Heating and Cooling in Union, MO

Union has been the Franklin County seat since 1827, and it counted 12,348 people in the 2020 census. ZIP 63084 sits on the northwest side of the Bourbeuse River, where US 50 meets Highway 47 and I-44 runs about five miles east.

Low ground along the Bourbeuse and Flat Creek

If your house has ever taken water, treat the mechanical room as a separate question from the walls. NPR reported in January 2016 that the Bourbeuse ran through low-lying parts of Union, with one homeowner describing about four feet of water inside. The Missourian covered another Bourbeuse crest in 2017.

A basement furnace, water heater or air handler sits at exactly that height. Silt reaches the burners and water reaches the control board, and neither problem shows from the outside.

Above the flood line, the concern is ordinary age. Moving a replacement unit higher, onto a platform or an upper floor, is worth pricing if your basement has flooded before. A flood warning notice for Union describes Flat Creek backing up to Smeltzer's Park at 17.0 feet, so ask how your street behaved at that stage before you set a new condenser at grade.

Union permits, City Hall and the US 50 corridor

Union's Building and Engineering office, at the west entrance of City Hall, handles building permits and inspections. Inside city limits, start there. Outside them, Franklin County's Building Department is the place to ask. We cannot tell you the rule for your exact job, so ask before work begins.

The city bills water and sewer, but read your own statement for gas and electric, because we would not guess at your supplier. That matters if you are shopping rebates, since utility programs only apply to that utility's customers.

Heating and cooling in Union: how a visit runs

We come east on Highway 100 and south on Highway 47 into town, near East Central College and the courthouse. Call (209) 563-1270, describe the symptom and tell us if the system has ever been flooded, because that changes what we bring. We have no Union job photos to show, and we would rather say so than pretend. What you get is a test before any part is replaced and a quote before we start.

Subdivision and county-seat services worth a call

• Furnace replacement: the likely path for flood-damaged equipment, with the unit raised where that helps. Keep the inspection note, since an insurer may ask for it.
• Heat pump installation: subdivision homes coming up on a new system should compare it against gas. See heat pump vs furnace.
• Duct repair: basement ducts that took water hold silt and need a close look. Insulation that got wet stays wet, so it often has to come out.
• Commercial HVAC repair: county-seat offices and US 50 shops need a plan built around open hours, because a 46-minute drive leaves little room for a second parts run.
• Furnace maintenance: a fall check near East Central College or the courthouse catches a weak igniter early, and it gives a rental owner a dated record.
• Propane furnace service: for homes past the gas lines. Our propane vs electric guide compares the running costs.