AC Installation in Parkersburg, WV
A new air conditioner in Parkersburg will run from June through September every year. Tell us about the house, and a licensed contractor who covers Wood County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
Four months of real heat
Parkersburg summers run June through September, with afternoons averaging 84°F. That is the stretch your air conditioner has to cover, and it needs to be sized and installed right to get through those months without strain.
Wood County also sees its share of hail and wind, with 91 damaging wind events recorded over the past ten years. An outdoor condenser sits exposed to that, so how and where it goes in matters. Any new central air conditioner installed today also has to meet the federal efficiency minimum of 13.4 SEER2.
- 4 months
- June through September, your air conditioner is on duty
- 84°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
- 26 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 Wood County compared with a new unit at the federal minimum.
Estimates for a typical Wood County home, from EIA household energy data, West Virginia fuel prices and NOAA climate normals. Your home will differ.
West Virginia requires HVAC contractors to hold a state license.
The license comes from the West Virginia Commissioner of Labor, and it belongs to the contractor, not to any single job. It covers the contractor as a whole, not this particular installation.
For the air conditioner going into your home, that license is what stands behind the person doing the work. The other check on this job happens locally. In most cities and counties, putting in a new air conditioner needs a permit from the building office and an inspection once the work is done. That inspection is what confirms this particular installation was done right, separate from whatever the state license already tells you about the contractor.
Source: West Virginia Legislature
- What size air conditioner does my house need?
- There's no single answer without looking at your house. A contractor works this out from your square footage, how much insulation you have, how many windows you have and which way they face, and your ceiling height. A unit that's too big cools the air fast but shuts off before it pulls the humidity down, so the house feels clammy. One that's too small runs constantly on your hottest afternoons and still can't keep up. This matters here since summer afternoons average 84°F, so the sizing has to hold up on those days, not just the mild ones. Ask the contractor for the load calculation, not just a guess based on the old unit's size.
- Should I replace the whole system or just the outdoor unit?
- It depends on the condition of your indoor coil. The outdoor unit and the indoor coil need to be matched, so putting a new outdoor unit on an old coil can mean the two were never designed to work together. That mismatch can cost you efficiency and put strain on the new equipment. If your coil and ductwork are still in good shape and compatible with newer equipment, a contractor may be able to replace just the outdoor unit. If the coil is old enough to be near the end of its life too, replacing both together is usually the more reliable path. A contractor can inspect what you have and tell you which situation applies to your house.
- Do HVAC contractors in Parkersburg need a state license to work on my home?
- Yes. West Virginia requires HVAC contractors to hold a state license, issued through the Commissioner of Labor. That license covers the contractor as a business, not each individual job they do. Separately, installing a new air conditioner in most cities and counties also requires a permit from the local building office, along with an inspection once the work is finished. Ask the contractor whether they are pulling the permit as part of the job.