AC Installation in Camden, SC
A new air conditioner in Camden will run from May through September every year. Tell us about the house, and a licensed contractor who covers Kershaw County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
Five months of Camden heat is hard on a new system
From May through September your air conditioner runs almost every day, working against afternoons that average 90°F. That is five months of steady load on the compressor, not just a few hot weeks.
Any new central air conditioner installed now has to meet the federal minimum of 14.3 SEER2. Camden also sees its share of severe weather, with 116 damaging wind events and 24 hail events recorded over the past ten years, so the outdoor unit needs to be installed with that in mind, not just sized for the heat.
- 5 months
- May through September, your air conditioner is on duty
- 90°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
- 24 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
A higher-efficiency unit would save about $30 a year to run in Kershaw County compared with a new unit at the federal minimum.
Estimates for a typical Kershaw County home, from EIA household energy data, South Carolina fuel prices and NOAA climate normals. Your home will differ.
- What size air conditioner does my house need?
- The right size depends on your square footage, your ceiling height, how much shade your house gets, and how well it's insulated, so a contractor needs to do a load calculation to get it right. Bigger isn't better here. An oversized unit cools the air fast but shuts off before it pulls the moisture out, so the house feels clammy even when the thermostat says it's cool. With summer afternoons here averaging 90°F, a system that's sized correctly will run longer, steadier cycles and keep the house comfortable through the worst of it.
- Should I replace the whole system or just the outdoor unit?
- In most cases you replace both the outdoor unit and the indoor coil together. The coil and the condenser are matched to work at a specific efficiency, and pairing a new outdoor unit with an old coil usually means you lose the efficiency gains you're paying for, sometimes voids the manufacturer's warranty, and can shorten the life of the new equipment. If your old coil is still in good shape and compatible, a contractor can tell you after inspecting it. Since homes here need cooling from May through September, it's worth getting that answer before the system fails on a 90-degree afternoon.
- Do HVAC contractors in Camden need a state license to work on my home?
- Yes, anyone installing or servicing central air conditioning in your home needs a state HVAC license. Ask to see it before work starts, and check that it's current. A licensed contractor is also who you want handling the paperwork if a storm damages your outdoor unit, since this area has seen 24 hail events and 116 damaging wind events over the past ten years, and insurance claims go smoother with a licensed contractor's documentation.