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Sizing a central AC system in Seminole County starts with what the equipment will actually run against. 94 severe weather events were recorded in Seminole County, Florida between 2015 and 2024. At that rate, severe weather is part of the normal operating environment, and a contractor who ignores it when calculating capacity, selecting equipment grade, or planning refrigerant line placement is building a system that will be undersized for what the climate asks of it. The install has to be designed for this place.
Ductwork laid down for an earlier generation of equipment carries assumptions about airflow, return paths, and static pressure that a new central AC system does not share. Half the homes in Seminole County, Florida were built in 1988 or earlier (2020-2024 ACS 5-year). A contractor sizing and placing a new unit in a house from that period has to assess what the existing duct layout will and will not do under the loads the new equipment puts on it, because the distribution system and the electrical service were designed around something else. Where ducts are undersized or returns are insufficient, the new unit will run poorly regardless of what the equipment itself is rated for.
The Parts of a Central AC System a New Installation Puts in Place
The outdoor condenser unit sits on a concrete pad outside the house and holds the compressor and condenser coil, which are the mechanical heart of the system. Inside, the air handler or furnace cabinet stands in a utility space, closet, or attic and moves conditioned air through the home. Together these two cabinets are what a new central AC installation adds to the property.
The evaporator coil mounts directly above or below the air handler and is where the cooling work happens as air passes through it. A copper refrigerant line set runs between the outdoor unit and the indoor coil, and a condensate drain line carries away the moisture the coil pulls from the air. The thermostat goes on an interior wall and gives the homeowner control over the whole system.
The drawing shows a typical layout, and a licensed contractor determines what configuration fits this particular house.
Get matched in Seminole CountySeminole County, by the numbers
94 severe weather events were recorded in Seminole County, Florida 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 Seminole County, Florida were built in 1988 or earlier (2020-2024 ACS 5-year).
U.S. Census Bureau, 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesSeminole County, Florida holds 199,565 housing units (2020-2024 ACS 5-year).
U.S. Census Bureau, 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesOwners occupy 66.2% of the occupied homes in Seminole County, Florida (2020-2024 ACS 5-year).
U.S. Census Bureau, 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesCodes & Standards Behind Central AC Installation in Seminole County, Florida9 sourced rules and standards
What the installation actually looks like
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.
Licensing and Legal Requirements in Seminole County, Florida
Florida requires a person to be certified or registered in order to engage in the business of contracting in the state.
Severe Weather Events in Seminole County
Florida's weather puts real stress on cooling equipment, and Seminole County has its own pattern of it. How hard a system has to work, and how long it lasts, is shaped by what the local climate actually does.
94 severe weather events, 2015–2024. Source: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database.