AC Installation in Mankato, MN
A new air conditioner in Mankato will run from June through August every year. Tell us about the house, and a licensed contractor who covers Blue Earth County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
Three months of real heat, and hail to think about too
Mankato asks for three months of cooling, June through August, with afternoons averaging 80°F. That is not a long season, but a new system still has to keep up on the hottest days in it.
Blue Earth County has seen 44 hail events and 50 damaging wind events over the past ten years, with hail up to 2.5 inches. The outdoor unit sits outside through all of that, so it is worth asking an installer how the one they put in holds up against hail and wind. Any new central air conditioner installed today also has to meet a federal minimum of 13.4 SEER2.
- 3 months
- June through August, your air conditioner is on duty
- 80°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
- 44 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 $20 a year.
Estimates for a typical Blue Earth County home, from EIA household energy data, Minnesota fuel prices and NOAA climate normals. Your home will differ.
Minnesota has no state license for HVAC contractors.
Minnesota leaves this trade alone at the state level. There is no license and no registration behind the name on the truck, so nothing here has been tested or put on file by the state before a contractor takes on your job.
What protects you instead is local. In most cities and counties in Minnesota, putting in a new air conditioner needs a permit from the local building office, and the work gets inspected when it is done. That inspection is what checks the installation, not a license, and it is what stands behind this job here.
Source: Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes
- What size air conditioner does my house need?
- There's no way to give you a number without looking at your house. Square footage matters, but so does how much shade your house gets, how many windows face west, how much insulation is in the attic, and how airtight the ductwork is. A unit that's too big cools the air fast then shuts off before it pulls the humidity out, which leaves the house feeling damp. A contractor will walk through and run a load calculation on your house specifically before recommending a size.
- Should I replace the whole system or just the outdoor unit?
- If your indoor coil and outdoor unit are more than a few years apart in age, replacing just the outdoor unit usually causes problems. The two are matched to work together, and pairing an old coil with a new condenser can mean the system never reaches the efficiency it's rated for. It can also void the warranty on the new equipment. A contractor can check the age and condition of both halves and tell you whether a match is possible or if the whole system needs to come out together.
- Do HVAC contractors in Mankato need a state license to work on my home?
- No. Minnesota has no state license or registration for HVAC contractors doing home work. That doesn't mean there's no oversight on the job itself. Installing a new air conditioner typically needs a permit from the local building office, and the work gets inspected once it's done. Ask any contractor you're considering how long they've been doing this work and for references from other jobs, since the state isn't screening them for you.