New York HVAC Help
Aerial view of a gray central air conditioning condenser unit on a concrete pad next to a house with vinyl siding.

AC Installation in Hempstead, NY

A new air conditioner in Hempstead will run from June through September every year. Tell us about the house, and a licensed contractor who covers Nassau 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 on a concrete pad next to the gray vinyl siding of a residential home.

Four months of real heat, every year

Hempstead needs cooling June through September, four months a year, with summer afternoons averaging 82°F. A new air conditioner has to hold that line day after day for the whole stretch, not just on the hottest afternoon.

Any central air conditioner installed new here has to meet a federal minimum of 13.4 SEER2. That sets the baseline. What matters beyond it is a unit sized right for the house it is cooling.

4 months
June through September, your air conditioner is on duty
82°F
the average summer afternoon it cools against
10 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 house showing interior ductwork, an air handler, and an outdoor condenser unit connected by lines, with simple furniture in the rooms.
Your air conditioner works hardest from July through August.

NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals

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.

A higher-efficiency unit would save about $40 a year to run in Nassau County compared with a new unit at the federal minimum.

  • A higher-efficiency unit$310 a year
  • A new unit at the federal minimum, 13.4 SEER2$350 a year

Estimates for a typical Nassau County home, from EIA household energy data, New York 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 many rooms face the afternoon sun, then runs those numbers to find the tonnage you need. Put in one too big and it cools the air fast but shuts off before it pulls the moisture out, so rooms feel damp. Too small, and it runs constantly through the hot afternoons here, and still can't keep up.
Should I replace the whole system or just the outdoor unit?
In most cases, replace both at once. The outdoor condenser and the indoor coil are matched to work together, and pairing a new condenser with an old coil often means the system won't hit its rated efficiency. Some manufacturers won't warranty that kind of mismatch at all. If your indoor coil and ductwork are newer and in good shape, a contractor can check whether they're compatible with a new outdoor unit, but that's a call best made after they've inspected both parts of your system.
Do HVAC contractors in Hempstead need a state license to work on my home?
Yes. Ask any contractor for their license number before work starts and confirm it's current before they touch your system. A properly licensed contractor is also who you want on record if the work ever comes up during a home sale or an insurance claim.
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