About Omaha Heating and Air Conditioning
Bret Jones started this company after one specific January call. A retired teacher on N 53rd Street in Benson, 1924 American Foursquare with original single-pane sash windows, lost heat at 2 a.m. on a Tuesday. Outdoor temperature: -22°F — the third day of the January 2019 polar vortex. The previous contractor had condemned her 11-year-old American Standard Freedom 90 over a hairline crack in a secondary heat exchanger he never photographed. Her quote for replacement: $12,800. Bret got there at 3:20 a.m., found the actual failure — a stuck pressure switch from a clogged inducer drain — and had her warm again by 4:45 a.m. for $174 in parts. The American Standard still runs. That gap — between what the diagnosis actually shows and what the customer gets quoted — is the reason this company exists.
The Founder — Bret Jones
Bret holds City of Omaha Mechanical Contractor License #MC-2014-08847, Iowa Plumbing & Mechanical Systems Board License #B-027841 for residential and commercial mechanical work in Council Bluffs and Carter Lake, and EPA Section 608 Universal certification #608U-2014-227841 for handling R-410A, R-454B, and legacy R-22 systems. He has worked in residential and light-commercial HVAC across the Omaha metro since 2007, founding Omaha Heating and Air in 2014 after seven years at a Carrier dealership in Aksarben.
His training stack: NATE-certified in Air Conditioning Service, Air Distribution, Gas Heating Service, and Heat Pumps. ACCA Manual J, S, and D coursework completed in 2011 through HVAC Excellence. RSES Class HE membership active since 2013. Continuing education hours logged annually through the City of Omaha Permits & Inspections Division for the 2021 IMC and Nebraska state amendments.
The discipline shows up in how every visit runs. Diagnosis before quoting. Measurements before opinions. A capacitor reading 32 microfarads on a 35 microfarad rated component is a different repair than one reading 8 microfarads — both produce identical symptoms of a condenser that won’t start. Most contractors quote the worst case. We quote what the meter shows.
Why the Omaha Metro Breaks Generic HVAC
Omaha isn’t Denver. It isn’t Kansas City. It isn’t Minneapolis. Equipment sized and tuned for any of those markets will underperform here for reasons that are physics, not opinion.
Climate Zone 5A — Cold AND Humid
The 2021 IECC places Douglas County in Climate Zone 5A — not 5B like Denver, not 6A like Minneapolis. The “A” matters: cold winters paired with summer humidity loads. The Eppley Airfield ASHRAE 99% winter design temperature is -4°F. The January 2019 polar vortex pushed measured lows to -22°F across midtown. The ASHRAE 1% summer design is 93°F dry bulb at 75°F coincident wet bulb. That 75°F wet bulb — not the 62°F you’d see in semi-arid Denver — is where most installations fail. Air conditioners sized only for sensible load short-cycle on humid July afternoons, leave indoor dew points above 60°F, and grow biofilm on every evaporator coil within two cooling seasons. We size for both sensible and latent — the only way to deliver 70°F at 50% RH in an Omaha August.
Heating Degree Days: 6,300
Annual heating degree days at the Eppley Airfield NWS station run approximately 6,300 — 12% higher than Salt Lake City, 8% higher than Denver. Annual cooling degree days run approximately 1,200. That heating-dominant profile, paired with sub-zero design temperatures, makes heat-pump-only systems a careful selection problem. Standard heat pumps lose capacity exactly when the load peaks. Cold-climate variable-capacity units — Mitsubishi Hyper-Heat, Daikin Aurora, Bosch IDS Premium, or equivalent — can deliver 100% rated capacity down to 5°F outdoor and roughly 70% at -13°F. Backup heat strategy on every install needs to address the -4°F design temp, not the manufacturer’s optimistic 47°F rating point.
8–15 Grain Hard Water from MUD
The Metropolitan Utilities District treats Omaha drinking water at two plants — the Florence facility on the Missouri River alluvial aquifer and Platte West near Yutan on the Platte River alluvial aquifer. Calcium and magnesium carbonate concentrations across the MUD service territory run 8–15 grains per gallon. Iron and manganese trace concentrations vary by source blend. That hardness kills humidifier pads in 10–16 months instead of the manufacturer-rated 24. It scales steam humidifier canisters within a single heating season. It clogs evaporator condensate lines with biofilm-bound mineral deposits. Equipment selected without accounting for source water chemistry fails on a schedule the warranty doesn’t cover. Iowa-side customers on Iowa-American Water in Council Bluffs see a different blend pulled from Missouri River alluvial wells along the east bank — similar hardness range, different iron loading.
Severe Weather Equipment Exposure
Omaha sits inside Tornado Alley. The metro takes a major hail event — one-inch stones or larger — in roughly half of all spring storm seasons. The August 2020 derecho clipped western Iowa with 80–100 mph straight-line winds and damaged outdoor condensing units across the Council Bluffs and Carter Lake side. Equipment placement matters: south-facing condenser pads in unshielded yards take repeated coil-fin damage. We spec hail guards on every install in exposed locations, recommend condenser cages where storm exposure is documented, and verify mounting hardware against the IBC and ASCE 7-22 wind-load tables for Risk Category II structures across Omaha and Pottawattamie County.
