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Ductwork laid in for an older system and a service panel that was never sized for a modern cooling load are what a contractor has to account for before any equipment goes in. Half the homes in Aleutians West Census Area, Alaska were built in 1990 or earlier (2020-2024 ACS 5-year). That gap between what was built into the house and what a new central AC unit actually draws is where the installation cost lives. A contractor who quotes the equipment alone is quoting the smaller part of the job.
What Gets Installed With a New Central AC
The outdoor condenser unit sits on a pad outside the house and holds the compressor and condenser coil, the hardware that does the heaviest work in the system. Inside, the air handler or furnace-plus-coil combination lives in a utility space, basement, or closet, and it is the piece that moves conditioned air into the home.
A refrigerant line set runs between the two units, carrying refrigerant through a pair of insulated copper lines that pass through the wall. The thermostat goes on an interior wall where it reads the temperature of the living space and tells the rest of the system when to run.
The drawing shows a typical layout, and a licensed contractor determines exactly what goes where in your house.
Find a contractor in Aleutians West Census AreaAleutians West Census Area, by the numbers
Half the homes in Aleutians West Census Area, Alaska were built in 1990 or earlier (2020-2024 ACS 5-year).
U.S. Census Bureau, 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesAleutians West Census Area, Alaska holds 1,356 housing units (2020-2024 ACS 5-year).
U.S. Census Bureau, 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesOwners occupy 33.5% of the occupied homes in Aleutians West Census Area, Alaska (2020-2024 ACS 5-year).
U.S. Census Bureau, 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesRules & Standards for Central AC Installation in Aleutians West Census Area, Alaska9 sourced rules and standards
What the installation process looks like
Split-system central air conditioners rated below 45,000 Btu/h manufactured on or after January 1, 2023 must meet a federal minimum of 13.4 SEER2.
Split-system central air conditioners rated at or above 45,000 Btu/h manufactured on or after January 1, 2023 must meet a federal minimum of 13.4 SEER2.
Split-system central air conditioners manufactured between January 1, 2015 and December 31, 2022 had to meet 13 SEER, the metric that preceded SEER2.
Single-package central air conditioners manufactured on or after January 1, 2023 must meet a federal minimum of 13.4 SEER2.
Space-constrained central air conditioners manufactured on or after January 1, 2023 must meet a federal minimum of 11.7 SEER2.
Federal efficiency standards for split-system central air conditioners and heat pumps are set on each certified combination of outdoor unit and indoor coil rather than on the outdoor unit alone.
Residential and light commercial air conditioning and heat pump systems assembled in the field, including mini-splits and unitary systems, may not be installed on or after January 1, 2025 using a refrigerant with a global warming potential above 700.
A field-assembled system whose specified components were all manufactured or imported before January 1, 2025 carries no installation compliance date under the refrigerant restrictions and may still be installed.
Licensing Rules for HVAC Work in Aleutians West Census Area, Alaska
Alaska requires a certificate of registration as a contractor: a person may not submit a bid or work as a contractor until the department has issued one.