Air Conditioning · Kitchener
AC Installation in Kitchener
Central air conditioning installation for Kitchener homes — sized with a proper load calculation, matched to the ductwork you actually have, and installed to outlast the warranty.
Kitchener has a lot of houses that were built before central air was standard and had it added later — often badly. The 1950s–60s bungalows in Forest Hill, Rockway and Fairview and the 1970s splits in Stanley Park, Country Hills and Forest Heights were built with heating ducts sized for a furnace, not for the airflow a cooling coil needs. Drop a big AC on that system and you get a cold basement, a warm second floor and a unit that short-cycles. The newer homes in Doon, Huron Park and Williamsburg have the ductwork; what they usually have is a builder-grade unit at the end of its life.
We size to the house — a real heat-gain calculation, not square footage times a rule of thumb — and we look at the ducts, the return air and the coil before we quote. If the ductwork can't move the air, we'll tell you what it needs or whether a ductless system is the better answer.
What's included
- Load calculation and equipment sizing for your home, orientation and insulation
- Central AC or a cold-climate heat pump, with SEER2 options at each price tier
- Matched evaporator coil, new refrigerant lines where needed, and a properly sized pad and disconnect
- Duct and return-air assessment; modifications quoted separately if the system needs them
- Removal and refrigerant recovery on the old unit
- Thermostat, commissioning with measured airflow and charge, and the paperwork for any rebate
Heat pumps in Kitchener
A lot of Kitchener installs now are heat pumps rather than plain AC — same outdoor unit, but it also heats efficiently down to well below freezing and lets the furnace rest most of the shoulder season. With Kitchener Utilities gas rates and Kitchener-Wilmot Hydro electricity rates, the economics vary house by house; we'll run the numbers for yours rather than sell you a default.
The second floor problem
If your upstairs is five degrees warmer than the main floor, it's usually the ducts, not the AC. Options range from a return-air upgrade and balancing dampers to a small ductless head for the master bedroom. We'll show you what each costs before you spend on a bigger unit that won't fix it.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a permit to install AC in Kitchener?
The electrical connection needs an ESA notification and inspection, which we handle. A building permit isn't normally required for replacing a unit; it can be for new ductwork or a structural change.
How long does an AC installation take?
A straightforward replacement is a day. A first-time install with a new coil, lineset and electrical is one to two days. Duct modifications add to that.
Are there rebates for AC or heat pumps in Kitchener?
Rebate programs change year to year — Enbridge and federal programs have offered heat-pump incentives, and Kitchener Utilities customers sometimes qualify differently. We check what's current when we quote.
Serving Kitchener and surrounding areas. Contact us for a free, no-obligation quote specific to your project.