What We Do
Residential and light-commercial HVAC for properties across the Omaha metro, with technical depth in the categories where Climate Zone 5A conditions create non-standard demands:
- Furnace installation and repair — 95%+ AFUE condensing units sized for the 6,300 HDD Omaha climate. Carrier, Trane, Lennox, Rheem, Bryant, and Goodman single-stage, two-stage, and modulating systems. Vent termination per the 2021 IMC with Nebraska state amendments. Gas pressure verification on MUD delivery (7″ WC nominal, 14″ WC max).
- Air conditioning installation and repair — R-454B compliant condenser selection for the 2025 refrigerant transition, line set sizing for the run lengths typical of midtown Omaha basement-furnace, second-story-condenser configurations, hail-guard placement for west-facing exposures.
- Heat pump systems — cold-climate variable-capacity units rated for 100% capacity at 5°F outdoor temperature. We size to Omaha’s -4°F ASHRAE 99% design temp, not the manufacturer’s optimistic 47°F rating point. Backup heat strategy specified on every install.
- Indoor air quality — MERV 13 minimum, whole-home dehumidification (essential at 75°F coincident wet bulb summer design), bypass and steam humidification with MUD-hardness-corrected service intervals, HRV/ERV ventilation for tight envelopes in Elkhorn, Bennington, and post-2015 builds.
- Boiler and hydronic systems — cast iron sectional, cast iron monobloc, and modulating-condensing wall-hung units. Common in Dundee, Bemis Park, Field Club, Gold Coast, and Cathedral, where original radiant systems often pre-date 1940.
- Commercial rooftop units and service contracts — for office condos along West Dodge Road, retail in Aksarben Village and Midtown Crossing, light industrial in Sarpy County, and small medical/dental along 72nd Street.
The Service Area
Our Regency Parkway office in the Lake Regency Building sits less than a mile from the I-680 and West Dodge Road interchange — geographic center of west Omaha, equidistant to midtown and the Sarpy County line. Average response time to a no-heat call inside the Omaha metro: under 90 minutes during business hours, under 2 hours overnight. From that base:
- Omaha — Dundee, Benson, Aksarben, Field Club, Bemis Park, Gold Coast, Cathedral, Little Italy, Florence, Minne Lusa, Blackstone, Morton Meadows, Country Club, Hanscom Park, Westgate, Rockbrook, Millard, Elkhorn, and the West Dodge corridor.
- Bellevue — Olde Towne, Mission Park, Fontenelle Forest area, and the Offutt AFB Capehart neighborhoods.
- La Vista — Southport, Central Park Plaza, and the 84th & Giles corridor.
- Ralston — the Main Street historic district and the 72nd Street corridor.
- Council Bluffs, IA — West Broadway, Lake Manawa, and the Loess Hills historic neighborhoods (Iowa Plumbing & Mechanical Systems Board License #B-027841).
- Carter Lake, IA — the lakeside grid bordered by the Missouri River oxbow.
How We Work
Diagnose. Don’t Guess.
Every repair visit starts with measurement. Superheat and subcooling on cooling systems. Draft, manifold pressure, and combustion analysis on furnaces (target: under 100 ppm CO air-free, stack temperature within manufacturer spec). Static pressure across the air handler — total external static under 0.5″ WC for residential blowers, under 0.8″ WC for ECM variable-speed. Amperage on motors compared to nameplate FLA. The data tells us the failure. Then we quote.
Right-Sized. Not Rule-of-Thumb.
New system quotes start with an ACCA Manual J load calculation. Then Manual S equipment selection. Then Manual D duct verification if the existing duct system is staying. A 1924 Benson American Foursquare with single-pane original windows can carry a 72,000 BTU/hr design load on 1,950 square feet. A 2020s Elkhorn build with R-49 attic insulation and triple-pane fiberglass windows might carry 30,000 BTU/hr on the same square footage. Tonnage by rule of thumb gets one of those two wrong — usually both. And on the cooling side, latent-load sizing matters more here than in Denver: oversized AC short-cycles, leaves dew points high, and grows mold.
Priced in Daylight.
Every estimate breaks out equipment cost, labor hours, permit fees, refrigerant by pound, electrical or venting modifications, and warranty registration. No “package pricing” that hides margin. No verbal estimates. No same-day pressure. We pull permits through the City of Omaha Permits & Inspections Division, the City of Bellevue Building Department, La Vista, Ralston, the Council Bluffs Building Department, or whichever municipal authority has jurisdiction — not as a courtesy, but because unpermitted HVAC voids most homeowners’ insurance and creates disclosure problems at sale.
