AC Installation in Farmington, NM
A new air conditioner in Farmington will run from June through August every year. Tell us about the house, and a licensed contractor who covers San Juan County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
Three months of real heat, and hail besides
Farmington only asks a new air conditioner to work three months a year, June through August, with afternoons averaging 88°F. That's a short season, but a hot one, and the system still has to keep up when it counts.
The area has also seen 42 damaging wind events and 8 hail storms over the past ten years, one dropping hailstones 1.75 inches across. That's worth knowing when you're picking where the outdoor unit sits and what shields it. Any new central air conditioner installed today also has to meet 14.3 SEER2, the federal efficiency minimum that took effect in 2023.
- 3 months
- June through August, your air conditioner is on duty
- 88°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
- 8 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 San Juan County home, from EIA household energy data, New Mexico fuel prices and NOAA climate normals. Your home will differ.
New Mexico requires HVAC contractors to hold a state license.
The license comes from the state's Construction Industries Division. It covers the contractor, not each job, so it does not expire when this installation is finished and it does not need to be renewed for the next one.
For an air conditioner installation, that license is what stands behind the work. It is not the only check on it, though. In most cities and counties in New Mexico, this job needs a permit from the local building office, and the work gets inspected once it is done. That inspection is separate from the license. It looks at whether this installation, in this house, was done right.
Source: New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department
- What size air conditioner does my house need?
- There's no single answer without a load calculation, and a licensed contractor will need to do this before installing a new system. The right size depends on your square footage, ceiling height, insulation, window count and direction, and how much shade your house gets. An oversized unit cools the air fast but shuts off before it pulls the humidity out, so rooms feel damp even at the right temperature. An undersized one runs constantly and still can't keep up on the hottest afternoons. A contractor measures your house room by room rather than going off square footage alone, since two homes the same size can need different tonnage.
- Should I replace the whole system or just the outdoor unit?
- If your indoor coil and outdoor unit were installed at the same time, replacing only the outdoor unit usually causes problems. The two are matched to work together, and pairing a new condenser with an old coil can mean poor cooling and added strain on the new compressor. Refrigerant type is another issue if the indoor coil is old enough to run on something other than what current units use. A contractor can look at both parts of your system and tell you whether the coil is worth keeping, or whether mismatching them will cost you down the line.
- Do HVAC contractors in Farmington need a state license to work on my home?
- Yes. New Mexico requires HVAC contractors to hold a state license, issued through the Construction Industries Division. The license belongs to the contractor, not to any single job, so it covers the person or company doing the work rather than being reissued each time. For a job like installing an air conditioner, you'll also need a permit from the local building office, and the work gets inspected once it's done.