Aux Heat vs Emergency Heat on a Heat Pump Thermostat
Aux comes on by itself to help a heat pump; emergency mode is a manual, backup-only setting. When each is normal in Minnesota and what both cost to run.
Read the guide
Heating & Cooling in Shorewood, MN
Central Minnesota Heating and Cooling repairs and replaces furnaces, ACs, heat pumps and boilers in Shorewood (Hennepin County), about 17 miles from downtown Minneapolis.
HVAC service in Shorewood, MN
Shorewood, incorporated in 1956, curls around the south side of Lake Minnetonka and Christmas Lake, and on many lake lots the original cottage or rambler has grown an addition or been replaced by a much larger house.
- County
- Hennepin County
- ZIP code
- 55331
- Natural gas
- CenterPoint Energy
- Electric
- Xcel Energy
- From downtown Minneapolis
- about 17 miles
Updated October 27, 2026 · By Eric Brown, owner, Central Minnesota Heating and Cooling
What HVAC work do we do most in Shorewood?
- Duct and zone changes for room additions the original furnace can't reach
- Heating and dehumidifying walkout lower levels that face the lake
- Service on homes with separate systems for the main floors and lower level
- Replacing 1970s and 1980s furnace and AC pairs in ramblers and split-levels
Around town: Lake Minnetonka · Christmas Lake · Highway 7 · Lake Minnetonka LRT Regional Trail. Neighborhoods: Enchanted Island · Shady Island · Spray Island
Book in ShorewoodWhat are Shorewood homes like to heat and cool?
Shorewood incorporated in 1956 from what was left of Excelsior Township around the lake's south shore, and its housing shows a steady build-out rather than a single boom. Ramblers from the 1950s and 1960s sit on large wooded lots, often on their third furnace but still on original galvanized ductwork. The 1970s and 1980s brought split-levels and walkouts on the hillier ground, where the lower level opens to the yard or the lake through sliding doors.
The islands and lakeshore streets are their own category. Older lake homes on Enchanted, Shady and Spray islands and along the bays were often expanded in stages, so an addition may sit on a crawlspace beside a full basement, each with its own heating quirks. Newer lakeshore builds carry larger systems, often with an ERV for fresh air. Where old and new meet on the same street, the outdoor units range from brand new to decades old within a few lots, and so do the service needs.
What goes wrong with heating in Shorewood in winter?
The islands and bay-front lots take wind straight off the frozen lake, and walkout lower levels facing the water lose heat through wide glass doors. Crawlspace additions freeze first. Wooded lots add a different problem: snow and ice sliding off tall roofs onto condensers and heat pumps under the eaves, bending fins and burying units. The fix is placement, or a small roof over the unit. Long cold spells also expose old ducts in unheated garages or crawlspaces, which lose heat before it reaches the room.
What goes wrong with cooling in Shorewood in summer?
Walkout lower levels facing Lake Minnetonka or Christmas Lake stay cool without much air conditioning, but they soak up humidity, and carpet and finished walls down there can smell musty by August. A dehumidifier ducted into the return handles it better than turning the AC colder. Heavy tree cover shades the houses on the wooded lots, yet it drops seeds, leaves and cottonwood fluff into condenser coils and keeps the ground damp around outdoor units.
Which utilities and rebates apply in Shorewood?
Shorewood is on CenterPoint Energy gas and Xcel Energy electricity. For the many furnace-and-AC pairs from the 1970s and 1980s, CenterPoint's rebates cover a high-efficiency furnace installed by any dealer, and Xcel's cooling rebates cover the new air conditioner or heat pump; ask whether Xcel's rebate needs a registered contractor. CenterPoint also has a rebate for a ducted heat pump paired with a gas furnace, and Xcel's AC Rewards program pays an annual reward for letting it adjust an enrolled smart thermostat on peak days.
Rebate programs change every year; check the utility's current terms before you buy. Our guides: Xcel and CenterPoint rebates, heat pump rebates, what happened to the federal credits.
