Wyoming HVAC Match
Overhead view of a gray outdoor AC condenser unit on a concrete pad beside a mulched garden bed and a house with vinyl siding.

AC Installation in Gillette, WY

A new air conditioner in Gillette will run from July through August every year. Tell us about the house, and a licensed contractor who covers Campbell County will get in touch.

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Step 1 of 3: Equipment
An outdoor central air conditioning unit mounted on a concrete pad beside a blue-sided house at sunset.

Two months of heat, a lot of hail

Cooling season here is short. Homes only need air conditioning through July and August, with afternoons averaging 83°F. A system sized right for that won't run most of the year, but it still sits outside through everything else, including hail and wind. Campbell County has logged 213 hail events and 202 damaging wind events over the past ten years, with hailstones up to 3 inches across. The outdoor condenser, its cabinet and the coil fins inside it, takes that weather directly.

Any central air conditioner installed today has to meet a federal minimum of 13.4 SEER2. That's the floor, not a target, so there's still a choice to make about how far above it makes sense to go.

2 months
July through August, your air conditioner is on duty
83°F
the average summer afternoon it cools against
213 hail events
in ten years, and hail bends the fins on outdoor coils
13.4 SEER2
the federal minimum any new unit must meet
Isometric grey illustration of a cutaway single-story house showing interior rooms, ceiling ductwork connected to an indoor air handler, and an outdoor condenser unit linked by lines outside the wall.
Your air conditioner works hardest from July through August.

NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals

An outdoor air conditioning condenser unit positioned on a concrete pad next to a blue-sided house, surrounded by green shrubs and flowering hydrangeas at sunset.

A higher-efficiency unit would save about $30 a year to run in Campbell County compared with a new unit at the federal minimum.

  • A higher-efficiency unit$180 a year
  • A new unit at the federal minimum, 13.4 SEER2$210 a year

Estimates for a typical Campbell County home, from EIA household energy data, Wyoming fuel prices and NOAA climate normals. Your home will differ.

What size air conditioner does my house need?
It depends on your square footage, your insulation, how many windows you have and which way they face, and your ceiling height. A contractor works this out with a load calculation, not a rule of thumb based on home size alone. An oversized unit will cool the air fast but shut off before it pulls the moisture out, so the room feels damp. Undersized, and it runs constantly on the hottest afternoons and still can't keep up. Get the calculation done for your house rather than going by what the neighbor has.
Should I replace the whole system or just the outdoor unit?
If your indoor coil and outdoor unit are matched and both in good shape, replacing just the outdoor unit can work. But the two parts have to be compatible in capacity and refrigerant type, and mismatched equipment runs less efficiently and can shorten the life of the new unit. Gillette sees frequent hail, and an outdoor unit that took a hit may have bent coil fins even if it still runs. A contractor can check whether your indoor coil will pair properly with new outdoor equipment before you decide.
Do HVAC contractors in Gillette need a state license to work on my home?
Ask to see a contractor's license before any work starts, and check that it covers the installation you need done. A licensed contractor also carries insurance that protects you if something goes wrong on the job. If you are not sure a contractor is properly licensed, a reputable one will show you without hesitation.
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