AC Installation in Fort Thomas, KY
A new air conditioner in Fort Thomas will run from June through September every year. Tell us about the house, and a licensed contractor who covers Campbell County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
Four months of real heat to work against
Fort Thomas summers average 85°F on a typical afternoon, and your air conditioner runs against that heat June through September, four months a year. That's the stretch it has to hold the house at temperature, day after day, without a break to recover.
Any new central air conditioner installed now has to meet 14.3 SEER2, the federal minimum. Campbell County has also logged 23 hail events and 43 damaging wind events over the past ten years, with hail up to 2.5 inches. The outdoor unit sits outside through all of that, so where and how it's installed matters as much as the unit itself.
- 4 months
- June through September, your air conditioner is on duty
- 85°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
- 23 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
Going above the federal minimum saves little here, about $10 a year.
Estimates for a typical Campbell County home, from EIA household energy data, Kentucky fuel prices and NOAA climate normals. Your home will differ.
Kentucky requires HVAC contractors to hold a state license.
This license comes from the Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction, and it covers the contractor, not each job. The same license applies whether they're installing an air conditioner or working on a furnace across town.
For an air conditioner install in Campbell County, the license is what stands behind the contractor. It doesn't check the finished job, that's what the local building office does. Most cities and counties require a permit for a new air conditioner and an inspection once it's in, so someone besides the installer looks at the work before it's called done.
Sources: Kentucky Legislative Research Commission · Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction
- What size air conditioner does my house need?
- There is no single answer that fits every house, because the right size depends on your square footage, how much insulation you have, how many windows you have and which way they face, and how many people live there. A unit that is too big cools the air fast but shuts off before it pulls the moisture out, so the house feels damp. A unit that is too small runs constantly and still can't keep up on the hottest afternoons. A contractor will measure your house and run a load calculation to get the right number, not just match whatever size is already out there.
- Should I replace the whole system or just the outdoor unit?
- In most cases, if your outdoor unit is failing, the indoor coil should be replaced with it. New outdoor units are built to run at a specific efficiency and refrigerant pressure, and an old indoor coil often can't match that, so the new unit ends up working harder and wearing out sooner. The exception is when the indoor coil is young and was already matched to a similarly rated system. A contractor can check what you have and tell you whether it will pair with a new outdoor unit or not.
- Do HVAC contractors in Fort Thomas need a state license to work on my home?
- Yes. Kentucky requires HVAC contractors to hold a state license, issued by the Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction. For an AC installation, you'll also need a permit from the local building office, and the work gets inspected once it's done. Ask to see the license before any work starts.