AC Installation in Fort Payne, AL
A new air conditioner in Fort Payne will run from May through September every year. Tell us about the house, and a licensed contractor who covers DeKalb County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
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Five months of real heat
Fort Payne homes run their air conditioner from May through September, and summer afternoons average 86°F. That is five months of steady load on the compressor, not just a few hot weeks.
DeKalb County also sees its share of hail and wind, with 24 hail events and 203 damaging wind events recorded over the past ten years, one hailstone as large as 2.5 inches. The outdoor unit sits outside through all of it, so it needs to hold up as well as cool the house. Any new system installed today also has to meet the federal minimum of 14.3 SEER2, so the efficiency question is already settled before you pick a model.
- 5 months
- May through September, your air conditioner is on duty
- 86°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
- 24 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 DeKalb County home, from EIA household energy data, Alabama fuel prices and NOAA climate normals. Your home will differ.
Alabama requires HVAC contractors to hold a state license.
The Alabama Board of Heating, Air Conditioning & Refrigeration Contractors tests and licenses HVAC contractors before they can take on work like this. The license belongs to the contractor, not to any one job, so it travels with them from house to house rather than being issued fresh each time.
For an air conditioner installation in DeKalb County, that state license is what stands behind the person doing the work. On top of that, most cities and counties require a permit for this kind of installation, with an inspection once the work is finished, so the job gets checked by the local building office as well as by the state's licensing board.
Source: Alabama Board of Heating, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractors
- What size air conditioner does my house need?
- There is no single answer without a contractor measuring your house. Sizing comes from the square footage, how many windows you have and where they face, how much insulation is in the attic and walls, and the layout of your ductwork. A unit that is too big cools the air fast but shuts off before it pulls the humidity out, so rooms feel damp. One that is too small runs constantly and still cant keep up on a hot afternoon. A contractor will walk the house and run a load calculation before recommending a size.
- Should I replace the whole system or just the outdoor unit?
- It depends on the age and condition of the indoor coil as much as the outdoor unit. The outdoor condenser and the indoor coil are matched to work together, so pairing a new condenser with an old coil can mean the system never reaches the efficiency it was built for, and some manufacturers wont warranty the new unit in that setup. If the indoor coil is old or was sized for a different outdoor unit, replacing just the outside piece can cost more down the road than doing both at once. A contractor can look at both pieces and tell you whether they will still match up.
- Do HVAC contractors in Fort Payne need a state license to work on my home?
- Yes. Alabama requires HVAC contractors to hold a state license, issued by the Alabama Board of Heating, Air Conditioning & Refrigeration Contractors. Before hiring anyone, ask for their license number and check it with the board if you want to confirm it's current.