Most-requested in Shorewood
Furnace repair in Shorewood Shorewood furnaces on wooded lots collect leaves and needles in their PVC vents, and mice move in each fall. Furnace replacement in Shorewood A furnace replacement in Shorewood costs $4,500–$9,500 installed, with a written flat-rate quote sized by Manual J. AC repair in Shorewood Cottonwood, seeds and leaves on wooded lots near Lake Minnetonka and Christmas Lake clog condenser coils through the summer. AC replacement in Shorewood Central AC replacement in Shorewood costs $5,200–$9,800 installed, written and flat-rate. Heat pumps in Shorewood Heat pump installation in Shorewood runs $7,500–$14,500 with us, on a written quote. Mini-splits in Shorewood Ductless mini-split installation in Shorewood costs $4,200–$12,500, flat-rate, for lake-home additions and island cottages. Tune-ups in Shorewood A furnace or AC tune-up in Shorewood starts at $129, and both together are $219.
More HVAC services we offer
Shorewood HVAC questions
Who repairs furnaces and air conditioners in Shorewood, MN?
Central Minnesota Heating and Cooling, owned by Eric Brown and in business since 2009, serves Shorewood and nearby towns in Hennepin County, about 17 miles from downtown Minneapolis. We're open 7 days, 7am–9pm, and no-heat calls get priority. Call 612-429-3465.
How much does an HVAC service call cost in Shorewood?
An HVAC service call in Shorewood is a flat $79 trip charge, waived when you approve the repair. You get a written price before any work. Installed prices are on our pricing page.
Our Shorewood addition is always colder than the rest of the house. Do we need a bigger furnace?
Usually not. The furnace often has enough capacity; the addition just doesn't get its share of the air, because the supply run is long, undersized or passes through an unheated space, and there's no return to pull air back. We measure airflow at the registers and static pressure at the furnace. The fix is typically a new duct run, a return in the addition or a zone damper.
Do you work on the Lake Minnetonka islands that belong to Shorewood?
Yes. Homes on Enchanted, Shady and Spray Island are part of our Shorewood service area, with the same flat pricing as the mainland. Getting large equipment onto an island lot can take more planning, so for a furnace or condenser replacement we work out access and delivery ahead of time rather than leaving it to chance on delivery day.
The condenser on our wooded Shorewood lot keeps getting hit by snow off the roof. What can we do?
Move it or protect it. The best spot is out from under the eaves and away from the drip line, on a pad raised above typical snow depth. If it has to stay put, a small roof or deflector mounted high enough not to trap discharge air keeps sliding snow and ice off the fins. Heat pumps need extra care because they run all winter and drain defrost water onto the ground below.
Does a 1960s Shorewood rambler need new ductwork with a new furnace?
Not usually all of it. Galvanized ducts from that era hold up for decades. What wears out is the sealing: taped joints dry out, and the return side is usually undersized. We check static pressure and look for leaks at the plenum and trunk seams. Sealing with mastic, adding return capacity and replacing any crushed or rusted runs costs far less than new ductwork and fixes most of the problems.
Who do I call first if I smell gas in my Shorewood house?
Leave the house, then call 911 or CenterPoint Energy, the gas utility in Shorewood, from outside. Don't flip switches or use a phone inside. Once the utility has cleared the leak, call us for any furnace or water heater repair. A furnace that smells of gas or trips a carbon monoxide alarm should be shut off until it is checked.
Also serving near Shorewood
- Excelsior, MN 1 mi
- Deephaven, MN 3 mi
- Spring Park, MN 3 mi
- Chanhassen, MN 4 mi
- Minnetonka, MN 4 mi
- Mound, MN 4 mi
- Victoria, MN 5 mi
- Orono, MN 5 mi
Guides for Shorewood homeowners
SEER2 vs SEER: What the New AC Rating Means
SEER2 replaced SEER on January 1, 2023 under a tougher DOE test, so numbers read lower. How it's measured, Minnesota's 13.4 minimum and what to buy.
Read the guideWall-Mounted vs Floor-Mounted Mini-Splits in Minnesota
Wall-mounted or floor-console mini-split heads? Which suits each Minnesota room, plus drains, line routing, snow and the outdoor unit, and mixing styles.
Read the guideBrands we service in Shorewood: Carrier · Trane · Lennox · Goodman · Rheem · Mitsubishi Electric · Daikin · American Standard · Navien · Weil-McLain · and every other major brand
Contact Us
Heat out in Shorewood? Call or send a request.