Replacing Gas Wall and Floor Furnaces in Georgetown

Updated September 2026 · ATX Mini Split King, Austin and Central Texas

Many older properties in Georgetown, from historic cottages near the downtown square to mid-century ranches, still rely on vintage gas wall or floor furnaces. These units kept rooms warm for decades, but they provide zero relief during long, sweltering Central Texas summers. ATX Mini Split King helps homeowners retire these aging heaters and replace them with quiet, all-in-one ductless cooling and heating systems built for our local climate.

Flat pricing, everything included

Those are materials and labor together, wired to code by a TDLR licensed contractor. Anything non standard gets quoted first, before a single tool comes out of the truck: a very long line set, an electrical panel that needs work, a difficult mount, a roof or masonry penetration, disposal of the old equipment. You hear the number before we start, not after.

Understanding Wall and Floor Gas Furnaces

A gas wall or floor furnace is a self-contained heating unit that delivers direct warmth without any ductwork. In classic Georgetown houses built on pier and beam foundations, floor furnaces sit recessed directly into the subfloor, vented underneath through the crawlspace. Wall furnaces hang inside an interior partition wall, drawing combustion air from the room and venting exhaust through a vertical metal flue pipe that exits through the roof. Both systems operate on natural gas or propane.

These units function through basic thermal convection. Cold air settles near the floorboards, passes over a gas-fired metal heat exchanger, warms up, and rises naturally into the living space. Most older models rely on mechanical gas valves and standing pilot lights rather than electric blowers or modern circuit boards. While they provided simple heating for generations of Texans, they only address the short winter season and do not provide any form of air conditioning or air filtration.

Why Many Homes Still Rely on These Heaters

There are practical reasons why gas floor and wall furnaces survive in Georgetown neighborhoods. First, they are remarkably simple machines. Without motors, circuit boards, or complicated electronics, there are few moving parts that can fail unexpectedly. During severe winter cold snaps when grid power fails, a standing pilot floor or wall furnace with a millivolt gas valve can continue heating your living room, keeping pipes and families warm without any electricity.

Second, these units deliver intense, direct radiant heat that warms a central living room quickly. Because they do not rely on ductwork, they fit cleanly into older homes that lack attic clearance or closet space for bulky equipment. For homeowners who only need heating for a few brief weeks in January and February, an existing gas heater feels like an inexpensive, familiar fixture that takes up almost no practical living space.

The Downsides and Everyday Limitations

The most obvious limit in Central Texas is that gas wall and floor furnaces do nothing during our long, punishing summer heat. Families in older Georgetown properties are often forced to install noisy, rattling window units that block daylight and drive up monthly electric bills. Additionally, these heaters distribute warmth unevenly. The area directly above a floor grate or in front of a wall unit becomes uncomfortably hot, while bedrooms down the hallway stay cold and drafty.

Safety is another serious issue. Floor grates reach temperatures high enough to cause severe burns to bare feet, children, and pets. Wall furnaces occupy valuable wall real estate and restrict furniture placement because fabric and wood must stay clear of the hot metal front. Aging combustion chambers also pose indoor air quality and carbon monoxide hazards if the flue drafts poorly or the metal body develops pinhole cracks over decades of use.

Signs Your Gas Furnace Is Nearing the End

Age is the main factor with vintage heating equipment. If your wall or floor furnace produces a yellow, wandering burner flame instead of a crisp blue flame, it is not burning gas cleanly and may be producing excess carbon monoxide. Persistent soot around the registers, strange metallic odors, or a pilot light that frequently blows out are clear warnings that the gas valve, burner, or venting assembly has degraded beyond simple adjustment.

Physical corrosion is another critical warning sign. Moisture in Georgetown crawlspaces causes floor furnace outer boxes and exhaust pipes to rust over time. If you hear metal popping or clicking that lingers long after ignition, the heat exchanger may be expanding unevenly due to rust fractures. Once a heat exchanger cracks, TDLR licensed heating contractors cannot legally or safely leave the unit running, meaning replacement is mandatory.

