AC Installation in Watford City, ND
A new air conditioner in Watford City will run from July through August every year. Tell us about the house, and a licensed contractor who covers McKenzie County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
Two months of real heat, and a lot of hail
Watford City only asks a lot of an air conditioner for about two months, July and August, with afternoons averaging 81°F. That short season means a new system does not need to be oversized. It needs to be sized right and installed to hold up.
McKenzie County has seen 65 hail events and 79 damaging wind events over the past ten years, with hail as large as 2.75 inches. That kind of weather is hard on the condenser sitting outside, coils and fins included. Any new central air conditioner installed since 2023 also has to meet a federal minimum of 13.4 SEER2, so that efficiency level is the starting point, not an upgrade.
- 2 months
- July through August, your air conditioner is on duty
- 81°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
- 65 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 McKenzie County home, from EIA household energy data, North Dakota fuel prices and NOAA climate normals. Your home will differ.
North Dakota requires HVAC contractors to hold a state license.
The license belongs to the contractor, not to your job. It means the state tested this contractor and keeps a record of them, and that record follows them to every job they take, including yours. North Dakota does not require this for small work. Jobs under $4,000 can be done without a licensed contractor. An air conditioner installation costs more than that, so the contractor you hire needs to hold the state license.
The license covers the contractor. It does not cover what happens on your property once the work starts. That part falls to your local building office. Most cities and counties require a permit for an air conditioner installation and an inspection once the work is done, and that inspection is what confirms the unit was installed correctly.
Sources: North Dakota Legislative Branch · North Dakota Secretary of State
- What size air conditioner does my house need?
- The right size depends on your square footage, your insulation, and how many windows you have and which way they face. A unit that is too big will cool the house fast but shut off before it pulls the humidity down, so the air feels damp. A unit that is too small will run constantly and still not keep up on the hottest afternoons. A contractor works this out with a load calculation on the actual house, not a guess based on tonnage per square foot.
- Should I replace the whole system or just the outdoor unit?
- If your indoor coil and outdoor unit are different ages or different efficiency levels, replacing just the outdoor unit can cause problems. The two are matched to work together at a certain capacity and airflow, and pairing a new condenser with an old coil can mean lower efficiency and more wear on the new equipment. A contractor can check the age and condition of the coil and whether the two are still compatible before deciding.
- Do HVAC contractors in Watford City need a state license to work on my home?
- Yes, North Dakota requires HVAC contractors to hold a state license, issued through the Secretary of State. That license belongs to the contractor, not to any one job. Small jobs are exempt from this rule, but installing an air conditioner is not one of them, so the contractor doing the work should be licensed. Most cities also require a permit and an inspection once the work is finished.