AC Installation in Greenville, MS
A new air conditioner in Greenville will run from May through September every year. Tell us about the house, and a licensed contractor who covers Washington County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
Five months of Greenville heat is a long stretch for a new system
From May through September, your air conditioner is what stands between your house and a 91°F afternoon. That is five months of the year it has to run, and run well, not a few weeks here and there.
Any new central air conditioner installed today has to meet 14.3 SEER2, the federal minimum. That is the floor, not a special upgrade. Whatever size and brand you choose, it has to clear that bar before it can go in your house.
- 5 months
- May through September, your air conditioner is on duty
- 91°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
- 21 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 Washington County compared with a new unit at the federal minimum.
Estimates for a typical Washington County home, from EIA household energy data, Mississippi fuel prices and NOAA climate normals. Your home will differ.
Mississippi requires HVAC contractors to hold a state license.
The state board tests contractors before they can hold this license, and the license belongs to the contractor, not to any one job. That means the same license has to cover every installation that contractor does, and the board keeps a record of who holds it.
For your installation, that license is what stands behind the work. On top of it, most cities and counties require a permit from the local building office for a new air conditioner, with an inspection once the work is done, so someone outside the contractor checks it.
Source: Mississippi State Board of Contractors
- What size air conditioner does my house need?
- The right size comes from a load calculation, not a rule of thumb based on square footage. A contractor works out how much heat your house actually gains, looking at your insulation, your windows, and how much shade the house gets. Summer afternoons here average 91°F, so a unit that's undersized will run constantly and still struggle to keep up. One that's oversized cools the air fast but shuts off before it pulls the humidity out, so the house feels damp even at the right temperature.
- Should I replace the whole system or just the outdoor unit?
- In most cases, replace both the outdoor unit and the indoor coil together. The two are matched to work at a specific efficiency and capacity, and pairing a new outdoor unit with an old coil usually means you lose the efficiency gain you're paying for. It can also void the manufacturer's warranty on the new equipment. A contractor can check the age and condition of your indoor coil and ductwork to tell you whether either needs attention too.
- Do HVAC contractors in Greenville need a state license to work on my home?
- Yes. Mississippi requires HVAC contractors to hold a state license through the State Board of Contractors. That license belongs to the contractor, not to any single job, so it covers the person or company doing the work, including installing your air conditioner. Beyond the license, most cities and counties also require a permit for the installation and an inspection once the work is finished, so check that both the license and the permit are in place before work starts.