Colorado HVAC Pros
Overhead view of an outdoor AC condenser unit on a concrete pad next to a house with a dark shingle roof.

AC Installation in Montrose, CO

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

Tell us about the job

It takes about a minute.

Step 1 of 3: Equipment
Aerial view of a residential air conditioning condenser unit mounted on a concrete pad next to a house with vinyl siding and a sliding glass door.

Montrose asks less of an air conditioner, but it still has to hold up

Cooling season here runs July and August, about two months a year. Summer afternoons average 83°F, which is mild compared to a lot of the country, so a new system isn't fighting extreme heat for months on end.

What it does have to handle is weather. Montrose County has logged 53 damaging wind events and 4 hail events over the past ten years, with hail up to 1.5 inches recorded. An outdoor condenser sits outside through all of that, so the cabinet and coil fins need to be able to take a hit. Any new central air conditioner installed today also has to meet the federal efficiency minimum of 13.4 SEER2.

2 months
July through August, your air conditioner is on duty
83°F
the average summer afternoon it cools against
4 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 grey illustration of a cutaway single-story house showing interior rooms, ceiling ductwork connected to an indoor air handler, and an outdoor condenser unit linked by lines outside the wall.
Your air conditioner works hardest from July through August.

NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals

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

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

  • A higher-efficiency unit$150 a year
  • A new unit at the federal minimum, 13.4 SEER2$170 a year

Estimates for a typical Montrose 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 a rule of thumb based on square footage. A contractor looks at your insulation, your windows, how many rooms you have, and which way your house faces before landing on a number. An oversized unit cools the air fast but shuts off before it pulls the humidity out, so the house feels clammy even at the right temperature. Since Montrose only needs cooling in July and August, getting the size right matters more for comfort during those two months than for running costs spread over a long season.
Should I replace the whole system or just the outdoor unit?
If your indoor coil and outdoor unit are different ages or different efficiency ratings, replacing just the outdoor unit usually is not a good match. The two are engineered to work as a pair, and mixing an old coil with a new condenser can mean the system never reaches the efficiency it is rated for, sometimes voiding the warranty too. A contractor can check whether your existing coil and refrigerant lines are compatible with a new outdoor unit before you decide. If both parts are old, replacing them together is generally the safer route.
Do HVAC contractors in Montrose need a state license to work on my home?
Yes, anyone installing or repairing a central air conditioning system in your home needs a state contractor license. Ask to see the license number before work starts, and check that it is active. A licensed contractor also carries the insurance that protects you if something goes wrong during the installation.
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