What a Ductless Mini Split Replacement Involves

Replacing an old gas furnace with a ductless mini split brings modern heat pump technology to your home. On installation day, our crew disconnects the gas supply, caps the line safely to code, and removes the old furnace assembly. Floor furnace openings are framed and subfloored so your carpenter or flooring contractor can lay down matching planks. Wall furnace recesses can be removed and drywalled flat, reclaiming usable square footage in the room.

We mount a sleek indoor air handler high on an exterior or interior wall, run insulated copper line sets and a drain pipe through a small three-inch hole to the outdoor heat pump, and wire the equipment directly to your electrical panel. Flat pricing for standard installations is straightforward: $1,500 for one indoor head, $2,500 for two indoor heads, and $3,500 for three indoor heads, with all standard labor and materials included. Anything non standard, like long line sets, electrical panel upgrades, or awkward mounting locations, is clearly quoted before work starts.

Most standard conversions are finished in a single day. You will need to decide where you want the indoor heads positioned for optimal airflow and decide how you plan to finish the floor or wall opening after the old metal unit is removed. When the work is done, you gain whisper-quiet heating for winter and powerful, zoned cooling to conquer Texas summers without any bulky ductwork.

When You Should Not Make the Switch

A ductless mini split is not the right answer for every property owner. If your existing gas wall furnace works safely, your window air conditioning units keep you comfortable, and your budget is tight, paying for a complete system change may not make sense right now. In that situation, having a professional inspect your gas burner and cleaning the flue can keep you safe while you save funds for future home renovations.

Similarly, if your Georgetown home already has functional, well-insulated ductwork in the attic, installing a standard central heat pump might be more cost effective than hanging multiple ductless heads in separate rooms. If you are planning a major historic restoration or structural remodel within the next year, it is often best to wait a season so the heating and cooling plan matches your final architectural layout perfectly.

Questions people actually ask

What happens to the gas line when a floor furnace is removed?

Our crew safely shuts off the gas, removes the old connections, and caps the line using approved fittings according to local code. If you have other gas appliances like a water heater or range, those lines remain completely undisturbed. The old supply line to the furnace is made safe and secure beneath the subfloor.

Do you repair the floor or drywall after taking out the old furnace?

We handle the complete mechanical removal, gas capping, and basic subfloor framing over the floor void. However, we do not provide finished hardwood matching or finished drywall texturing and painting. Homeowners typically hire a local flooring specialist or handyman to lay finish flooring over the framed subfloor once our mechanical work is complete.

Will a ductless mini split handle cold Central Texas winter freezes?

Yes. Modern ductless heat pumps deliver reliable heating even when outdoor temperatures drop well below freezing. Unlike old gas heaters that blast heat into just one room, a multi-head ductless system spreads balanced warmth across your living areas without requiring an open flame, hot floor grates, or carbon monoxide concerns.

How long does a typical furnace removal and mini split installation take?

A standard one-head or two-head installation usually takes our crew a single day to complete. We arrive in the morning, remove the old gas heater, secure the gas line, run the refrigeration line sets and electrical connections, mount the equipment, and test both cooling and heating modes before leaving your home.

Can I keep my gas heater as a backup and add a mini split for cooling?

You can leave an existing wall or floor furnace in place if it passes a safety inspection and meets local clearances. However, most homeowners choose to remove the old heater completely to eliminate safety hazards, reclaim floor and wall space, and rely on the mini split for both year-round heating and cooling.

Keep reading

Every replacement guide we have written is listed on the replacement guide hub. Next door to this page: replacing a gas wall furnace or floor furnace with a ductless mini split in pflugerville, replacing a gas wall furnace or floor furnace with a ductless mini split in kyle. Pricing, service area and the quote form all live on the ATX Mini Split King home page, and the Austin mini split cost guide covers what the rest of the market charges.