“This still doesn’t look right.”

After paying a company to replace an aging furnace, one homeowner began to doubt the quality of the installation and posted the issue on Reddit. Many commenters agreed the setup appeared wrong.

Replacing a heating and cooling system can be a smart way to lower utility bills and protect against rising energy costs, but that only pays off if the equipment is installed correctly.

What happened

In the Reddit post, the home already had a heat pump installed by a different company when a new HVAC contractor removed a 15-year-old furnace and installed a new single-stage unit rated at 96% efficiency. The original poster said they had been told the new system would fit perfectly with the existing heat pump coil.

For homeowners comparing replacement options, Palmetto says it can help explain HVAC choices and lower energy bills with newer, more efficient HVAC systems and heat pumps. Its Comfort Plan network also connects homeowners with vetted installers and efficient heating and cooling solutions.

Once the work was finished, the homeowner said the new arrangement looked “quite different” from the old one and pointed to a 4-inch overhang where the coil extended beyond the furnace. In the comments, several Reddit users said that kind of mismatch should have been corrected with a transition piece instead of being left to hang over the cabinet.

“It’s hilarious because I commented under a different post of a similar situation and got downvoted into oblivion because I said that the coil needed a transition and it looked like a hack job,” one commenter wrote.

Another user graded the workmanship “on a scale from 1 to 10” as “a 2.”

More context

The homeowner said the contractor came back and altered the installation, but the change still did not seem to solve the problem. “This still doesn’t look right,” the OP wrote in a comment and included another photo.

Several commenters focused instead on whether air could move properly through the coil.

One said the installer should have used “2 transitions, inlet and outlet to give full air flow through coil.”

Another Redditor shared what they described as an evaporator-coil manual and said newer r454b/r32 systems are more sensitive to airflow issues.

Not everyone saw the overhang as an automatic problem. One commenter said they had seen a similar setup that was acceptable because “the part that hung over the side didn’t have coil so it worked out fine.” Even so, the OP said the company was licensed, which made the fit and finish more surprising.

What can be done?

The homeowner challenged the installation and got the contractor to return for revisions. Commenters said the proper fix would be a transition between the furnace and coil or a furnace size that better matched the existing heat pump coil.

For homeowners facing a similar replacement, asking in advance how a new furnace will connect to an existing coil — and inspecting the finished work before the crew leaves — can help catch fit and airflow problems while the job is still underway.

If cost is the biggest obstacle, Palmetto’s Comfort Plan includes $0-down options that can reduce heating and cooling costs by up to 50%. Palmetto Comfort Plans also include 12 years of free maintenance, which can help newer systems stay efficient over time.

Homeowners can also combine solar panels with electric appliances, including efficient HVAC systems, to drive utility costs down further. EnergySage helps people compare solar options and find the best solar system and installer for their home and budget, and it can help homeowners save up to $10,000 on solar installations.

Where can I learn more?

Looking at how other homeowners have evaluated furnace quotes and HVAC decisions may help with your own choice.

• One homeowner was shocked after an HVAC technician recommended replacing a working furnace for nearly $30,000.

• Another homeowner went online after an HVAC representative offered strange advice about replacing a furnace.

• One homeowner sparked debate after considering replacing a gas furnace with a high-tech heat pump.

• In Ohio, a homeowner weighed ultra-modern HVAC systems after a furnace unexpectedly broke down.