Central air
You want central air, and the house only has ducts for heat
Once your central air job is booked through us, $100 off your first job is credited.
If you are tired of window units and the bid you hold names a tonnage with nothing behind it, ask whether the ducts you own can carry cool air, and ask for the load worksheet that sets the size. Call or send your details, and you get the questions plus an introduction to one local contractor.
Three questions
Three questions to ask before anyone prices your system
The load worksheet Decides this job
Will you do a load calculation and give me the worksheet?
Chimney and water heater
What happens to my chimney and my gas water heater?
The worksheet
What any quote should show
| Ask on every quote | Quote A | Quote B | Quote C |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1A load worksheet for your house | Quote A answer | Quote B answer | Quote C answer |
| 2How the new unit will vent | Quote A answer | Quote B answer | Quote C answer |
| 3What happens to the water heater | Quote A answer | Quote B answer | Quote C answer |
| 4Duct or pipe changes, listed one by one | Quote A answer | Quote B answer | Quote C answer |
| 5Who pulls the permit | Quote A answer | Quote B answer | Quote C answer |
| 6What is removed and hauled away | Quote A answer | Quote B answer | Quote C answer |
| 7A start date and a payment schedule | Quote A answer | Quote B answer | Quote C answer |
We tell you what to ask before anyone prices a new system, then introduce a local contractor who does the work.
Start your worksheet
Tell us about the house and the system. You get the three questions, and a local contractor only if you say yes.
Credit: $100 off your first job
The $100 comes off once your installation is booked through us.
- We fund the $100; the contractor's quote is unchanged.
- One credit per customer at each property.
- Book the job by December 31, 2026.
- Mention the credit when you book.
This fits when
When central air is the next decision
- Window units run all July If three or four window units carry the summer, a ducted system may suit the house better. Ask for both options in writing.
- The furnace has forced air ducts Those ducts may carry cool air too, but only if they are sized for it. Ask the contractor to check before pricing.
- The old air conditioner leaves the house clammy A unit that runs in short bursts cools the air without drying it. Ask whether the old one was too big.
- An upstairs room never cools Return air and trunk size matter as much as the outdoor unit. Ask what the contractor will do about that room.
- Your furnace is also due The coil shares the furnace blower, so tell the contractor the furnace is also due and ask how the quote handles both.
Where it sits
Inside the house: central air
- Outdoor unitAsk why this capacity suits a July afternoon in your house.
- CoilIt sits on the furnace and shares its blower, so ask whether airflow still matches.
- Supply trunkIt was sized for heat. Ask whether it can also carry the cooling airflow.
- ReturnAir needs a way back. Ask whether the existing returns are enough.
Basis: Residential Code of New York State, Chapter 14 Air Source Heat Pumps: Don't Oversize, NYSERDA fact sheet
Spec FAQ
Questions before you ask for quotes
| You ask | Short answer |
|---|---|
| F1 Can I add central air to a house with a furnace and ducts? | Often yes, if the ducts can carry the cooling airflow. Ask the contractor to measure the trunk and the returns and to put the result in writing. |
| F2 How big should my central air system be? | The size should come from a cooling load worked out for your house. Ask for the worksheet, and ask why the next size up or down was not chosen. |
| F3 Why does my house feel cold and clammy after the air conditioner runs? | The unit may be too large, so it shuts off before it removes much moisture. Ask any new contractor how the size was calculated. |
| F4 Do I have to replace the furnace when I add air conditioning? | Not always. The coil rides on the furnace and shares its blower, so ask the contractor whether yours can carry it and what the airflow will be. |
| F5 Is R-410A banned? | No. New equipment made after 2024 uses other refrigerants, and systems whose parts were made earlier can still be installed. Ask the contractor which refrigerant your quote uses. |
| F6 Will a heat pump cool my house as well? | Yes, a heat pump cools as well as heats. Ask for a heat pump quote beside the air conditioner quote and compare them on the same worksheet. |
| F7 Who handles the permit for new central air? | Your own town or village decides what it needs for a new system. Ask the contractor who files any permit, and call your code office if you are unsure. |
What the job covers
What a central air job covers
- The outdoor unit and its pad The contractor sets the condenser on a level pad and runs power to a disconnect.
- The indoor coil A coil goes above the furnace or in an air handler, and its condensate needs somewhere to drain.
- Refrigerant lines Copper lines connect the two. Ask where they run and how the wall penetration is finished.
