Heating and Cooling in 2000s-Built Homes: A Centennial Hills and Lone Mountain Guide

Centennial Hills, Lone Mountain and the rest of ZIP 89149 make up one of the newer parts of Las Vegas. Census data puts the median home in 89149 at 2005, while the median for the City of Las Vegas as a whole is 1994. About 43% of the housing in 89149 was built between 2000 and 2009, and roughly 7 in 10 homes were built in 2000 or later.

So the typical northwest home isn't an "older home" in the 1970s sense. But a lot of these houses were built in the same few years, which means a lot of them still have their original or first-replacement heating and cooling equipment, and that equipment is now about the same age. This guide covers what that means in practice. (If your house is decades older, see our older-home heating and cooling guide instead.)

Why the build year matters

Equipment installed when the house was built ages along with the house. In a neighborhood where more than 4 in 10 homes went up between 2000 and 2009, the oldest original systems are now 15 to 25 years old. A system that age can still run well with good care, but it also means a repair-or-replace decision is probably coming, and some parts are no longer made.

The refrigerant question for pre-2010 AC systems

The EPA phased out R-22 (sold as Freon) for new air conditioning equipment in 2010. Production and import of R-22 ended on January 1, 2020. Many systems installed in the 2000s were built for R-22. When one of them develops a refrigerant leak, the fix gets more complicated than it used to be, because new R-22 isn't being made. This is one of the main reasons the age of a 2000s-built house's AC matters. See AC refrigerant leak and repair or replace an old AC.

Not sure which refrigerant you have? The outdoor unit's data plate lists it. A technician can confirm it at a visit.

Gas furnace or heat pump? Check before you assume

Most homes in 89149 heat with gas. Census data shows about 65% of occupied homes there use utility gas for heat and about 32% use electricity. Neighbors don't always have the same setup, so check yours: a gas furnace has a gas line and a flue pipe, while a heat pump's outdoor unit runs in winter too. Our heat pump vs. furnace guide explains the difference.

Signs a 2000s-era system is due for a closer look

• It runs longer than it used to for the same comfort.
• Repairs are getting more frequent, or the same problem keeps coming back.
• Rooms that used to feel even now don't (see two-story temperature balance).
• Noises it didn't make before (AC loud noise, furnace noise).

None of these alone means a replacement. "It's old" isn't a diagnosis. A good technician repairs first when a repair makes sense, and tells you plainly when it doesn't. Get a second opinion if a replacement is the only option you're offered.

Safety, whatever the age

• Burning dust smell when the heat first runs for the season: normal. It can linger a couple of days. See furnace burning smell.
• Gas or rotten-egg smell: leave the house, then call 911 or Southwest Gas from outside.
• CO alarm: leave and call 911 from outside.
• Hot plastic or electrical smell: turn the system off at the thermostat and schedule a visit.

Getting help in northwest Las Vegas

Colton Air Conditioning works on heating and cooling systems in Centennial Hills and 89149, Monday through Friday, 8am to 5pm. Call (702) 738-6976 to schedule. Our Comfort Club maintenance plans (Gold, Platinum and Diamond) keep a scheduled check on systems as they age.

FAQ

My Centennial Hills house was built in 2004. Is my AC too old to repair? Not automatically. Age alone doesn't decide it. The condition of the system, what failed, and the refrigerant it uses all matter. Systems from before 2010 often use R-22, and that can change the cost of a leak repair.

How do I know if my system uses R-22? Look at the data plate on the outdoor unit, which lists the refrigerant type. A technician can confirm it during a visit.

Do most homes in 89149 have a gas furnace? Most do. Census estimates show about 65% of homes in 89149 heat with utility gas and about 32% with electricity, which includes heat pumps. Check your own home's equipment rather than going by your neighbors'.

Are two-story homes in northwest Las Vegas harder to keep even? They often are, because heat rises and the upstairs rooms are farther from the equipment. Duct layout and return air make a big difference. Our two-story temperature balance guide covers what to check.

Sources

• U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimates, via Census Reporter: B25035 (median year built: 89149 = 2005, Las Vegas city = 1994), B25034 (year built: 7,546 of 17,550 units built 2000–2009; 12,180 built 2000 or later), B25040 (heating fuel: 10,702 of 16,462 utility gas, 5,312 electricity). https://censusreporter.org/profiles/86000US89149-89149/
• U.S. EPA, "Phaseout of Ozone-Depleting Substances: HCFCs / R-22" (R-22 not allowed in new AC equipment from 2010; production and import ended Jan 1, 2020). https://www.epa.gov/ods-phaseout