AC Installation in Akutan, AK
Tell us about the house, and a licensed contractor who covers Aleutians East Borough will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
Akutan doesn't ask much of an air conditioner
Summer afternoons here average 55°F. That's not weather an air conditioner has to fight, and most homes in Akutan go without one for the whole year.
If you're putting one in anyway, for a specific room or a piece of equipment that needs it, any new central system still has to meet the federal minimum of 13.4 SEER2. Beyond that, there's no heat load here to size around.
- 55°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
- 13.4 SEER2
- the federal minimum any new unit must meet
Going above the federal minimum saves little here, about $0 a year.
Estimates for a typical Aleutians East Borough home, from EIA household energy data, Alaska fuel prices and NOAA climate normals. Your home will differ.
Alaska requires contractors to register with the state.
That registration puts the business on file with the state. Nobody tested the contractor's work for this, and no trade exam or license number stands behind it. It tells you the business exists on paper and nothing about whether the person doing your install knows the job.
In most cities and counties, an air conditioner install needs a permit from the local building office and an inspection once the work is done. That inspection, where it applies, is what checks the work here, not the state registration. Aleutians East Borough is a place where whether that permit and inspection exist comes down to the local building office, since the state record itself confirms only that the business is on file.
Source: Alaska Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development
- What size air conditioner does my house need?
- In Akutan, most homes don't need one at all. Summer afternoons here average 55°F, and homes in this area need cooling zero months a year. Before sizing anything, talk to a contractor about whether central air makes sense for your house in this climate, since a heating system or ventilation upgrade may serve you better.
- Should I replace the whole system or just the outdoor unit?
- That depends on the age and condition of what you already have, and a contractor needs to look at both units to tell you. Mismatching an old indoor coil with a new outdoor unit can cause problems, since the two are built to work together. Given how little cooling gets used here, replacing just a failed part rather than the whole system is often the more sensible route, but that call needs someone to see your setup.
- Do HVAC contractors in Akutan need a state license to work on my home?
- Alaska requires HVAC contractors to register with the state. Ask to see this before any work starts on your home, and confirm it matches the name on any paperwork or estimate.