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Sizing a central AC system for a house in Clark County starts with an honest question: what is this compressor actually being asked to do, and how often? Homes in Clark County, WA have essentially no cooling season — no month of the year is warm enough to call for it. A compressor that sits idle through the entire calendar still ages, still sees moisture move through the refrigerant circuit, and still has contactors and capacitors that degrade on the shelf as readily as under load. When a contractor quotes a new system here, the cooling load calculation matters less than the condition of the existing ductwork, the capacity of the service panel, and whether the equipment has been maintained through years of near-zero use.
Existing ductwork is what a central AC installation in Clark County turns on. Half the homes in Clark County, Washington were built in 1993 or earlier (2020-2024 ACS 5-year). That puts a large share of the housing stock in a range where the ducts were designed around equipment that is no longer in the house, and a new unit will not simply inherit what is already there. A contractor has to open the system, trace the runs, and find out whether the layout and the materials will carry the load the new equipment actually puts on them. The electrical is a separate check. What those two evaluations find is what sets the scope of the job.
What Gets Installed With a New Central AC
The outdoor condenser unit sits outside the house, usually on a concrete pad beside the foundation, and holds the compressor and the condenser coil. Inside, the air handler or furnace cabinet stands in a utility closet, basement, or attic and carries the evaporator coil along with the blower that moves air through the house.
A refrigerant line set runs between the two units, connecting the indoor and outdoor sides through the wall or floor. The thermostat mounts on an interior wall and gives the homeowner control over when the system runs and what temperature it holds.
The drawing shows a typical layout, and a licensed contractor determines exactly how each piece fits into your home.
Get matched in Clark CountyClark County, by the numbers
13 severe weather events were recorded in Clark County, Washington between 2015 and 2024.
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, bulk CSV export, events 2015-01-01 through 2024-12-31.Half the homes in Clark County, Washington were built in 1993 or earlier (2020-2024 ACS 5-year).
U.S. Census Bureau, 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesClark County, Washington holds 204,375 housing units (2020-2024 ACS 5-year).
U.S. Census Bureau, 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesOwners occupy 66.4% of the occupied homes in Clark County, Washington (2020-2024 ACS 5-year).
U.S. Census Bureau, 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesCodes & Standards Governing Central AC Installation in Clark County, Washington9 sourced rules and standards
What the installation actually looks like
Split-system central air conditioners rated below 45,000 Btu/h manufactured on or after January 1, 2023 must meet a federal minimum of 13.4 SEER2.
Split-system central air conditioners rated at or above 45,000 Btu/h manufactured on or after January 1, 2023 must meet a federal minimum of 13.4 SEER2.
Split-system central air conditioners manufactured between January 1, 2015 and December 31, 2022 had to meet 13 SEER, the metric that preceded SEER2.
Single-package central air conditioners manufactured on or after January 1, 2023 must meet a federal minimum of 13.4 SEER2.
Space-constrained central air conditioners manufactured on or after January 1, 2023 must meet a federal minimum of 11.7 SEER2.
Federal efficiency standards for split-system central air conditioners and heat pumps are set on each certified combination of outdoor unit and indoor coil rather than on the outdoor unit alone.
Residential and light commercial air conditioning and heat pump systems assembled in the field, including mini-splits and unitary systems, may not be installed on or after January 1, 2025 using a refrigerant with a global warming potential above 700.
A field-assembled system whose specified components were all manufactured or imported before January 1, 2025 carries no installation compliance date under the refrigerant restrictions and may still be installed.
Licensing and Legal Requirements in Clark County, Washington
Washington requires contractor registration rather than an HVAC licence: every contractor must register with the Department of Labor and Industries, and advertising, bidding or working as a contractor without that registration is a gross misdemeanour.