Air Conditioning Installation: From Least Labor-Intensive Type To Most

Air conditioning installation ranges from the very simple to the very complex. Depending on the type of air conditioning you select, it could be installed in as little as a few minutes to as long as several hours or a couple of days. Here is more information on A/C installation, from the least labor-intensive type to the most labor-intensive type.

Mobile Air Conditioners

Unlike window units, mobile air conditioners require a little carpentry and ventilation know-how. A window unit you just throw in, shut the window, and block openings to prevent bugs. These new mobile units require that you create a ventilation opening to the outside. An HVAC contractor can help by cutting a circle out of masonite and installing it in your window. Then he/she can connect the ventilation tubing for the mobile air conditioner to the opening in the masonite and seal it off. The HVAC contractor can repeat this process in every room of your house where you think you might want to use a mobile air conditioner. The process only takes about a half hour per window/unit.

Standard Central Air Units

If you have never had a central air conditioning unit, then it takes about three or four hours to install one. Holes have to be drilled through your siding and/or foundation so that the electrical wiring that runs to the furnace, the thermostat, and the fuse box can be connected. Power cables and a special outdoor fuse box for the A/C have to be installed outside too. The contractor may also level the ground and install a concrete slab to provide a level surface upon which the condenser unit sits. All the parts have to be tested and checked prior to installation and before everything is secured/bolted down.

Geothermal Units

If you opt for the earth-friendly geothermal A/C, then you can expect this project to last an entire day and possibly two. The reason for this is that a big chunk of your yard has to be excavated to a specific depth for the geothermal coil. Each part of the coil has to be secured to the next, and all of it has to be level if the coil is horizontal. If you choose the vertical installation, then a very long vertical tunnel has to be excavated and cleared of loose soil before the coil is installed. That is just the labor for the coil. Connecting the coil to the rest of the unit inside the house involves more work, and you do have to be home and present for this whole process.

For more information, contact local professionals like Nova Air Conditioning & Heating.