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I don't know. We didn't get that far. I'm not that big of a germaphobe to consider paying $1000 to install something I've never needed that's being sold to me based on good old fear marketing.
We don't have them currently either. A house ago we did because our son had exercise induced asthma............it's tough to oversell how effective the lights were. FWIIW similar disinfection is used in swimming pool water treatment and medical device cleaning.
It depends I lived in Florida year round and rarely used ac. It's a cost thing along with health. Just like dry heat in a winter environment ac also dries air out too much for me. Throw in electric rates in some parts of the country it's not worth it. Also the older demographic that's in a house today probably gets cold a little easier than a younger millennial.
If many can't buy houses I'm sure just as many can't buy central air or have it added. A lot of people have gotten used to apartment type living. Throw in better quality existing units it could be a slow time right now but in a few years as installed units age there could be a surge.
We don't have them currently either. A house ago we did because our son had exercise induced asthma............it's tough to oversell how effective the lights were. FWIIW similar disinfection is used in swimming pool water treatment and medical device cleaning.
I can see where your son's health would make that a necessity.
I can't confirm or deny or speak towards the industry as a whole.
In my experience, I plan on getting heated floors in one room as opposed to calling in HVAC since that would be prohibitively more expensive and require a lot more space than I have to make it worth it.
Perhaps the rise of utilizing heated flooring is having an effect.
I ditched a failed forced hot air system in 2010. Most of the house is forced hot water baseboard but I put a PEX loop in the tile bathroom floor. I have old school finish-in-place oak and wool carpet in the bedrooms. Heated floors aren't an option. I cool with mini-splits. My big screw-up was that I went with AC instead of a heat pump for the mini splits. For the same money, I could have had backup heat. I opted for a low tech gas boiler. Other than electric start instead of a pilot, it's identical technology to the 1986 gas boiler in my other place. I'm fine with 81% efficiency to get the reliability.
Cost is one reason why people aren't doing HVAC. Another is the emergence of mini-splits in single family and multi-family construction. Considerably more attractive than window units and a fraction of the cost of HVAC.
I just replaced my HVAC in November 2019 to the tune of $4,600 installed. That was just hooking up the unit. Duct work had already been ran and didn't need to be rerouted. I live in a home that's just under 900 sq ft (built 1946), so limited duct work routing. The expensive price was the installation. I bought a 2 ton unit that was likely between $2300 - 2500 for the unit by itself. The HVAC company added about $2k in installation cost. I called around and all companies were quoting +/- $100 of the same price. With no one pursuing this as a trade, it creates an environment of price fixing, because there's no competition to lower prices to build volume. Also, growth in the construction industry has helped aid in prices remaining where they are.
There was very little I could do, because I don't know a licensed HVAC individual who would be willing to come and install a unit on their own time. Financing took the sting out of the purchase as well. Have 0% interest for 60 months if the unit is paid off in full. Most people avoid the sting of replacing a HVAC unit(s) with very favorable financing terms if the borrower qualifies.
If you have poor credit, replacing an HVAC unit is likely not in the budget.
Not sure where the OP lives, but I have been in this business for 35 years. I have contacts in many parts of the country, and I don't know of any area where a good HVAC service person is not in demand. Installer demand is always going to fluctuate with local economy and growth, but service work is always there for the person with the skills.
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