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Air Conditioner Installation in Ottawa
Central Air Conditioner Installation, Sized and Commissioned Right
Just Air installs central air conditioners for homes across Ottawa, Nepean, Kanata, Stittsville, Barrhaven and the surrounding area. A new air conditioner is only as good as the sizing and the installation behind it, so we start with the house, not the equipment, and we’re straightforward about what actually drives the price up or down. If you’re weighing a repair against a full replacement, see our air conditioner repair page or call us at (613) 266-9742 and we’ll help you think it through.
Just Air
Air Conditioner Installation in Ottawa
We size central air conditioners the same way we size furnaces and heat pumps: square footage, insulation, window area, existing ductwork and how the house actually holds heat all factor into the answer before a unit ever leaves the truck. An oversized air conditioner cools the air fast and shuts off before it pulls the humidity out, which leaves the house feeling clammy even at the right temperature. An undersized one runs constantly and never quite catches up on the hottest days. Our licensed technicians handle the load calculation, the equipment selection, the installation and the commissioning, and we’ll tell you plainly if a repair still makes more sense than a replacement.
how it works
What’s Involved in a Central Air Conditioner Installation
A straightforward installation usually means removing the old outdoor condenser and, if it’s original to the house, the indoor coil as well. We run new refrigerant lines when the old ones don’t match the new equipment, connect the electrical disconnect and wiring, and set the new condenser on a level pad with the clearance the manufacturer specifies.
Once the equipment is in place we commission it: check refrigerant charge, airflow across the coil, static pressure in the ducts and thermostat operation before we call the job done. If your ductwork is undersized, leaky or was never balanced properly, we’ll flag it during the quote rather than after the fact. A perfectly sized air conditioner connected to bad ductwork will never perform the way the spec sheet says it should.
brands
We Work With
sizing
Sizing a Central Air Conditioner for an Ottawa Home
Square footage is the starting point for sizing, not the answer on its own. These are typical ranges we see across the homes we work on:
| Home size | Typical central AC size | Notes for Ottawa homes |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 1,200 sq ft | 1.5 to 2 tons | Common in older Centretown and Vanier homes |
| 1,200 to 1,800 sq ft | 2 to 2.5 tons | Most Nepean and Gloucester bungalows and semis |
| 1,800 to 2,600 sq ft | 2.5 to 3.5 tons | Typical Barrhaven and Kanata two-storey |
| 2,600 sq ft and up | 3.5 to 5 tons | Often better served by two zones than one large unit |
These are starting points, not a quote. Proper sizing comes from a heat-gain calculation that accounts for insulation, window area, orientation and ductwork. An oversized unit short-cycles, never pulls humidity out, and wears its compressor early.
efficiency
SEER Ratings and Efficiency
SEER, and the newer SEER2 rating, measures how much cooling a unit delivers per unit of electricity over a season. Higher numbers mean lower operating cost for the same square footage. Minimum efficiency standards have moved up over the past decade, so even a base-model replacement today is more efficient than a unit installed 10 or 15 years ago.
Higher-SEER equipment costs more upfront and pays some of that back in lower summer electricity bills, but how much depends on how many hours a year the system actually runs, which is a house-specific number rather than a universal one. We’ll talk you through the efficiency tiers that are actually available for your ductwork and electrical service instead of quoting a number that doesn’t apply to your house.
cost factors
What Affects the Cost of an Air Conditioner Installation
- Line set length and routing: longer runs between the outdoor unit and the indoor coil mean more refrigerant line, more insulation and more labor.
- Electrical work: older panels sometimes need a new breaker, disconnect or wiring to meet code for the new equipment.
- Pad and clearance: the outdoor unit needs a level pad and the clearance the manufacturer specifies around it; tight side yards or window wells sometimes need extra work to meet that.
- Removing the old unit: disposal and proper recovery of the old refrigerant charge is part of the job, not an extra most people think about upfront.
We don’t publish a flat price because these variables change the number too much to be useful. Call (613) 266-9742 and we’ll give you a number based on your actual house, not a website estimate. Ask about our financing options at the same time.
for customers
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does a central air conditioner installation take?
A straightforward swap of like-for-like equipment in a home with existing ductwork is usually a one-day job. Add time if the electrical panel needs work, if ductwork needs modification, or if there’s no existing outdoor pad or disconnect to reuse.
What SEER rating should I choose?
It depends on how long your cooling season runs, what electricity costs you, and how long you plan to stay in the house. We’ll walk you through the efficiency tiers available for your equipment type and tell you honestly where the payback stops making sense.
Do I need to replace my ductwork when I install a new air conditioner?
Not always. If your existing ducts are properly sized, sealed and balanced, they can usually carry a new system. If they’re undersized or leaky, we’ll flag it during the quote, because a new air conditioner connected to bad ductwork won’t perform to spec no matter how well it’s installed.
Can I keep my furnace and just replace the air conditioner?
Often, yes, as long as the indoor coil and the furnace’s blower are matched to the new outdoor unit. We check compatibility as part of the quote. If the furnace is also near the end of its life, we’ll tell you whether a combined replacement makes more sense. See our heating services page, or our heat pumps and ductless and mini-split pages if you’re weighing other options entirely.
