Homeowners' pick for heating and cooling across Virginia and the Mid-Atlantic
AC Installation — Book a Visit Today
We install central AC systems, replace worn-out units and put in ductless mini-splits for homes across Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, North Carolina, West Virginia and Washington DC. Most replacement calls start the same way: a system in its mid-teens or older, a compressor that has quit, a refrigerant leak that keeps coming back, or rooms that never cooled properly because the ductwork in a vented crawlspace was undersized from the start. A visit begins with load math, not a guess. We measure the house, look at duct sizing and return air, check where the condensate goes, and then talk through options for equipment and airflow. Call us and we will schedule a walkthrough, put the numbers in writing, and give you a realistic install timeline.
Call (888) 365-6280- A real person answers
- Open 7 days
- Written quote before work starts
Taking calls until 5:00 PM ET
The AC installation symptoms we hear most
- The AC quit and the repair quote is close to a new system Failed compressor or major refrigerant leak on aging equipment
- It runs all day and the house still feels clammy Oversized or undersized system with poor latent moisture removal
- Upstairs is ten degrees warmer than downstairs Duct design and return air problems, zoning or mini-split candidate
- We added a sunroom or finished the attic and nothing reaches it No duct capacity to the addition, ductless mini-split territory
- The outdoor unit is rusted and we keep adding refrigerant End-of-life coil and cabinet corrosion, repeat leak repair
People call this AC installation, air conditioner installation or AC replacement. Same visit, same written quote, same technician.
Safe things to check first
Worth a look before you call — sometimes it saves you the visit.
- 1Check the thermostat batteries and confirm it is set to cool with the fan on auto.
- 2Look at the breaker panel for a tripped AC or air handler breaker.
- 3Change the filter if it is grey and matted, then see how airflow responds.
- 4Clear leaves, grass clippings and mulch back from the outdoor unit and walk the house confirming supply and return vents are open and unblocked.
Guides & troubleshooting
How we compare to other HVAC companies
| James River Heating & Air | Big-box repair chains | Handyman listings | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Written quote before any work | ✓ | ✕ | ✕ |
| Live answer seven days a week | ✓ | ✕ | ✓ |
| Every major brand, gas or electric | ✓ | ✓ | ✕ |
| Independent company, nobody's quota | ✓ | ✕ | ✓ |
| Local techs who know the housing stock | ✓ | ✕ | ✓ |
What you get on every job
The quote comes first, in writing
Covering 171 cities across Washington DC, Delaware, Maryland and 5 more.A real person answers
Open 7 days, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM ET.Every major brand, gas and electric
Carrier, Trane, Lennox, Goodman and more. We are not an authorized dealer for any of them.AC Installation — quick answers
How do you size a new AC system?
We measure the house, count windows, check insulation and look at existing duct sizing before choosing equipment. Sizing off the old unit's label repeats old mistakes. Oversized systems short cycle and leave humidity behind, which is the most common complaint we hear in damp shoulder seasons.
Should I replace the furnace or air handler at the same time?
Often yes, because the indoor coil, blower and outdoor unit are matched for airflow and refrigerant. Pairing new outdoor equipment with an old indoor coil can cost you capacity and shorten the life of both. We will tell you plainly if yours can stay.
How long does an AC installation take?
A straightforward changeout on existing ductwork is usually a single day. Adding line sets, correcting return air, replacing crawlspace duct runs or installing multiple mini-split heads can stretch to two or three days. We give you the schedule before work starts.
Is a ductless mini-split right for my house?
Mini-splits work well for additions, converted attics, sunrooms, garages and older homes with no practical route for ducts. They also help rooms that a central system never reached. We compare a mini-split against duct repairs so you can see both paths.
Can you fix rooms that never cooled well?
That is usually ductwork, not equipment. We check duct sizing, leaks, crushed flex in the crawlspace and whether there is enough return air. Replacing the unit alone rarely solves an uneven house, so we address airflow as part of the installation.
What happens to the old system and refrigerant?
Our technicians recover refrigerant from the old equipment and haul the unit away when we finish. You do not need to arrange disposal or handle any of it yourself. Never open refrigerant lines or cut into an old system on your own.
How it works
- Step 1
Tell us the symptom
Call or fill in the form and describe what changed. Warm air, short cycling, a smell, water near the indoor unit. Details like that help us load the right parts before we leave.
- Step 2
We diagnose the whole system
We check the thermostat, the indoor unit, the outdoor unit and the ductwork, including runs in crawlspaces where damp air and loose joints quietly cause weak airflow and long run times.
- Step 3
You approve the fix
We explain what failed, what it takes to repair it, and what we would watch next season. Nothing gets replaced without your yes, and we clean up before we leave.
- A real person answers
- Open 7 days
- Written quote before work starts
Why homeowners call us
- Humidity is our home groundMuggy summers and damp shoulder seasons drive most of the calls we take. We look at moisture and airflow together, not the cooling number alone, because a clammy house often means a sizing or duct problem.
- Crawlspace ducts get checkedOlder homes across the region run supply ducts through vented crawlspaces. Crushed flex, disconnected boots and soaked insulation show up constantly, and we get under the house to look instead of guessing from the register.
- Heating and cooling bothSame crew for air conditioning repair in July and heating repair in January. We know how your furnace, heat pump and air handler share ducts and a blower, so one visit covers the whole system.
- Plain talk on repair or replaceWhen a repair makes sense, we repair it. When a system is failing in ways that will keep costing you, we say so and explain why, then leave the decision with you and your timeline.
- All major brands, gas & electricCarrier, Trane, Lennox, Goodman, Rheem, York and more, as an independent company.
- Straight answersIf a system is not worth repairing, we say so, often right on the phone.
AC Installation
Small faults become big ones on a schedule of their own
Describe the symptoms and we'll book the visit — takes about a minute.
- A real person answers
- Open 7 days
- Written quotes
- All major brands
- Gas & electric
Rather not call? Get a free quote →