AC Installation in Jackson, MS
A new air conditioner in Jackson will run from May through October every year. Tell us about the house, and a licensed contractor who covers Hinds County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
Six months of cooling, and afternoons near 91
Your air conditioner runs from May through October here, six months of the year. On the hot afternoons that average 91°F, it runs long and it runs often, and there's no real break in that stretch to let the system rest.
A new central air conditioner installed today has to meet a federal minimum of 14.3 SEER2. That's the floor, not a feature, and it applies to any new unit going into a home in Hinds County.
- 6 months
- May through October, your air conditioner is on duty
- 91°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
- 46 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 Hinds County compared with a new unit at the federal minimum.
Estimates for a typical Hinds 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.
That license is issued by the State Board of Contractors, and it belongs to the contractor, not to any single job. It's what qualifies someone to take on your installation and any other HVAC work they do across the state.
For this job, that license is what stands behind the person doing the work. On top of that, most cities and counties in Mississippi require a permit for an air conditioner installation, and an inspection once it is done. That inspection is a separate check on the work itself, done by the local building office rather than the state board.
Source: Mississippi State Board of Contractors
- What size air conditioner does my house need?
- The right size depends on your square footage, your insulation, how many windows you have and which way they face, and your ceiling height. Summers here run hot, with afternoons averaging 91°F from May through October, so an undersized unit will run constantly and still struggle to keep up. An oversized unit cools the air fast but shuts off before it pulls the moisture out, which leaves rooms feeling damp. A contractor will run a load calculation on your actual house to get the number right.
- Should I replace the whole system or just the outdoor unit?
- In most cases the outdoor unit and indoor coil need to be matched, so swapping only one often means the new unit never runs at the efficiency it's rated for. If your indoor coil is old, replacing just the outdoor unit can also void the warranty on the new equipment. Age matters too. New central air conditioners have to meet a federal minimum of 14.3 SEER2, so pairing new equipment with an old coil or old ductwork may not get you the gain you're expecting. A contractor can look at what you have and tell you whether a matched replacement makes sense for your house.
- Do HVAC contractors in Jackson 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. The license is tied to the contractor, not to each individual job, so it's worth confirming before work starts rather than assuming it. Beyond the state license, most cities and counties also require a permit for installing an air conditioner, along with an inspection once the work is finished.