Colorado HVAC Pros
Overhead view of an air conditioning condenser unit on a concrete pad next to a house with asphalt shingle roofing and vinyl siding.

AC Installation in Fort Collins, CO

Tell us about the house, and a licensed contractor who covers Larimer County will get in touch.

Tell us about the job

It takes about a minute.

Step 1 of 3: Equipment
Overhead view of a gray outdoor AC condenser unit on a concrete pad beside a mulched garden bed and a house with vinyl siding.

Fort Collins doesn't ask much of an air conditioner

Summer afternoons here average 76°F, which is mild compared to most of the country. A new system in Larimer County isn't fighting the kind of heat that runs a compressor into the ground.

What it does have to survive is hail and wind. The area has seen 155 hail events and 102 damaging wind events over the past ten years, with hailstones as large as 2.5 inches. An outdoor condenser sits exposed to that, and the coil and fan are the parts most likely to take the hit. Any new install sold in the US has to meet a federal minimum of 13.4 SEER2, so efficiency is covered before you even start comparing units. What matters more here is picking equipment and a mounting setup that can take a hailstorm without needing a service call after.

76°F
the average summer afternoon it cools against
155 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 cutaway illustration of a small house showing interior rooms with furniture, ceiling ductwork and an air handler, plus an outdoor condenser unit connected by refrigerant lines beside the building.
Your air conditioner works hardest from July through July.

NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals

An outdoor air conditioning condenser unit mounted on a concrete pad next to a blue-sided residential house at sunset.

Going above the federal minimum saves little here, about $0 a year.

  • A new unit at the federal minimum, 13.4 SEER2$30 a year
  • A higher-efficiency unit$30 a year

Estimates for a typical Larimer 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 shade your house gets before landing on a number. An oversized unit cools the air fast but shuts off before it pulls the moisture out, so the house feels damp. An undersized one runs constantly and still can't keep up on the hottest afternoons. Either way, sizing it right the first time is what makes the system worth installing.
Should I replace the whole system or just the outdoor unit?
If your indoor coil and outdoor unit are more than a few years apart in age, replacing just the outdoor unit usually causes problems. The two are matched to work together, and pairing an old coil with a new condenser can mean poor performance or a mismatch the manufacturer won't warrant. A contractor can check the age and condition of both and tell you whether a full system swap makes sense or if the indoor coil still has life left in it.
Do HVAC contractors in Fort Collins need a state license to work on my home?
Check that any contractor holds a valid Colorado license before work starts. Ask for the license number and look it up with the state to confirm it's current and covers the work you need done. A licensed contractor has also passed the inspections your local permitting office requires for new AC installations.
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