AC Installation in Dundalk, MD
A new air conditioner in Dundalk will run from June through September every year. Tell us about the house, and a licensed contractor who covers Baltimore County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
Four months of real heat, every year
Dundalk summers average 85°F on a June through September afternoon, four months when a new air conditioner is doing real work most days, not just on the hottest stretches.
Any central air conditioner installed new today has to meet a federal minimum of 14.3 SEER2. That's the floor a unit has to clear, not a reason to skip asking whether the size and setup actually fit your house.
- 4 months
- June through September, your air conditioner is on duty
- 85°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
- 45 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 Baltimore County home, from EIA household energy data, Maryland fuel prices and NOAA climate normals. Your home will differ.
Maryland requires HVAC contractors to hold a state license.
The Maryland Board of HVACR Contractors tests contractors for this license and keeps it on record. It belongs to the contractor's business. It covers the contractor generally, not each job that business does.
For an air conditioner installation, the license tells you the contractor was tested and is on record with the state. It does not cover the installation itself. In most cities and counties, putting in a new air conditioner needs a permit from the local building office. The finished work gets an inspection too. The license is about the contractor. The permit and inspection are about this job at your house.
Sources: Maryland General Assembly · Maryland Department of Labor
- What size air conditioner does my house need?
- The right size depends on your square footage, ceiling height, insulation, window count and orientation, not just the size of the house next door. A unit that's too big cools the air fast but shuts off before it pulls the moisture out, so rooms feel clammy. A contractor works this out with a load calculation, which looks at your specific house rather than a rule of thumb. That's the only way to get a number you can trust.
- Should I replace the whole system or just the outdoor unit?
- In most cases you want to replace both the outdoor unit and the indoor coil together. They're matched to work at a specific capacity and efficiency, and pairing a new outdoor unit with an old coil usually means you lose the efficiency you're paying for. If your system is old enough that the outdoor unit needs replacing, the coil has likely been running the same number of years and is closer to the end of its own life. A contractor can look at the age and condition of both and tell you whether the coil is worth keeping.
- Do HVAC contractors in Dundalk need a state license to work on my home?
- Yes. Maryland requires HVAC contractors to hold a state license, issued through the Maryland Board of Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Contractors. The license covers the contractor, not the individual job, so it's worth confirming before work starts rather than after. Installing an air conditioner also typically needs a permit from the local building office along with an inspection once the work is finished.