AC Installation and Replacement in Garland, TX

More than half of Garland homes were built before 1980, so many are on their third or fourth air conditioner. Replacing one in Garland takes a City permit and has to meet the City’s rules for attic access, refrigerant line insulation and condensate. Here’s how we do it.

Thinking about a new AC in Garland?

Most people replace an air conditioner after a major failure such as a compressor or a large leak, because an old R-22 system is getting expensive to keep running, or because rooms never get comfortable. Before you decide, check these:

• The indoor side. The outdoor unit and indoor coil have to match. Replacing only half is a common cause of poor performance.
• Comfort. Rooms that never cool can mean ducts, not equipment. A bigger unit won’t fix a duct problem.
• Repair history. Repeat refrigerant top-offs point to a leak that will keep coming back.
• The data plate. The label on the outdoor unit shows the refrigerant type, and the serial number encodes the manufacture date.

Still deciding? Read should I repair or replace my air conditioner.

What we install

• Thermostats, including smart thermostats. See are smart thermostats worth it.
• Furnaces and air handlers paired with the new system
• Heat pumps, if you want one system for heating and cooling. See heat pump installation.
• Central air conditioners with matched indoor coils

We install and service all major brands, including Carrier, Trane, Lennox, Rheem, American Standard, York, Daikin, Mitsubishi, Fujitsu, Amana, Bryant and Goodman.

Garland homes and what their age means for your system

Garland is one of the older big suburbs in Dallas County. Census data puts the median Garland home at 1978, and more than half were built before 1980, so original or early-retrofit ductwork is common.

The Census counts about 86,216 homes in Garland. Here’s how they break down by decade built:

The house’s age doesn’t tell you the system’s age. The data plate on the outdoor unit does, and it’s the first thing we read.

Garland’s Census data also shows that about 42% of homes heat with utility gas, so a lot of Garland heating calls are gas furnaces. The City’s rules spell out how a gas furnace has to be connected: an approved flex connector with a listed gas stop. In the attic, the unit needs a solid-floored catwalk, a switched light at the passageway opening and a receptacle near the unit.

Garland permits for HVAC work

• Every unit needs an electrical disconnect. Questions go to Garland Building Inspection, 800 Main Street, 972-205-2300.
• Refrigerant lines must be insulated with 1/2-inch wall insulation, and condensate must drain to an approved location, not a street or alley.
• Homeowners may install a system in a house they own, live in and have homesteaded. If refrigerant is being recovered, a licensed HVAC contractor must do the job. On rental property, a licensed contractor must do all the work.
• Garland is stricter than many cities: the City says repairs to air conditioning units require a permit, including coil replacement. Replacing the condensing unit or the heating unit also requires a permit.

Dallas Heating and Air Conditioning is registered with the City of Garland as a mechanical contractor. For a replacement, we pull the permit and schedule the inspection.

In older Garland homes, a replacement is a good time to look at the parts that outlast several outdoor units: the refrigerant lines, the duct connections at the plenum, and the condensate drain. Garland requires the refrigerant lines to have half-inch insulation, so we check the old insulation and replace it when it’s cracked or missing.

Refrigerant and efficiency rules that affect your decision

R-22. The EPA ended the manufacture of new R-22 equipment in 2010 and the production and import of R-22 itself on January 1, 2020. An R-22 system can keep running, but it can only be recharged with recovered or reclaimed R-22. A large leak on an R-22 unit is often the point where replacement makes more sense than repair.

SEER2. Since January 1, 2023, Department of Energy rules require new split-system central air conditioners installed in the Southeast region, which includes Texas, to meet at least 14.3 SEER2 under 45,000 Btu/h and 13.8 SEER2 at 45,000 Btu/h and up. New split heat pumps nationwide must meet 14.3 SEER2. See SEER vs. SEER2.

New refrigerants. Under the EPA’s AIM Act rules, new home air conditioners and heat pumps are moving to refrigerants with lower global warming potential, such as R-454B and R-32. Read what the R-410A phase-out means.

How a Garland installation works

1. Home visit. We check the equipment, ducts, electrical, attic access and the refrigerant type on the data plate.
2. Sizing. We size the system for the house, its insulation, windows and ducts, not by copying the old label.
3. Written options. Upfront written pricing for each option before any work starts. Financing available.
4. Permit. We pull the Garland permit.
5. Installation. Outdoor unit, matched coil or air handler, refrigerant lines, drains, electrical and thermostat as needed.
6. Startup and inspection. We charge and test the system, then the City inspects it.

When it makes sense to replace

• You’re adding or remodeling space and the old system can’t keep up
• The house never gets comfortable even after repairs
• An R-22 system has a large leak
• Your current system has failed and repair isn’t worth it

Why homeowners call us

• All major brands, including Carrier, Trane, Lennox, Rheem, American Standard, York, Daikin, Mitsubishi, Fujitsu, Amana, Bryant and Goodman
• Registered with the City of Garland as a mechanical contractor
• Financing available
• Upfront written pricing before any work starts
• 24/7 service
• NATE-certified technicians

More for Garland: HVAC service in Garland, AC repair in Garland, heating repair in Garland. See also AC installation and replacement and HVAC maintenance and tune-ups.

Call 972-423-0012, open 24 hours.