AC Installation in Sedalia, MO
A new air conditioner in Sedalia will run from May through September every year. Tell us about the house, and a licensed contractor who covers Pettis County will get in touch.
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Five months of real heat in Pettis County
From May through September your air conditioner runs most days, with summer afternoons averaging 86°F. That's a long stretch for a unit that's undersized or on its last legs.
Sedalia has also seen its share of hail and wind over the past ten years, 35 hail events and 47 damaging wind events since 2015, with hail up to 2.5 inches. Whatever gets installed sits outside through all of that, so the outdoor unit needs to be set up and connected correctly, not just running. Any new central air conditioner installed today has to meet a federal minimum of 13.4 SEER2, so that baseline is already built into the equipment you're choosing between.
- 5 months
- May through September, your air conditioner is on duty
- 86°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
- 35 hail events
- in ten years, and hail bends the fins on outdoor coils
- 13.4 SEER2
- the federal minimum any new unit must meet
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
A higher-efficiency unit would save about $30 a year to run in Pettis County compared with a new unit at the federal minimum.
Estimates for a typical Pettis County home, from EIA household energy data, Missouri fuel prices and NOAA climate normals. Your home will differ.
- What size air conditioner does my house need?
- It depends on your square footage, your ceiling height, how much shade the house gets, and how well it's insulated, so there's no single number that fits every home. A contractor works this out with a load calculation, not a chart based on square footage alone. Going bigger than the calculation calls for isn't a safety margin, it actually causes the unit to cool the air fast and shut off before it pulls enough moisture out, so the house ends up feeling clammy. A unit sized too small will run long stretches on the hottest afternoons and still struggle to keep up. Get the calculation done for your specific house rather than guessing from the size of the old unit.
- Should I replace the whole system or just the outdoor unit?
- In most cases the outdoor unit and the indoor coil need to be matched, so replacing only the outdoor unit can leave you with a system that doesn't perform the way either piece was designed to. If your indoor coil and ductwork are still in good shape and close in age to the new outdoor unit, a contractor may be able to keep them. If the indoor coil is old or was paired with a different refrigerant, replacing just the outdoor unit usually isn't an option. A contractor can look at your system and tell you what can stay and what has to go together.
- Do HVAC contractors in Sedalia need a state license to work on my home?
- Yes, HVAC work in Missouri requires a license, and the contractor should be able to show you theirs without hesitation. Ask to see it before any work starts, along with proof of insurance. A licensed contractor has been tested on the work and carries insurance that protects you if something goes wrong on the job. This matters here, since Sedalia has seen 35 hail events and 47 damaging wind events over the past ten years, and an outdoor unit damaged in a storm needs someone who knows what they're doing to put it right.