Olivette is a leafy inner-ring municipality in central St. Louis County, roughly eight miles west of the riverfront. Around 8,600 people live in 3,500 households packed into under three square miles. Stand-alone houses make up 73% of dwellings, larger multifamily buildings about 9%, and the median build year is 1960.
Pick your scenario
"My furnace died, the AC is only five years old."
Swap only the burner cabinet for a current gas model. A heat pump can wait until the condenser needs replacing anyway.
"Both pieces are original or close to it."
This is where hybrid heat earns its keep. Trade the condenser for an air-source pump, retain combustion heat for bitter spells, and program a changeover point. Missouri's drawn-out springs and autumns are when that pump earns most of its keep.
"We don't have gas."
Roughly 21% of Olivette households heat electrically, many of them condos. An indoor blower unit matched to a pump typically replaces aging resistance heat.
"We have gas and don't want to change anything."
That's the majority — about 78% of homes — and a like-for-like swap is fine. Just size it from a load calculation, not from the old nameplate.
Four pre-purchase inspections
- Breaker capacity for added electric load.
- How many return grilles exist (often one).
- Joist-bay returns and old cloth tape downstairs.
- Whether the water heater keeps a properly sized chimney.
Supplier
Olivette sits inside our St. Louis service area; Furnace Direct, a DBA of Hamlin Mechanical LLC, sells the equipment factory-direct.
Next move
Plan in April or September. Have photos of both equipment labels ready, then phone (888) 762-1334 and ask us to Call for Pricing.
Olivette city statistics (ACS five-year, 2024 release): Census Reporter.
Get your system replaced.
Tell us a little about your home and what you're replacing. A specialist will call you to work out exactly what you need, go over the price, and get it replaced. No obligation.