AC Installation in Ocala, FL
A new air conditioner in Ocala will run from March through October every year. Tell us about the house, and a licensed contractor who covers Marion County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
Eight months of cooling, and afternoons near 91°F
Your air conditioner works from March through October here, eight months of the year. Summer afternoons average 91°F, so the compressor is running hard for most of the time it's on, not just cycling through mild days.
A new system installed today has to meet a federal minimum of 14.3 SEER2, so it will run more efficiently than an older unit through all those months. Marion County has also seen 156 damaging wind events and 17 hail events over the past ten years, so how the outdoor unit is installed and protected matters as much as the equipment itself.
- 8 months
- March through October, your air conditioner is on duty
- 91°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
- 17 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
A higher-efficiency unit would save about $30 a year to run in Marion County compared with a new unit at the federal minimum.
Estimates for a typical Marion County home, from EIA household energy data, Florida fuel prices and NOAA climate normals. Your home will differ.
Florida requires HVAC contractors to hold a state license.
That license is issued to the contractor as a business, not to each job they do. So it is the contractor's name and record with the Construction Industry Licensing Board you are checking, not a stamp on this particular installation.
For this job, that license is what stands behind the work. On top of it, most cities and counties in Florida require a permit for an air conditioner installation and an inspection once the work is finished, which is a separate check from the local building office rather than part of the license itself.
Sources: Florida Legislature · Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation
- What size air conditioner does my house need?
- The right size comes from a load calculation, not the square footage of your house alone. A contractor measures your windows, insulation, ceiling height, and how many walls face the afternoon sun, then runs those numbers to find the tonnage your house actually needs. With summer afternoons here averaging 91°F for eight months of the year, getting this number right matters more than in milder places. Too big and the unit cools the air fast but never runs long enough to pull the humidity out. Too small and it runs constantly on the hottest days and still can't keep up.
- Should I replace the whole system or just the outdoor unit?
- In most cases, if your outdoor unit is failing, the indoor coil and furnace or air handler should be replaced with it. The outdoor unit and indoor coil are matched to work at a specific efficiency and airflow, and pairing a new outdoor unit with an old indoor coil usually keeps you from getting the efficiency the new unit is rated for. It can also void the manufacturer's warranty on the new equipment. A contractor can look at the age and condition of the indoor equipment and tell you whether it's worth keeping.
- Do HVAC contractors in Ocala need a state license to work on my home?
- Yes. Florida requires HVAC contractors to hold a state license, issued by the Construction Industry Licensing Board. Ask to see the license number before work starts, and you can look it up directly with the board to confirm it's active.