AC Installation in Prescott Valley, AZ
A new air conditioner in Prescott Valley will run from June through September every year. Tell us about the house, and a licensed contractor who covers Yavapai County will get in touch.
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Four months of real heat, and hail to build for
Prescott Valley asks a new air conditioner to work hard for four months, June through September, with summer afternoons averaging 93°F. That is the load the unit is sized for, not just the peak day but the stretch of them.
The ten years of storm records here show 94 damaging wind events and 36 hail events, one hailstone as big as 1.75 inches. An outdoor unit sits exposed to that, so how it is installed, mounted, and where it is placed matters as much as the equipment itself. Any new central air conditioner installed today also has to meet the federal minimum of 14.3 SEER2.
- 4 months
- June through September, your air conditioner is on duty
- 93°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
- 36 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 $20 a year.
Estimates for a typical Yavapai County home, from EIA household energy data, Arizona fuel prices and NOAA climate normals. Your home will differ.
Arizona requires HVAC contractors to hold a state license.
The Registrar of Contractors licenses the contractor, not each job. That license covers the person or company doing the work, and it stays with them from one job to the next.
For an air conditioner installation, that license is what stands behind the work itself. In most cities and counties, an installation like this also needs a permit from the local building office, along with an inspection once the work is finished. That permit and inspection are separate from the license, and they are what checks the work in your home specifically.
Sources: Arizona State Legislature · Arizona Registrar 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 gains through its walls, windows, ceiling, and doors, then matches the unit to that number. Summer afternoons here run about 93°F, so a unit sized too small will run constantly and still fall behind. One sized too large cools the air fast but shuts off before it pulls the moisture out, leaving the house feeling clammy. Have a contractor measure your house rather than going by the size of the old unit.
- Should I replace the whole system or just the outdoor unit?
- In most cases the outdoor unit and the indoor coil need to be replaced together. They are matched to work at a specific capacity and efficiency, and pairing a new outdoor unit with an old indoor coil usually means losing the efficiency you paid for, sometimes voiding the warranty too. If your furnace or air handler is old as well, a contractor can tell you whether it's worth replacing now or later. Age and condition of each piece matter here, so have a contractor look at the whole system before deciding.
- Do HVAC contractors in Prescott Valley need a state license to work on my home?
- Yes. Arizona requires HVAC contractors to hold a state license, issued by the Registrar of Contractors. Ask to see the license number before work starts, and you can look it up with the Registrar to confirm it's current.