AC Installation in San Luis Obispo, CA
A new air conditioner in San Luis Obispo will run from June through September every year. Tell us about the house, and a licensed contractor who covers San Luis Obispo County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
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Four months of real heat, every year
San Luis Obispo asks a new air conditioner to work from June through September, with summer afternoons averaging 87°F. That is not year round, but it is enough that the unit you choose has to hold up under real heat, season after season.
Any new central air conditioner installed here has to meet the federal efficiency minimum of 14.3 SEER2. That rating comes from the equipment, not the installation, so the size of the unit and how well it matches your home still matter for how it performs on those 87°F afternoons.
- 4 months
- June through September, your air conditioner is on duty
- 87°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
- 1 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 San Luis Obispo County home, from EIA household energy data, California fuel prices and NOAA climate normals. Your home will differ.
California requires HVAC contractors to hold a state license.
The license comes from the Contractors State License Board, and it belongs to the contractor, not to any single job. The state tested that contractor and keeps a record of them. It does not test or sign off on each installation they do.
For this job, that license is what stands behind the person doing the work. Beyond that, installing an air conditioner in most cities and counties needs a permit from the local building office, with an inspection once the work is done, so the installation itself gets checked separately from the contractor's license.
Sources: California Legislative Counsel · Contractors State License Board
- 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 measures your windows, insulation, ceiling height, and duct layout, then runs that through a standard formula called a Manual J. An oversized unit cools the air fast but shuts off before it pulls the moisture out, so the house feels damp. An undersized one runs nonstop on an 87 degree afternoon and still can't keep up. A contractor sizing your home for this climate will size it for those summer highs, not for a mild day in spring.
- Should I replace the whole system or just the outdoor unit?
- If the indoor and outdoor units were installed together and matched to each other, replacing just the outdoor unit usually causes problems. The compressor and the indoor coil are matched by the manufacturer to move a specific amount of refrigerant. Put a new outdoor unit on an old coil and the mismatch can cause poor cooling and put strain on the new compressor. A contractor can check the age and condition of the coil and tell you honestly whether it's a candidate to keep or whether both need to go at once.
- Do HVAC contractors in San Luis Obispo need a state license to work on my home?
- Yes. California requires anyone doing HVAC work to hold a state license issued by the Contractors State License Board. That license means the contractor has met the state's requirements for training and insurance on this kind of work. Before hiring anyone, you can ask for their license number and look it up with the board directly.