Colorado HVAC Pros
An outdoor air conditioning condenser unit installed beside the exterior wall of a blue vinyl-sided house at sunset.

AC Installation in Elizabeth, CO

A new air conditioner in Elizabeth will run from July through August every year. Tell us about the house, and a licensed contractor who covers Elbert County will get in touch.

Tell us about the job

It takes about a minute.

Step 1 of 3: Equipment
An outdoor air conditioning condenser unit positioned on a concrete pad next to a blue-sided house, surrounded by green shrubs and flowering hydrangeas at sunset.

Two months of heat, but hail built to test it

Elizabeth only asks a new air conditioner to work July and August, with afternoons averaging 84°F. That is a short cooling season, and the system does not spend most of the year under strain.

What it has to survive is what falls from the sky. Elbert County has logged 165 hail events and 83 damaging wind events over the past ten years, with hail as large as 3.5 inches. A new central air conditioner installed today has to meet a federal minimum of 13.4 SEER2, so that part is already settled.

2 months
July through August, your air conditioner is on duty
84°F
the average summer afternoon it cools against
165 hail events
in ten years, and hail bends the fins on outdoor coils
13.4 SEER2
the federal minimum any new unit must meet
Isometric line illustration of a cutaway house showing an indoor air handler with branching ducts in the attic space, connected by a line set to an outdoor condenser unit beside the building, with simple furniture in two rooms.
Your air conditioner works hardest from July through August.

NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals

Overhead view of a gray residential air conditioning condenser unit mounted on a concrete pad beside a house with asphalt shingle roofing.

Going above the federal minimum saves little here, about $20 a year.

  • A higher-efficiency unit$160 a year
  • A new unit at the federal minimum, 13.4 SEER2$180 a year

Estimates for a typical Elbert County home, from EIA household energy data, Colorado fuel prices and NOAA climate normals. Your home will differ.

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 much sun your walls get before they land on a number. Putting in one too big cools the air fast but leaves the house damp, since it shuts off before it finishes pulling moisture out. Too small, and it runs constantly all through July and August trying to keep up.
Should I replace the whole system or just the outdoor unit?
If your indoor coil and outdoor unit were installed together, replace them together. The coil and the condenser are matched to work at a specific capacity and refrigerant charge, and pairing a new outdoor unit with an old indoor coil often means the two never run as they should. A contractor can check the coil's condition and tell you whether it's worth keeping.
Do HVAC contractors in Elizabeth need a state license to work on my home?
Ask to see a contractor's license before any work starts on your home. New central air conditioners installed since 2023 have to meet a federal efficiency minimum of 13.4 SEER2, and a licensed contractor knows how to size and install a system that meets it.
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