AC Installation

AC Installation

Your House Is an Oven. Let's Fix That.

Right now, your home is doing exactly what physics dictates: absorbing heat from the sun through your roof, windows, and walls. Without proper air conditioning, that heat has nowhere to go. It just sits there. In your bedroom. In your living room. Making everyone miserable.

A new AC system doesn't "cool your home." That's backwards. What it actually does is remove heat. A compressor outside your house pumps refrigerant through copper lines. That refrigerant absorbs heat from the air inside your house, carries it outside, and dumps it into the atmosphere. Repeat that process thousands of times per hour, and your house drops from 95°F to 72°F.

Simple physics. Complicated installation.

Why Most AC Installations Fail Within 7 Years

The average central air conditioning system should last 15-20 years. Most don't make it past 8. Here's why:

Wrong size equipment. A 3-ton unit in a house that needs 4 tons runs constantly, never quite keeping up. A 5-ton unit in that same house short-cycles—turning on, running for 5 minutes, shutting off, turning back on. Both scenarios destroy the compressor. One through overwork. One through thermal stress.

Bad ductwork connections. The most expensive condenser in the world means nothing if your ductwork leaks 30% of the cooled air into your attic. That's not a guess—that's the average duct leakage rate in homes installed by the lowest bidder.

Improper refrigerant charge. Too much refrigerant floods the compressor with liquid. Too little starves the evaporator coil. Both reduce efficiency by 10-20% and cut system life in half. The correct charge is measured in ounces, not "feels about right."

These aren't rare problems. They're the industry standard.

What Proper AC Installation Actually Looks Like

Step 1: The Load Calculation (90 Minutes)

Before we talk about equipment, we need to know exactly how much heat your house gains on the hottest day of the year. This isn't guesswork. It's a Manual J calculation that accounts for:

• Square footage of each room
• Ceiling height
• Window size, orientation, and glass type
• Insulation R-values in walls, attic, and floors
• Number of occupants
• Kitchen appliances and lighting fixtures
• Air infiltration rate

The output is a number measured in BTUs per hour—the exact cooling capacity your house needs. Not "about 3 tons." Not "your neighbor has the same floor plan." The exact number for your specific house.

A 2,000 square foot house with single-pane windows, poor insulation, and west-facing glass might need 48,000 BTU/h (4 tons). The identical floor plan next door with double-pane windows, R-38 attic insulation, and shade trees might only need 30,000 BTU/h (2.5 tons). Same square footage. Different load calculation. Different equipment.

Step 2: Equipment Selection (60 Minutes)

Once we know the load, we select equipment that matches. This involves three choices:

Efficiency rating (SEER2). The legal minimum is 14 SEER2. Premium units hit 24+ SEER2. Higher efficiency costs more upfront but uses less electricity every month. A 20 SEER2 unit uses roughly 30% less electricity than a 14 SEER2 unit cooling the same house.

Single-stage vs. two-stage vs. variable speed. Single-stage runs at 100% or 0%. Two-stage runs at 100% or 70%. Variable speed adjusts anywhere from 30% to 100%. Variable speed maintains tighter temperature control, removes more humidity, and runs quieter.

Brand and warranty. Major brands (Carrier, Trane, Lennox, Rheem, Goodman) all make reliable equipment. The differences are in warranty terms, parts availability, and installer training requirements.

Step 3: Installation Day (6-10 Hours)

The equipment arrives. Now the real work begins.

Outdoor unit placement. The condenser needs 24 inches of clearance on all sides for airflow. It should sit on a level concrete pad or composite pad, not directly on dirt. The refrigerant lines run the shortest possible path to the indoor unit.

Indoor unit installation. The evaporator coil mounts on top of or inside your furnace. The drain pan beneath it catches condensation—roughly 5-20 gallons per day in humid weather. That water needs a clear path to a floor drain, condensate pump, or exterior drain line.

Refrigerant line connections. Copper tubing connects the indoor and outdoor units. Every joint gets brazed (not soldered) with nitrogen flowing through the lines to prevent oxidation. One speck of oxidation inside the system can destroy a compressor in 3 years.

Electrical connections. The outdoor unit needs a dedicated 240V circuit from your electrical panel—typically 30-60 amps depending on unit size. The disconnect box within arm's reach of the unit allows emergency shutoff.

Vacuum and charge. Before adding refrigerant, we pull a vacuum on the system to remove air and moisture. The target is 500 microns or less, held for 30 minutes. Only then does refrigerant go in—weighed to the ounce on a digital scale.

Step 4: System Testing (60 Minutes)

With the system running, we verify everything works:

• Supply air temperature 15-20°F below return air temperature
• Refrigerant pressures within manufacturer specifications
• Amperage draw on compressor within nameplate rating
• Airflow measured at each supply register
• No refrigerant leaks (detected with electronic leak detector)
• Thermostat cycles system correctly

You get a copy of all measurements. If something goes wrong in year 3, we can compare to the original numbers and diagnose faster.

What We Include

• Manual J load calculation for your specific house
• Removal and disposal of old equipment (if applicable)
• New indoor evaporator coil matched to outdoor unit
• New outdoor condenser unit
• New refrigerant lines (if needed—existing lines can sometimes be reused)
• New thermostat (basic or smart, your choice)
• New drain line with proper trap
• Permits and inspections (where required by code)
• Written performance documentation
• 10-year manufacturer warranty on parts
• 2-year labor warranty on our installation work

What We Don't Do

We don't install the cheapest unit that fits. A budget unit installed wrong costs more than a quality unit installed right—you just pay the difference in repairs and electric bills instead of upfront.

We don't skip the load calculation. "Your house is about 2,000 square feet, so you need 4 tons" is how hacks size equipment. Square footage is one of a dozen factors.

We don't rush. An 8-hour installation crammed into 4 hours means corners got cut. You won't notice for 18-24 months, when the compressor fails or the refrigerant leaks.

How to Get Started

Call or text to schedule a home evaluation. We'll measure, photograph, and calculate your cooling load. You'll get a written proposal with equipment options at different price points. No pressure. No "today only" discounts. The price you see today is the price you'll see next month.

Most evaluations take 60-90 minutes. Most installations can be scheduled within 1-2 weeks. Emergency replacements (your AC died in July) can often be done within 24-48 hours.

Your house is absorbing heat right now. Let's change that.