AC Installation in Blacksburg, VA
A new air conditioner in Blacksburg will run from June through August every year. Tell us about the house, and a licensed contractor who covers Montgomery County will get in touch.
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Three summer months, and an outdoor unit built to take weather
Blacksburg only asks a new air conditioner to work June through August, but summer afternoons here average 82°F, and that's the load it has to answer during those three months. A system sized for that kind of season runs differently than one built to run most of the year, which is worth knowing when you're picking a unit.
The outdoor unit sits outside all year, not just in summer. Montgomery County has recorded 94 damaging wind events and 11 hail events over the past ten years, with hailstones up to an inch. Any new central air conditioner installed today also has to meet the federal minimum of 14.3 SEER2, so that efficiency floor is already part of what you're buying.
- 3 months
- June through August, your air conditioner is on duty
- 82°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
- 11 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 $10 a year.
Estimates for a typical Montgomery County home, from EIA household energy data, Virginia fuel prices and NOAA climate normals. Your home will differ.
Virginia requires HVAC contractors to hold a state license.
The state tested this contractor's trade knowledge before issuing that license, and the Board for Contractors keeps a record of who holds one. That record follows the business, not the specific job, so the same license covers this installation and whatever else the contractor takes on. Virginia does carve out an exception for small work. Anything under $1,000 does not need a licensed contractor at all. An air conditioner installation runs well past that line.
For a job like this, the license is what stands behind the work. Most cities and counties also require a permit before an installation like this starts, along with an inspection once the work is done. That permit and inspection come from the local building office, not the state license.
Sources: Virginia General Assembly · Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation
- What size air conditioner does my house need?
- There is no way to answer that from square footage alone. The right size depends on your home's insulation, window area, ceiling height, and how much shade it gets, so a contractor works it out with a load calculation, not a chart. Putting in one that is too big cools the air fast but shuts off before it pulls the humidity out, which leaves rooms feeling clammy. Too small, and it runs constantly on the hot afternoons here without keeping up. A contractor who comes out and measures the house is the only reliable way to get this right.
- Should I replace the whole system or just the outdoor unit?
- In most cases the outdoor unit and the indoor coil need to be matched, so swapping only the outdoor unit often is not an option. The refrigerant and the coil design have to work together, and pairing a new condenser with an old coil can mean it never reaches its rated efficiency. Age matters too. If the indoor coil is old enough that it is close to failing on its own, replacing just the outdoor unit now means paying for labor again later when the coil goes. A contractor can look at both halves and tell you whether the coil is a match for whatever new unit you are considering.
- Do HVAC contractors in Blacksburg need a state license to work on my home?
- Yes. Virginia requires HVAC contractors to hold a state license, issued through the Board for Contractors, and installing an air conditioner falls under that requirement. The license covers the contractor rather than the individual job. Beyond the contractor's license, this kind of work also needs a permit from the local building office, with an inspection once the job is finished. A contractor can walk you through what that permit involves for your home.