 months, with approval handled on site.
Can my current furnace be repaired instead? Often, yes. A technician diagnoses the system before any replacement quote gets written. Replacement becomes the honest recommendation when a system is 10 or more years old, efficiency has dropped, and repairs are stacking up. Our guide on repairing versus replacing a system walks through the same decision.
What AFUE rating makes sense for a Katy home? It depends on how the house is built and how long you plan to stay in it. Spring Branch AC provides a cost estimate along with a payback schedule showing how the higher efficiency equipment pays for itself through lower gas usage, so the comparison is a number rather than a guess.
Do I need to replace the air conditioner at the same time? Not always, but the components work as a matched set and the technician will check how the new furnace pairs with what is already there. On the cooling side, replacing only the outdoor unit of an aging system can reduce efficiency by up to 15%, shorten the life of the equipment, and void most manufacturer warranties.
Is the furnace in my new construction home still under warranty? Manufacturers provide a 5 year parts warranty on equipment in a newly built home. Registering it within 60 days of closing doubles that to 10 years at no extra cost. Spring Branch AC will locate the model and serial numbers and complete the registration for you, which takes about three minutes.
Do you charge extra for weekends or after hours? No. Phones are answered 24/7 and there is no upcharge for weekend or after hours calls.
| Service | What It Covers |
| Heater and Furnace Repair | Diagnostics and repair for furnaces that have stopped producing heat, started making new noises, or are heating unevenly. |
| Heater and Furnace Maintenance | Fall checkups under the $149 per year maintenance agreement, which also covers the spring visit for the AC system. |
| Full HVAC System Replacement | When the furnace and the air conditioner are both near the end of their run, replacing them together keeps every component matched. |
| Gas Furnaces and Air Handlers | The Amana heating equipment Spring Branch AC installs, including gas furnaces, air handlers, thermostats and zoning products. |
Tell us the age of the furnace and the size of the house, and a technician can tell you whether this is a repair conversation or a replacement conversation.
