Moline/Quad City, about 8 miles away, in NOAA's data
The nearest station to Davenport in NOAA's engineering weather data is Moline/Quad City, about 8 miles southeast of Davenport across the Mississippi, at an elevation of 594 feet. At Moline/Quad City, NOAA gives a 99% winter design temperature of -3°F and a 1% summer design temperature of 90°F, paired with a mean coincident wet-bulb temperature of 75°F. In an average year at that station, NOAA counts about 440 hours with the wet-bulb temperature above 73°F and about 1,304 hours above 67°F.
Davenport in Census QuickFacts
According to U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts, Davenport's population estimate on July 1, 2025 was 100,358, and the Census count on April 1, 2020 was 101,724. QuickFacts lists 43,237 households for 2020-2024, with 2.26 persons per household.
Fix it or replace it?
An HVAC project can start with a breakdown rather than a plan. When a technician quotes a sizable repair, ask for a replacement price at the same visit so you can weigh one against the other with real numbers. Then ask:
- What exactly failed, and is anything else close to failing?
- Are the parts still made, and how long would they take to arrive?
- Does the refrigerant in the current system affect the cost of this repair or of later service?
- Is any part of the system still under the maker's warranty, and has it been registered?
- If I repair now, what should I watch for that would point to replacing it after all?
Paperwork worth pulling together
A small packet gives each estimator more to work with than a quick look can. Before the first appointment, gather:
- a full year of gas and electric bills, if your utility accounts make them easy to download;
- photos of the labels on the furnace or air handler and the outdoor unit, showing model and serial numbers;
- any past service tickets or repair invoices;
- a list of changes made to the house since the current system went in, such as new windows, added insulation, a finished basement or an addition;
- a room-by-room note of comfort problems, marked by season and time of day.
Give the same packet to each company so their bids answer the same house.
Sizing questions to ask
Put these to every bidder, and expect a straight answer:
- Will the new equipment be sized from a room-by-room load calculation, often called a Manual J, and will I receive the report?
- What outdoor design conditions went into it, and where did they come from?
- Did you measure insulation, window area and air leakage, or assume them?
- Did you check whether the existing ducts can carry the airflow the new equipment needs, for example with a Manual D review or a static pressure reading?
- How does the capacity you chose compare with the calculated load, and what happens to comfort and run time if the unit is larger than the load?
Indoor and outdoor halves that belong together
A central system has an outdoor unit, an indoor coil and a furnace or air handler, and its efficiency rating applies to a specific pairing. Ask whether all of those parts are being replaced. If a bid keeps the old coil or the old refrigerant lines, ask why, and whether the equipment maker allows it. Ask for the AHRI reference number of the exact combination being quoted so you can look up its rating yourself, and ask how the line set will be routed, insulated and protected where it runs outside.
Heat pumps when it gets cold
If a heat pump is on the table, ask for the maker's published heating capacity at low outdoor temperatures for the exact model, not a brochure range. Then ask:
- What backup heat comes with it, electric strips or a gas furnace, and how large is it?
- What tells the backup to come on, and can that setting be changed later?
- Where will defrost meltwater go when it drips off the outdoor unit?
- How high will the unit sit on its stand or pad, so it stays above snow and ice?
- Will the thermostat be one that is designed to control a heat pump with backup?
Moisture in summer and in winter
An air conditioner pulls water out of the air as well as heat, and how much it pulls depends on how long the coil stays cold. Ask whether a two-stage or variable-speed system, a slower fan setting or a dehumidify mode on the thermostat is part of the proposal. If a whole-house dehumidifier is suggested, ask where it will drain and what it costs to run.
Winter brings the opposite question. If a humidifier is included, ask what type it is, how it gets its water and where it drains, how it is controlled as outdoor temperatures fall, and what yearly upkeep it needs. Ask how to keep it from fogging up windows on the coldest mornings.
Where the equipment sits
Inside, ask how much room the technician will have to service the furnace or air handler, how the condensate drain will be routed, and whether a condensate pump and an overflow switch are part of the bid. If equipment sits near bedrooms, ask about noise. Outside, ask where the condenser or heat pump will go, how far it will sit from windows, dryer vents and shrubs, what it will stand on, and where the electrical disconnect will be. For a high-efficiency gas furnace, ask where the plastic intake and exhaust pipes will leave the house, and ask for a combustion and carbon monoxide check at start-up.
Thermostats and zoning
Ask which thermostat comes with the bid and whether it matches the equipment being installed. If the house has floors that stay at different temperatures, ask whether zoning with motorized dampers would help, what it would cost, and how the system would handle airflow when only one zone is calling. Ask too whether any new wiring is needed at the thermostat.
Questions for the company
- What state license or registration, if any, covers this work, and what is the number?
- Which city permits does the installation need, who pulls them, and will an inspector visit?
- Can you show proof of liability coverage and workers' compensation? Your own insurer can help you read the certificate.
- Will your own technicians do the work, or a subcontractor?
- How will the refrigerant in the old system be recovered?
- Who do I call during the warranty period, and how do you handle a no-heat call in winter?
What the quote should spell out
A quote worth comparing names the model number of every piece of equipment, the AHRI reference for the matched pair, the load calculation result, the backup heat and how it is controlled, line set and drain work, venting for any gas furnace, duct repairs and sealing, the thermostat, removal and disposal of the old equipment, permits and inspection, the start-up readings you will be handed when the job is done, and the parts and labor warranties in writing. If one bid is silent on a line the others cover, ask about it before you compare the totals.