5050 Quorum Dr Suite 700, Dallas, TX 75254 
Open 24 Hours 
With a median build year of 1993, a big share of Plano homes is due for a second or third air conditioner. Replacing one in Plano means a City permit, a system that meets the 2023 federal efficiency standard, and the right size for your house. Here’s what goes into it.
Thinking about a new AC in Plano?
Most people replace an air conditioner for one of three reasons: a major failure such as a compressor or a large refrigerant leak, an old R-22 system that’s getting expensive to keep running, or high bills and rooms that never get comfortable. Before you decide, check these:
- The data plate. The label on the outdoor unit shows the refrigerant type and the manufacture date in the serial number.
- Repair history. Repeat refrigerant top-offs point to a leak that will keep coming back.
- Comfort. Rooms that never cool can mean ducts, not equipment. A bigger unit won’t fix a duct problem.
- The indoor side. The outdoor unit and the indoor coil have to match. Replacing only half is a common cause of poor performance.
Still deciding? Read should I repair or replace my air conditioner.
What we install
- Central air conditioners with matched indoor coils
- Heat pumps, if you want one system for heating and cooling. See heat pump installation.
- Furnaces and air handlers paired with the new system
- Thermostats, including smart thermostats. See are smart thermostats worth it.
We install and service all major brands, including Carrier, Trane, Lennox, Rheem, American Standard, York, Daikin, Mitsubishi, Fujitsu, Amana, Bryant and Goodman.
Plano homes and what their age means for your system
Plano’s housing came mostly in a 30-year wave. Census data shows the median Plano home was built in 1993, which means a lot of houses are on their second or third air conditioner and have attic ductwork that’s 25 to 50 years old.
The Census counts about 117,686 homes in Plano. Here’s how they break down by decade built, and what that usually means for the HVAC system inside:
| Built | Share of homes | What we often find |
|---|---|---|
| 1970s | About 14% | These homes are about 50 years old. Unless the ducts were replaced, many are still on original ductwork, and the equipment closet was sized for equipment of that era. |
| 1980s | About 22% | Roughly 40 years old. Most have replaced the outdoor unit more than once, but the attic ducts and the indoor coil may be older than the condenser. |
| 1990s | About 29% | Plano’s biggest decade. Many of these homes are on their second system, and many second systems from the 2000s ran on R-22. |
| 2000 and later | About 31% | Newer homes, often with two systems on two floors. Equipment from before 2010 may still use R-22. |
The house’s age doesn’t tell you the system’s age. The data plate on the outdoor unit shows its model, serial number and refrigerant type, and that’s the first thing we read on a visit.
Many Plano homes have two stories and two systems, one for each floor. When one floor is hot and the other isn’t, it’s usually one of the two systems, not both, and we check them separately. A comfort problem upstairs can also come from attic ductwork, not the equipment. See why some rooms are cold while others are warm.
Plano permits for HVAC work
- The City of Plano Building Inspection Department lists installing or replacing a furnace and installing or replacing an air conditioning system among the projects that require a permit.
- Repairs that don’t replace the system, such as a capacitor, a motor or a control board, aren’t on that list.
- Plano’s advice to homeowners hiring any contractor: get more than one bid, and never pay for a project in advance.
- Building Inspections is at 1520 K Avenue, Suite 140, 972-941-7140.
Dallas Heating and Air Conditioning is registered with the City of Plano as a mechanical contractor. For a replacement, we pull the permit and schedule the inspection, so you don’t have to.
Refrigerant and efficiency rules that affect your decision
R-22. Many air conditioners installed before 2010 use R-22. The EPA ended its production and import on January 1, 2020. An R-22 system can keep running, but it can only be recharged with recovered or reclaimed R-22, so a big leak on an old 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 Plano installation works
- Home visit. We check the existing equipment, ductwork, electrical, the equipment location and the refrigerant type on the data plate.
- Sizing. We size the system for your house, its insulation, windows and ducts, not by copying the old unit’s label.
- Written options. You get upfront written pricing for each option before any work starts. Financing available.
- Permit. We pull the City of Plano permit.
- Installation. Outdoor unit, matched indoor coil or air handler, refrigerant lines, condensate drain, electrical connections and thermostat as needed.
- Startup and inspection. We charge and test the system, then the City inspects the work.
Why homeowners call us
- NATE-certified technicians
- 24/7 service
- Upfront written pricing before any work starts
- Financing available
- Registered with the City of Plano as a mechanical contractor
- All major brands, including Carrier, Trane, Lennox, Rheem, American Standard, York, Daikin, Mitsubishi, Fujitsu, Amana, Bryant and Goodman
More for Plano: HVAC service in Plano, AC repair in Plano, heating repair in Plano. See also AC installation and replacement and HVAC maintenance and tune-ups.
Call 972-423-0012, open 24 hours.
