AC Installation in Lexington-Fayette urban county, KY
A new air conditioner in Lexington-Fayette urban county will run from June through September every year. Tell us about the house, and a licensed contractor who covers Fayette County will get in touch.
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Four months of real heat in Fayette County
Summer afternoons here average 85°F, and homes need cooling from June through September. That is four months a year your air conditioner has to work, not year round, but hard while it does.
This area has also seen its share of hail and wind, 15 hail events and 108 damaging wind events over the past ten years. An outdoor condenser sits exposed to that. Any new unit installed today has to meet a federal minimum of 14.3 SEER2, so the efficiency floor is already set. What matters after that is a system sized right for the house and installed so it holds up to the storms that come through here.
- 4 months
- June through September, your air conditioner is on duty
- 85°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
- 15 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 Fayette 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.
The license is held by the contractor, not issued job by job, so it covers the business behind the work rather than this one installation. That is what the state is putting on record when it licenses a contractor.
In most cities and counties, an air conditioner install also needs a permit from the local building office, with an inspection once the work is done. That inspection is what checks the installation itself, separate from the contractor's license.
Sources: Kentucky Legislative Research Commission · Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction
- What size air conditioner does my house need?
- It depends on more than square footage. A contractor sizes your unit using a load calculation that accounts for your home's insulation, window area, ceiling height, and how much shade it gets. An oversized unit cools the air fast but shuts off before it pulls the humidity out, leaving the house feeling damp. An undersized one runs constantly on the hot afternoons here and still can't keep up. A contractor can walk through your house and run the numbers.
- Should I replace the whole system or just the outdoor unit?
- If your indoor and outdoor units are original to each other, replace both. The coil inside and the compressor outside are matched to work at a specific efficiency and refrigerant charge. Put a new outdoor unit on an old indoor coil and the mismatch can cost you efficiency, and some manufacturers will not warranty the new unit at all. A contractor can check the age and condition of the indoor coil and tell you whether it can be reused.
- Do HVAC contractors in Lexington-Fayette urban county need a state license to work on my home?
- Yes. Kentucky requires HVAC contractors to hold a state license, issued through the Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction. That license covers the contractor, not the individual job, so ask to see it before work starts. You'll also need a permit from the local building office for an air conditioner installation, and the work gets inspected once it's done.