Shrewsbury is a 1.4-square-mile inner-ring city in St. Louis County, about six miles southwest of downtown St. Louis, with roughly 6,300 residents in 3,100 households. Its housing is a mix: 43% detached homes and 30% units in buildings of ten or more, which is unusually apartment-heavy for the county. Median year built: 1967.
Central air in a 1960s home
St. Louis summers are hot and muggy, and Shrewsbury's houses from the 1950s and '60s were often built without central air or got it added later. Common setups:
- A condenser outside paired with a coil sitting on the basement gas furnace
- Undersized supply ducts originally designed for heat only
- Upstairs rooms that never cool well because returns are on the first floor
When replacing, confirm the duct system can move enough air for the new tonnage, and match the coil to the condenser.
Apartment and condo units
About 34% of households heat with electricity, largely in apartment and condo buildings. Those units commonly use a closet air handler with a heat pump or AC. A heat pump replacement covers both heating and cooling. Building rules may control condenser placement on roofs or pads.
R-22 equipment
Systems more than about fifteen years old may use R-22, now out of production. A leak often makes replacement the sensible choice.
Who sells
Furnace Direct, a DBA of Hamlin Mechanical LLC, offers cooling equipment and furnaces factory-direct. Our St. Louis hub arranges licensed installation.
Good timing
Book in spring before June heat, or in fall once demand drops. If the furnace is also old, replacing both at once keeps the system matched.
Start
Send model numbers for the condenser and furnace. Call for Pricing: (888) 762-1334.
Source: Census Reporter, American Community Survey 2024 five-year.
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