Is now a bad time to replace your AC or furnace?

Verdict for October 26, 2026

Good

Go for it. Fall off-season.

Contractors answer the phone this time of year.

The year, best to worst

5 = best. ▶ marks this month.

Best windows

March: Early spring: AC off-season.
April: Spring off-season.
September: Early fall: furnace off-season.
October: Fall off-season.

Worst windows

January: Peak heating season: contractors are swamped.
February: Peak heating season.
June: Peak cooling season.
July: Peak cooling season.
December: Heating season.

How we know

The sale calendar. Month scores (1–5) are our judgment, based on the well-known retail patterns reported by the sources below. They're not numbers from those sources.

CBS News, 'When's the cheapest time of year to buy a new furnace or AC?': Cheapest is during HVAC off-peak periods: early spring for AC, late summer/early fall for furnaces; most expensive when temperatures are most extreme.
HVAC.com, 'The Best Time to Buy an Air Conditioner': Fall and spring are ideal; contractors are swamped in summer and winter, with longer waits and higher costs.

Last updated: page rebuilt October 26, 2026.

Shopping anyway?

Placeholder: affiliate links coming later. No affiliate links or sponsored picks here yet. If we add any, we'll label them clearly.

FAQ

When is the best time to replace your AC or furnace?

By our ranking: March, April, September, October. See "How we know" on this page for the sources and math.

When is the worst time to replace your AC or furnace?

By our ranking: January, February, June, July, December.

My system is dead right now. Should I wait for the off-season?

No. Sweating it out is not a financial strategy.