AC Installation in Washington, MO
A new air conditioner in Washington will run from May through September every year. Tell us about the house, and a licensed contractor who covers Franklin County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
What Franklin County summers ask of a new AC
Your air conditioner works from May through September here, five months of afternoons that average 87°F. That is five months of long run times, not just a few hot weeks, so the unit you install needs to hold up to steady work, not occasional bursts.
Franklin County has also seen 43 hail events and 72 damaging wind events over the past ten years, with hail up to 4 inches. The outdoor unit sits outside through all of that, so the condenser coil and cabinet take the exposure year after year. Any central air conditioner installed new today has to meet the federal efficiency minimum of 13.4 SEER2.
- 5 months
- May through September, your air conditioner is on duty
- 87°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
- 43 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 Franklin County compared with a new unit at the federal minimum.
Estimates for a typical Franklin 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?
- The right size comes from a load calculation, not a chart based on square footage. A contractor works out how much heat your house gains through its walls, windows, and attic, and how well your ducts move air, then matches the equipment to that number. An oversized unit cools the air fast but shuts off before it pulls the humidity down, so rooms feel damp. An undersized one runs constantly on your 87°F summer afternoons and still can't keep up. Ask whoever quotes the job to walk you through the load calculation, not just hand you a tonnage.
- Should I replace the whole system or just the outdoor unit?
- In most cases it's better to replace the outdoor unit and the indoor coil together. The condenser and coil are matched to work at a certain efficiency and refrigerant charge, and pairing new equipment with an old coil often means it never reaches its rated output. It can also void the manufacturer's warranty on the new unit. A contractor can check the age and condition of your coil and ductwork and tell you whether a full swap or partial one makes sense for your house.
- Do HVAC contractors in Washington need a state license to work on my home?
- Ask to see a state contractor license number before signing anything, then look it up through the state's contractor registration search to confirm it is active and covers the work being done. A licensed contractor also carries the bond and insurance the state requires, which protects you if something goes wrong during the installation.