- Duct and return changes The quote should list what, if anything, changes in the ducts you already have.
- Start-up and handover The contractor charges the system, checks airflow and shows you the thermostat.
Why the biggest unit can leave the house clammy
Cooling does two jobs, dropping the temperature and removing moisture. The second job takes time. A unit that is larger than the house needs cools the air fast and then shuts off before it has dried much.
The result is a house that feels cold and damp at the same time. NYSERDA describes the same effect on heat pumps in cooling mode, and an air conditioner works on the same principle.
Want the worksheet for your house?
Ask the contractor to show how the size follows your cooling load. If the answer is a tonnage per square foot, ask for the worksheet instead.
Basis: Residential Code of New York State, Chapter 14 Air Source Heat Pumps: Don't Oversize, NYSERDA fact sheet
A short season is still worth sizing carefully
Syracuse sees only about 58 days a year at 80 degrees or warmer, and almost all of the cooling demand falls in June, July and August. That brevity tempts people to buy by price and size by guess.
It is a reason to size more carefully, not less. A unit that is too large will cycle on and off through those few hot days and leave you with the damp air. Ask what size the calculation supports and what size the contractor wants to sell.
Comparing two cooling quotes
Two cooling quotes can look alike and still describe different jobs. Put them side by side and look for the same things: the size and how it was chosen, the model of the outdoor unit and the coil, and what changes in your ducts.
Ask each contractor whether the furnace blower will move enough air across the new coil. A coil that sits on the furnace shares its fan, and the fan was chosen for heat.
Want the worksheet for your house?
Then look at the extras. The electrical run, the condensate drain and the pad for the outdoor unit are real work. If one quote lists them and another does not, ask the second contractor whether they are included or left to you.
Your ducts were built for heat
A duct system that heats well may still struggle to deliver cooling, because it was laid out for a different job. Ask the contractor to measure the supply trunk and the returns before pricing and to put the result in writing.
If the ducts need work, you want that line on the quote. Surprises in the middle of a job are harder to refuse than lines you saw ahead of time.
What the new refrigerant means for your quote
Since January 1, 2025, a federal rule has stopped the making or sale of new residential air conditioners and heat pumps that use refrigerants with a global warming potential of 700 or more. EPA lists R-32 and R-454B for new equipment designed for them.
EPA's 2026 rule lets systems whose parts were made before that date still be installed. Ask the contractor which refrigerant your quote uses. EPA lists the newer refrigerants for new equipment designed for them, so a new refrigerant does not go into an old system.
Pipe run
How a central air job runs
- 01
Tell us what cools the house now
Window units, an older central system or nothing. Add the age of the furnace.
- 02
Ask why this tonnage
Request the worksheet that connects the size to your house, not to a rule of thumb.
- 03
Ask what your ducts will carry
Ask the contractor to measure, not guess, before the price is set.
- 04
Compare bids on the same footing
Choose among quotes that name the same size basis, the same duct work and the same refrigerant.
On paper
What to hold before you sign
The cooling load worksheet
It shows the calculated load for summer and why the tonnage on the quote suits it.
The duct notes
A short list saying what in your ducts stays, what is sealed and what is replaced.
The equipment line
Model names for the outdoor unit and the coil, so you know the two parts are designed to go together.
The permit line
Who files any permit your town or village requires, and when you will see it.
Ask before anyone prices the job.
What moves the price
What changes a central air quote
- The size, which should follow your load worksheet.
- Whether your existing ducts are good enough or need work.
- A new coil on the furnace or a separate air handler.
- The electrical run to the outdoor unit and the pad it sits on.
- Where the refrigerant lines and the condensate drain have to go.
- Staging: one speed, two speeds or a variable output unit.
- Permit fees set by your town or village.
The Heating and Cooling Syracuse pledge
- Asking us is free, and so is the introduction.
- You get the three questions before anyone quotes.
- You decide whether a contractor visits.
- Your $100 comes off the way our Terms set out.
The contractor you choose answers for the installation itself.
Heating and Cooling Syracuse, (315) 640-3590 Full start-up terms
Credit: $100 off your first job
The $100 comes off once your installation is booked through us.
- We fund the $100; the contractor's quote is unchanged.
- One credit per customer at each property.
- Book the job by December 31, 2026.
- Mention the credit when you book.
Where
Central air in your town
Median home built before 1940
Median home built 1940 to 1969
Median home built 1970 or later
Start with the three questions.