Cooling · EPA Certified · South Shore MA
Central AC Installation
Most central air systems that never quite worked were doomed before the equipment arrived—oversized by a rule of thumb, or matched to ductwork that could never move the air. We size to a real load calculation and check what the ducts can actually deliver.
Ask what refrigerant you are being quoted. The industry has moved off R-410A to lower-impact refrigerants like R-454B and R-32. If a bid puts R-410A equipment in your house in 2026, ask why—long-term parts and refrigerant availability are a fair question to raise.
What Decides the Price
Two bids on the same house can be thousands apart. Usually the gap is not the brand on the box—it is scope. These are the things we look at and price openly rather than discovering halfway through.
Load calculation
Square footage alone is not sizing. Windows, orientation, insulation and air sealing all move the number. An oversized system cools fast, shuts off, and never runs long enough to pull humidity out—cold and clammy.
Ductwork
Ducts built for heating are often too small for cooling airflow, and returns are almost always the weak point. Leaky ducts in a hot attic can waste a large share of what you paid to cool.
Matched components
The condenser, indoor coil and blower have to be a rated match. Bolting a new condenser to an old undersized coil is a common shortcut that quietly throws away the efficiency you paid for.
Condensate handling
An attic air handler needs a properly pitched drain, a secondary pan and a float switch. Skipping the safety switch is how a clogged drain becomes a ceiling repair.
Electrical
A dedicated circuit, correct breaker and disconnect. On older homes with a full panel this occasionally means panel work—we would rather tell you at the estimate than on installation day.
Heat pump instead?
For roughly the same install work, a heat pump cools identically and heats too—and it is the equipment carrying the real Massachusetts incentives. Always worth pricing both.
No Ducts? You Still Have Options
Plenty of South Shore homes have no ductwork at all—capes, antique colonials, anything built around a single boiler. Retrofitting full ductwork into those houses means soffits, dropped ceilings, and losing closet space, and it is rarely the best value.
In those homes we usually recommend ductless mini-splits, or a hybrid—ducted where ducts already exist, ductless for the additions and problem rooms. As a Mitsubishi Diamond Contractor we design both, and we will tell you which one your house actually wants.
Common Questions
How long does an installation take?
Replacing an existing system is typically one day. A first-time install that includes new ductwork, an air handler and a line set runs two to four days depending on the house and the access.
Can I reuse my existing line set?
Sometimes, if it is the right size, in good condition, and properly flushed for the new refrigerant. Often it is cheaper in the long run to replace it—a contaminated or undersized line set can damage a brand new compressor.
Is a higher SEER2 rating worth it?
In a Massachusetts climate the cooling season is short, so the payback on the very highest efficiency tiers is longer than in the South. The bigger comfort gain usually comes from variable-speed operation and better humidity control rather than the headline number.
Do you handle permits?
Yes—we pull the permits and meet the inspector. You get the equipment registered for warranty as well, which homeowners are frequently left to do themselves and then never do.
Free in-home estimate.
Options and pricing at the visit—central, ductless, or heat pump.