What Customers Actually Say
The pattern across our Google reviews and Nextdoor mentions is consistent. Technicians arrive inside the quoted window. Diagnosis gets explained with photos or thermal imaging, not jargon. Written quotes precede work, never follow it. And the company doesn’t run replacement-sales theater. A 14-year-old Lennox passing combustion analysis, with no heat exchanger cracks visible under borescope, gets a clean inspection report and a maintenance recommendation — not a $9,000 system pitch.
A Dundee homeowner, Margaret K., hired us for a second opinion after a competitor quoted $13,400 for full furnace replacement on her 1997 American Standard Freedom 90. The actual failure was a $315 inducer motor and a $52 hot surface igniter. The American Standard ran another five winters. A small business owner on West Dodge Road, Daniel R., had us replace a 16-year-old Bryant rooftop unit on his 2,400 square foot accounting office — we installed a Carrier 48HC with economizer for outdoor air ventilation, sized to ASHRAE 62.1 for staff occupancy. His utility bill dropped 19% the following August. A Bellevue homeowner near Offutt, Lin T., called us after two competitors told her she needed a complete duct replacement — we ran static pressure tests, found a single collapsed flex run in the basement, and fixed it for $235.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Who owns Omaha Heating and Air Conditioning?
- Bret Jones founded and owns Omaha Heating and Air Conditioning. The company has operated from its Regency Parkway office near the I-680 and West Dodge Road interchange since 2014, serving residential and light-commercial customers across the Omaha metro under City of Omaha Mechanical Contractor License #MC-2014-08847 and Iowa Plumbing & Mechanical Systems Board License #B-027841 for Council Bluffs and Carter Lake service.
- Why does HVAC equipment perform differently in the Omaha metro?
- Three measurable factors. First, Climate Zone 5A combines cold winters — an ASHRAE 99% winter design temperature of -4°F at Eppley Airfield, with measured polar-vortex lows reaching -22°F in January 2019 — with humid summers at a 1% design wet-bulb of 75°F. Equipment must size for sensible AND latent load. Second, Metropolitan Utilities District drinking water runs 8–15 grains per gallon hardness from Missouri and Platte River alluvial sources, which scales humidifier pads, steam canisters, and evaporator condensate drains on a schedule manufacturers don’t anticipate. Third, the metro sits inside Tornado Alley with regular hail and derecho exposure; condenser placement and hail-guard selection matter for warranty preservation.
- What cities does Omaha Heating and Air Conditioning serve?
- Omaha, Bellevue, La Vista, Ralston, Carter Lake (Iowa), and Council Bluffs (Iowa). The Regency Parkway office (450 Regency Pkwy #370) sits a mile from the I-680 and West Dodge Road interchange, putting average response time inside the Omaha metro under 90 minutes during business hours and under 2 hours for overnight emergency calls. Iowa-side service is performed under Iowa Plumbing & Mechanical Systems Board License #B-027841.
- Is the company licensed and insured to work in Nebraska and Iowa?
- Yes. The company operates under City of Omaha Mechanical Contractor License #MC-2014-08847 in Nebraska (which licenses HVAC contractors at the municipal level rather than statewide) and Iowa Plumbing & Mechanical Systems Board License #B-027841 for work in Council Bluffs and Carter Lake. EPA Section 608 Universal refrigerant certification #608U-2014-227841 covers R-22, R-410A, and R-454B. General liability coverage of $2,000,000 aggregate is carried through The Hartford. Workers’ compensation coverage is active through EMC Insurance. Permits are pulled on every installation through the relevant municipal building department.
- What manufacturers do you install and service?
- We install Carrier, Trane, Lennox, Rheem, Bryant, Goodman, American Standard, Mitsubishi Electric, Daikin, and Bosch residential systems. We service all major brands including those plus York, Amana, Coleman, Heil, Tempstar, and most hydronic boilers (Weil-McLain, Burnham, Slant/Fin, Viessmann, Buderus). Brand selection on new installs is driven by load, climate zone, refrigerant compliance for the 2025 R-454B transition, and homeowner budget — not by dealer incentives.
Contact Omaha Heating and Air Conditioning
Our Regency Parkway office is in west Omaha at the I-680 and West Dodge Road interchange, with 24/7 emergency response across Omaha, Bellevue, La Vista, Ralston, Council Bluffs, and Carter Lake. Whether you’re handling a no-heat call during a January polar vortex, a failing R-22 condenser on a 93°F July afternoon with 75°F dew points, or planning a full Climate Zone 5A-compliant system replacement in an older Dundee or Field Club home, our licensed technicians are available.
- Emergency Line (24/7): (402) 258-6703
- Address: Lake Regency Building, 450 Regency Pkwy #370, Omaha, NE 68114
- Email: info@omahaheatingairconditioning.xyz
- City of Omaha Mechanical Contractor License: #MC-2014-08847
- Iowa Plumbing & Mechanical Systems Board License: #B-027841
- EPA Section 608 Universal: #608U-2014-227841
Office Hours
- Emergency Service: 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
- Office Staff: Monday – Saturday, 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
- Closed: Sundays and State/Federal Holidays (emergency line always active)