AC Installation in Vernal, UT
A new air conditioner in Vernal will run from July through August every year. Tell us about the house, and a licensed contractor who covers Uintah County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
Two months of real heat, and hail to plan around
Vernal only asks for cooling two months out of the year, but July and August afternoons average 84°F, and a new system still has to handle that load without strain. Size it right and it will cycle the way it should instead of running long and hard every afternoon.
Uintah County has logged 36 damaging wind events and 6 hail storms over the past ten years, with hailstones up to an inch. The outdoor unit sits outside through all of it, so the condenser coil and cabinet take the hit. Any new central air conditioner installed today also has to meet the federal efficiency minimum of 13.4 SEER2.
- 2 months
- July through August, your air conditioner is on duty
- 84°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
- 6 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 Uintah County home, from EIA household energy data, Utah fuel prices and NOAA climate normals. Your home will differ.
Utah requires HVAC contractors to hold a state license.
The Division of Professional Licensing tests and licenses HVAC contractors in Utah, and the license belongs to the contractor, not to any one job. Work under $7,000 does not need a licensed contractor. An installation can fall on either side of that line, so whether this rule applies depends on what this job costs.
When the license does apply, it is what stands behind the work in Utah, since the state tested that contractor and keeps a record of them. Separate from that, most cities and counties in Utah require a permit for an air conditioner installation, along with an inspection once the work is finished.
Sources: Utah State Legislature · Utah Department of Commerce
- What size air conditioner does my house need?
- There is no fixed size for a given square footage, so a contractor needs to measure. They look at how much square footage needs cooling, how many windows the house has and which way they face, how much insulation is in the attic and walls, and the layout of the ductwork. An oversized unit cools the air fast but shuts off before it pulls the humidity out, so the house feels damp. An undersized one runs long stretches on the hottest afternoons and still cannot keep up. A contractor will work out the right size for your house before pricing the job.
- Should I replace the whole system or just the outdoor unit?
- That depends on the age and condition of your indoor coil and how old the whole system is, so a contractor needs to look at it. Outdoor units are matched to an indoor coil at the factory, and pairing a new outdoor unit with an old coil often means the two run at different efficiencies and the system never performs the way either piece is rated to. If the indoor coil is old or already showing wear, replacing it at the same time usually makes more sense than replacing the outdoor unit twice. A contractor can tell you whether your coil is a good match once they see it.
- Do HVAC contractors in Vernal need a state license to work on my home?
- Yes. Utah requires HVAC contractors to hold a state license, issued through the Division of Professional Licensing, and that license belongs to the contractor rather than to any single job. Utah lets unlicensed work happen only on small jobs, and installing a central air conditioner is not that kind of job, so it needs a licensed contractor. Most cities and counties also require a permit and inspection for this kind of installation, so check that the contractor is pulling one.