Air Conditioning Installation in the Bay Area

Everything You Need to Know About Air Conditioning Installation

Choosing an air conditioner starts with your home's layout. If you already have ducts for a forced-air furnace, central AC or a ducted heat pump can usually connect to them. If you don't — or you only need to cool a few rooms, an addition, or a converted garage — a ductless mini-split delivers efficient, zoned cooling without running new ductwork.

Sizing matters more than most homeowners realize. An oversized system cools the air quickly but shuts off before it removes humidity, leaving rooms cold and clammy while it cycles hard enough to shorten its life. An undersized system runs all afternoon and still loses ground on the hottest days. We size every system to your home's actual cooling load — square footage, insulation, windows, and sun exposure.

Your attic is part of the equation. On a hot afternoon, an attic can get far hotter than the air outside, and every duct running through it absorbs that heat before the air reaches your rooms. Because insulation and ductwork are core Attic Star services, we can make sure the cool air your new system produces actually arrives where you want it.

Many Bay Area homeowners now choose a heat pump instead of a cooling-only air conditioner. It cools just as effectively in summer, runs in reverse to heat your home in winter, and can replace an aging gas furnace in the same project. We'll walk you through both options side by side.

Choosing an Air Conditioner: What Matters

Since 2023, new air conditioners and heat pumps have been rated in SEER2, a federal test standard designed to better reflect real-world conditions. Higher numbers mean less electricity per unit of cooling; higher-rated equipment costs more up front but less to run every summer.

New systems use lower–global warming refrigerants such as R-454B and R-32 under federal rules that took effect in 2025. Older systems that use R-22 can still be serviced, but that refrigerant is no longer produced, so major repairs on those systems keep getting more expensive.

Utility and state programs sometimes offer rebates for high-efficiency heat pumps and related upgrades. Programs change often, so check current offers from your utility and local energy programs before you buy.

Other Services Homeowners Ask About

Most projects involve more than one service. These are the ones our Bay Area crews pair with this work most often:

• HVAC system installation
• air duct repair and replacement
• attic insulation removal and replacement
• furnace repair

We do air conditioning installation across the Bay Area from four offices, on the Mid-Peninsula, in the South Bay and East Bay, and in the North Bay, San Francisco and Oakland.