No heat or no cooling right now? The emergency line is answered by a person, 24 hours a day, every day of the year. Call 000-000-0000
Almost every replacement quote we lose, we lose to someone who read the model number off the old condenser and quoted a matching size in eleven minutes. That is not an estimate; it is a guess inherited from whoever guessed last. If the previous system was oversized — and in this neighbourhood it usually was — the guess repeats the mistake for another fifteen years.
We measure instead. Room by room, window by window, with the insulation you actually have and the exposure your building actually faces. It takes an hour longer at the front and it is the difference between a house that is evenly comfortable and one where the upstairs bedrooms never quite come down.
What a proper installation includes
Every one of these is on the written quote before you sign anything, and none of them is an extra we discover halfway through the second day.
A room-by-room load calculation
Manual J, done on your building. Ceiling heights, glazing, orientation, insulation and the wall you share with next door all change the answer.
Correctly sized ductwork, or an honest conversation about it
A new condenser bolted to undersized duct is a loud, short-cycling disappointment. If the duct has to change, we tell you at quote time, not at invoice time.
The line set, properly
New line set where the run allows it, nitrogen purge while brazing, a deep vacuum pulled and held, and a weighed-in charge rather than a guess off a gauge on a mild day.
The electrical
A dedicated circuit, correctly sized breaker and disconnect, and a licensed electrician where the panel needs work. We do not leave you to arrange that afterwards.
A condensate plan that will not flood a ceiling
Properly pitched drain, trap, safety float switch and, where the air handler sits over finished space, a secondary pan. This is the single most common cause of the water damage we get called out to.
Permits, inspection and paperwork
Filed where the work requires it, with the certificate of insurance your building or managing agent needs and the manufacturer's warranty registered in your name.
What we install most in Queens
The housing stock here is specific — narrow lots, shared walls, finished basements and a lot of buildings that never had ducts to begin with.
Central split systems
Condenser outside, air handler or coil inside, ducted through the house. The default where usable duct exists or a chase can be built.
High-velocity small-duct systems
For pre-war houses where nobody is going to accept dropped soffits. Flexible two-inch tubing threaded through the existing structure.
Ductless mini-splits and multi-zone systems
The right answer far more often than homeowners expect, particularly in two-family houses where the tenants want their own thermostat.
Air-source heat pumps
One system that cools in July and heats in January, which is where the rebate money is and where a good deal of this neighbourhood is heading.
How long it takes and what the day looks like
We give you a real arrival window, we protect the floors, and we clean up. A straightforward changeout is one day; a first-time installation is usually two or three.
Straight changeout
Same footprint, existing duct in good order. One working day, most of the time.
New system, existing ducts
Air handler, coil, condenser, line set and electrical. Two days.
First-time central air
Duct design and fabrication, chases, registers, the lot. Three to five days depending on the house.
Startup and handover
We commission the system with you standing there, show you the filter, set the thermostat, and leave the paperwork in a folder rather than on top of the furnace.
Questions
AC Installation — the questions we are asked most
How much does air conditioning installation cost in Woodside, NY?
A straight changeout of a central system in a Queens home usually lands between $6,400 and $9,500 depending on capacity and how much of the line set and electrical can be reused. A first-time installation with new ductwork is a bigger project, generally $14,500 and up. We quote in writing after measuring, and the quote is the price.
How long does a new AC installation take?
A same-size changeout is normally one working day. A complete split system on existing ducts is two. A first-time central air installation in a house that has never had it runs three to five days, because the ductwork is the real work.
What size air conditioner do I need?
Whatever a load calculation says, which is very often smaller than the unit being replaced. Oversized systems cool the air quickly, shut off before they have pulled any humidity out, and leave you cold and clammy while the compressor wears out early. We run Manual J on every installation rather than matching the old nameplate.
Do I need a permit to install central air in Queens?
Electrical work requires a permit and an inspection, and any structural or gas work does as well. Straight equipment changeouts often do not, but the answer depends on the scope and the building. We file what is required and the filing is in the quote, not an extra.
Can you install air conditioning in a house with no ductwork?
Yes, two ways. A high-velocity small-duct system threads two-inch flexible tubing through the existing structure with almost no demolition, and ductless mini-splits avoid duct entirely. Both are common in Woodside's pre-war housing and we will tell you which suits your building.
Do you offer financing on a new system?
Yes, and there is often rebate and incentive money on the table as well, particularly for heat pumps. We walk through both on the quote so you are comparing the real net cost rather than the sticker price.
Related
Often needed alongside this
Cooling
AC Repair
Same-day diagnosis and flat-rate repair when the cooling stops — with the diagnostic fee credited against the work.
Read more
Cooling
Ductless Mini-Splits
Room-by-room heating and cooling with no ductwork — the practical answer for pre-war houses, converted attics and two-family homes.
Read more
Cooling
Heat Pumps
One system that cools in July and heats in January, with the rebate and incentive paperwork prepared and submitted for you.
Read moreSame-day service in most cases
Book a visit, or call the 24-hour line
Tell us what the system is doing and we will tell you honestly whether it needs somebody tonight or whether it will keep until the morning. Diagnostics are $119 and credited in full against any repair you approve.