AC Installation in Iowa City, IA
A new air conditioner in Iowa City will run from June through August every year. Tell us about the house, and a licensed contractor who covers Johnson County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
Three months of real heat in Johnson County
Summer here runs June through August, three months where afternoons average 83°F. That is what a new air conditioner has to keep up with.
Johnson County has also logged 71 hail events and 87 damaging wind events over the past ten years, with hail as large as 1.75 inches. The outdoor unit sits outside through all of it. Any central air conditioner installed new has to meet a federal minimum of 13.4 SEER2, so that efficiency level comes standard.
- 3 months
- June through August, your air conditioner is on duty
- 83°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
- 71 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 Johnson County compared with a new unit at the federal minimum.
Estimates for a typical Johnson County home, from EIA household energy data, Iowa fuel prices and NOAA climate normals. Your home will differ.
Iowa requires HVAC contractors to hold a state license.
The Iowa Plumbing and Mechanical Systems Board issues that license, and it belongs to the contractor, not to any single job. That means the same license covers the installation on your air conditioner as covers every other job that contractor takes on, so the state has already checked their qualifications before they show up at your house.
For an air conditioner installation, most cities and counties in Iowa also require a permit from the local building office, with an inspection once the work is finished. That inspection is separate from the license. It checks the installation itself, not the contractor, and it is what confirms the work at your address was done right.
Sources: Iowa Legislature · Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing
- What size air conditioner does my house need?
- The right size depends on your square footage, your ceiling height, how much shade and window area you have, and how well the house holds its temperature. A contractor works this out with a load calculation, not a chart based on square footage alone. Putting in a unit that is too big cools the air fast but shuts off before it pulls the moisture out, leaving the house feeling damp. Too small, and it runs the whole afternoon without catching up. Have a contractor measure your house and calculate the load rather than matching the size of the old unit.
- 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 outdoor unit are matched to work at a specific pressure and airflow, and pairing a new outdoor unit with an old coil usually means it never runs at the efficiency it is rated for. It can also void the manufacturer's warranty on the new equipment. If the coil was replaced recently and is in good shape, tell the contractor when they come look at the system, since that changes what they will recommend.
- Do HVAC contractors in Iowa City need a state license to work on my home?
- Yes. Iowa requires HVAC contractors to hold a state license, issued by the Iowa Plumbing and Mechanical Systems Board. Ask to see the license number before work starts. You will also likely need a permit from the local building office for an air conditioner installation, with an inspection once the work is done.