Heating and Cooling in Hanover, MA

Large parts of Hanover grew up in the second half of the twentieth century. Capes, ranches, raised ranches, and colonials built from the 1950s through the 1980s are everywhere, and they share a few traits. Many have a forced hot air system or a hot water baseboard loop fed by an oil or gas boiler or furnace, a basement or utility space where the equipment lives, and ductwork that was sized for the heating system and never for air conditioning.

That last point matters if you are thinking about central air. Ducts built only to carry heat can be too small to move the larger volume of air that cooling requires, so adding an air conditioner takes more than a coil and a condenser. We measure airflow and static pressure, and we tell you whether the ducts can handle it. If they cannot, we explain what a fix looks like. See central air conditioning installation for how we approach it.

A lot of Hanover homes still depend on window units in July. They work, but they block windows, hum all night, and cool a single room. Homeowners ask us whether central air is worth it. The honest answer is that it is for many houses, particularly where bedrooms are on the second floor and heat collects overhead.

• Houses with good ducts: The simplest case. A new coil and condenser can often be added to the existing furnace.
• Houses with baseboard heat: There are no ducts. A ductless mini-split or small ducted system is the usual answer.
• Two-story colonials: Often a second system for upstairs, because one thermostat cannot manage both floors.
• Ranch homes: Often one system works fine, especially with ducts in the basement or crawl space.

Hanover sees the same nor'easters and cold snaps as the rest of Plymouth County. If your system is 15 or more years old, it is worth a conversation about whether to repair or replace before the winter hits. Our guide to replacing a furnace or boiler lists the signs. A yearly tune-up in the fall is the best way to keep a good furnace from becoming a bad surprise.

If your thermostat is original to the house, upgrading it is one of the simplest improvements. See thermostat installation for what we install and how we match controls to equipment.

We are close. Hanover is one of our nearest towns, and our trucks pass through it regularly. We are a family owned company, so you are dealing with people who answer for the work. We give you a written quote and an honest explanation, and if you do not need something, we say so.