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Texas households paid 14.94 cents per kilowatthour in 2024. An AC that runs all summer at that rate adds up fast, and a unit sized wrong or aging past its prime pushes that number higher every month. A new system matched to your home's actual load runs less to do the same job. That difference shows up on the bill long after the install truck is gone.
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
A bigger air conditioner is not a stronger one, and oversizing is its own problem.
An oversized unit cools the air fast and shuts off before it pulls the moisture out, so the room feels damp and cold at once.
Denton County falls in climate zone 3A, with summers that run long and winters that stay mild. Any split-system air conditioner installed here under 45,000 Btu/h has to hit at least 14.3 SEER2, and larger units need at least 13.8 SEER2. That is higher than the national manufacturing minimum, so a unit built just to the federal floor may not clear what this region requires. A contractor pulling a permit here has to account for that difference before the install, not after. Beyond the minimum, a federal tax credit is available for qualifying high-efficiency equipment, worth checking against whatever system you're considering.
Cooling here runs May through October. If your system is on its way out, replacing it in April means it's ready before the first hot week, not in the middle of one.
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Summer here runs from May through October. Through June, July and August the afternoon high averages 94°F, so a new system is working against real heat for most of that stretch, not just a few hot weeks. Size it to your home's actual load and it holds up to that. Size it wrong and it works harder than it should from the first summer, cycling more than it needs to and wearing parts down early. There's also what falls out of the sky here. Denton County has logged hundreds of hail events over the past ten years, and the outdoor unit sits outside through all of it. Ask what the condenser coil and cabinet are rated to take before you sign off on a system.
A contractor has to work out how much heat your home actually gains before quoting equipment, checking window area, insulation, duct layout and the direction rooms face. Skip that step and the quote is just a guess dressed up as a number. A proper load calculation takes time on site, and that time is part of what you're paying for.
If the ducts already on the house are sized for the old system, a new unit moving a different volume of air may not work right through them. Some installs are a straightforward swap of the indoor and outdoor units. Others need duct modification, new return air openings or a different line set, and that work adds to the job before the new system ever turns on.
Estimates for a typical Denton County home, from EIA household energy data, Texas fuel prices and NOAA climate normals. Your home will differ.
Install day starts with the old system coming out, not the new one going in. The outdoor unit gets disconnected and hauled off. The indoor coil comes out of the plenum, and the line set gets checked to see if it can be reused or needs replacing. Once the old equipment is clear, the new indoor coil goes in and the ductwork gets sealed back up around it. The outdoor unit gets set on a pad, leveled, and connected to the line set and electrical. Then comes the vacuum. The line set has to be pulled down to remove moisture and air before refrigerant goes in, because skipping that step shortens the life of the compressor. Once the system is charged, a tech checks the refrigerant level against what the equipment calls for and tests airflow at the vents before calling the job done.
