Marysville, WA / Storyteller / Jul 22, 2026 /
Product Air Heating, Cooling, and Electric, a family-owned HVAC and electrical contractor serving residential customers across Western Washington, has published a new homeowner guide explaining the real cost of adding air conditioning to homes with existing furnaces across the Seattle area.
The guide is based on completed projects and highlights a key insight many homeowners miss: the condition of the existing furnace plays a larger role in total project cost than square footage alone.
“Most people assume the price is tied to the size of their home,” said Serge Nikolin, Co-Founder of Product Air Heating, Cooling, and Electric. “In reality, the bigger factor is what’s already sitting in your utility closet and whether it’s worth building around.”
The company’s guide presents two real Seattle-area projects with nearly identical starting points, homes with furnaces but no cooling, that resulted in significantly different outcomes.
In one Lake Stevens case, a 12-year-old furnace was inspected and confirmed to be in excellent condition. Instead of adding traditional air conditioning, the homeowner chose a heat pump add-on, which provided both heating and cooling while keeping the existing furnace as backup. After a local utility rebate, the total project cost came to $13,429.
In contrast, a Seattle homeowner with a much older oil furnace required a full system replacement. The project included removing the outdated equipment, installing a new high-efficiency furnace, and adding a matched air conditioning system. That project totaled $19,982.16, with no rebate available.
“Same request, ‘I want AC,’ but two completely different projects,” Nikolin said. “Both were the right decision for those homes. The difference was the condition of the furnace, not the size of the house.”
The guide explains that homeowners with a healthy, modern furnace often have the option to add a heat pump instead of traditional air conditioning. In many cases, heat pump installations qualify for regional rebates, which can make them more cost-effective than AC-only systems.
For older or failing furnaces, however, adding cooling typically becomes part of a larger replacement project, combining both heating and cooling systems into a single installation.
The company also highlights a third option for certain homes: ductless mini-split systems, which can provide targeted cooling without modifying existing ductwork.
Beyond pricing, the guide emphasizes the importance of proper inspection before making any decisions.
As more Seattle-area homeowners look to add cooling to homes that were originally built without it, Product Air sees increasing demand for clear, experience-based guidance.
The full article is available on the company’s website and is designed to help homeowners evaluate their options before committing to an HVAC upgrade.
About Product Air Heating, Cooling, and Electric
Product Air Heating, Cooling, and Electric is a family-run company founded in 2017 by the Nikolin brothers. Based in Marysville, Issaquah, and Seattle, Washington, the company provides heating, cooling, electrical, and backup power solutions for residential customers throughout Snohomish County and the greater Seattle region. The company has completed more than 5,000 residential projects.
With more than 100 years of combined industry experience, Serge Nikolin and his team focus on long-term comfort, honest recommendations, and practical solutions that help homeowners protect their families and their homes.
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Media Contact
Product Air Heating, Cooling, and Electric
Address: 6850 35th Ave NE #9, Seattle, WA 98115, United States
Phone: (425) 344-3738
Site: https://productairheating.com/
