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A contractor quoting central AC in Chatham County has to answer a sizing question that the equipment catalog alone cannot answer. 343 severe weather events were recorded in Chatham County, Georgia between 2015 and 2024. At that rate, every system installed here runs against real and repeated stress across its life, and a unit sized for average conditions in a milder area will be undersized for what this county asks of it. The contractor has to account for that load before settling on equipment, not after.
Ductwork laid down for an older system was sized and routed for what that system needed, and a new central AC unit draws and distributes air differently. Half the homes in Chatham County, Georgia were built in 1986 or earlier (2020-2024 ACS 5-year). That gap between when the house was built and what a contractor is now asked to put in it is where installation jobs get complicated or straightforward: not at the equipment selection, but at whether the existing duct runs and the electrical service will carry what the new system demands. A contractor quoting the job measures both before the unit is ever ordered.
What Gets Installed With a New Central AC
The outdoor condenser unit sits on a concrete pad beside the house and holds the compressor and condenser coil. Inside, the air handler mounts in a utility closet, attic, or basement and contains the evaporator coil and the blower that moves air through your home. These two units are the core of what a contractor brings to the job.
A refrigerant line set connects the outdoor and indoor units, running through the wall or ceiling between them. The thermostat goes on an interior wall and gives you control over the whole system. A condensate drain line also runs from the air handler to a nearby drain, carrying away the moisture the coil pulls from your air.
The drawing shows a typical layout, and a licensed contractor determines exactly what fits and where in your specific home.
Get matched in Chatham CountyChatham County, by the numbers
343 severe weather events were recorded in Chatham County, Georgia 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 Chatham County, Georgia were built in 1986 or earlier (2020-2024 ACS 5-year).
U.S. Census Bureau, 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesChatham County, Georgia holds 137,532 housing units (2020-2024 ACS 5-year).
U.S. Census Bureau, 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesOwners occupy 56.8% of the occupied homes in Chatham County, Georgia (2020-2024 ACS 5-year).
U.S. Census Bureau, 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesRules & Standards Behind Central AC Installation in Chatham County, Georgia8 sourced rules and standards
What to Expect on Installation Day
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.
Severe Weather Events in Chatham County
Chatham County's climate puts real strain on cooling equipment, and the load a system carries through rough weather is part of what sizing and installation decisions have to account for. That makes local conditions a practical matter, not background noise, for anyone putting in new central AC.
343 severe weather events, 2015–2024. Source: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database.