Sacramento Air Conditioner Installation: Your Complete Guide

Air conditioning might not be something you think about too often, until you really need it or something goes wrong.

If you do spend any time thinking about your home AC, though, you’ll quickly realize it’s responsible for:

• Hundreds of dollars in cooling costs every year (or thousands!)
• It helps you to sleep better at night during the hottest summer months
• Keeps you comfortable for half the year or more, depending on weather conditions
• Keeps you, your pets and family safe during the heat
• Can contribute to reducing bug infestations, allergens, bacteria and more in your home!

Air conditioning does a ton, and if you ignore it, you’re risking a lot of money and peace of mind.

We know heating and cooling in any setting, but here at CABS Heating and Air Conditioning, we’re based in Sacramento, CA. We’re locally owned and operated, not a corporate entity that’s half the country away. This is our neighborhood.

There are also always unique conditions depending on where you live. This might be climate factors, or economic factors. We’re here to break those things down for you.

This will be split into factors that affect Sacramento homeowners, and general air conditioning advice that’s applicable regardless of where you’re located.

Sacramento Home Cooling & Energy Use

The U.S. is actually broken up into regional zones based on climate factors. This informs several different things, many of them outside HVAC.

Within HVAC, though, it still matters. California is part of the Southwest region of the country for heating and cooling purposes, which then relates to minimum SEER requirements for air conditioners.

SEER is a measurement of air conditioning efficiency. Southern states generally need higher-rated systems to maintain efficiency in the hot, often humid weather.

RELATED: What’s a Good SEER Rating?

While not explicitly related to HVAC, there are also meteorological climate regions in the US that measure things like average temperatures and humidity levels.

Why does this matter? Well, temperature and humidity are what air conditioning controls. And so average levels of each inform the type of system you need, and what other products or services might be advantageous.

Sacramento HVAC Incentives & Deals

Tax incentives. Rebates. Specials. These exist in various forms for air conditioning. It pays (literally) to know about them.

On the national level, there are tax incentives for high-efficiency HVAC equipment. The bad news? They’re going away at the end of 2025 as a result of legislation passed by the current administration.

So on the national front, these things come and go, and sometimes there isn’t much we can do about it on a local level. But that doesn’t mean there’s nothing available.

Locally, various energy and governmental organizations continue to offer incentives for high-efficiency equipment. This can mean thousands in cash back on new HVAC equipment!

Two major groups that offer rebates on HVAC equipment include SMUD (Sacramento Municipal Utility District) and PG&E (Pacific Gas & Electric).

RELATED: See All Local Rebates

A $4,000 system vs. a $6,000 system, but where you get $1,500 back on the latter, might be the excuse you need to get a better upgrade when you replace your air conditioner. The extra comfort and cost savings will make up the difference, and you don’t have to pay a ton of extra money upfront compared to the lesser option.

This is what we do for customers: find the best deals available and help them to get the money they deserve. These programs exist to help you. Take advantage of them!

Best Air Conditioning Companies in Sacramento, CA

We’d like to think CABS Heating and Air Conditioning is the best option available for residential Sacramento properties.

However, we’re not so naive that we think we don’t have competition, or that homeowners won’t want second opinions. In fact, we welcome this fact, because it allows us to display what separates us from many other air conditioning contractors in Sacramento.

To that end, we invite you to check out the competition, but also look forward to speaking with you personally for the chance to earn your business.

RELATED: Best HVAC Companies in Sacramento, CA

The short-list from that article that;s linked just above is as follows (alphabetically)

1. Bonney Plumbing, Heating and Air
2. Clark & Rush
3. Gilmore Home Services
4. Huft Home Services
5. Jaguar Heating & Air

While that’s obviously not a comprehensive list, it’s a nice starting place for anyone looking to research local companies.

What to Look For in an HVAC Contractor

It can be difficult to spot red flags in advance when it comes to air conditioner installation and the company you choose to perform the install. Everyone will tell you what you want to hear, so it can be difficult to parse between those who are honest and those who are simply faking it.

The best thing you can do is to ask detailed questions before an air conditioner installation. The companies that are most prepared will have the best answers, and will be able to prove this to you. Some green flags in AC companies:

1. They offer free estimates
2. They don’t use high-pressure sales tactics
3. They do a full Manual J Load Calculation
4. They have a thorough, detailed commissioning process
5. They review details of the installation with you
6. They have a good local reputation and local accreditations

On the bad side:

1. High-pressure sales
2. Only using square footage to measure AC sizing
3. Lack of communications to you about the process
4. No documented commissioning process
5. Poor online reviews

Not sure what a few of those mean? Read our full article on red and green flags when choosing an HVAC contractor: Air Conditioner Installation: Red Flags & Green Flags

CABS Heating and Air Conditioning: Top Quality Air Conditioning Services Near You

Armed with this knowledge, you can now feel more confident in your next air conditioner installation.

We’re not going to be the right fit for everyone, but as a company, we believe in open, honest education that puts knowledge and power in the customer’s hands. If you learned even a small tidbit in this article, that’s a success in our book.

Your next step is to reach out to one or more trusted HVAC partners to schedule your free, no-obligation quote for air conditioner installation. If you’re in the Sacramento, CA area, we hope that your first call is to CABS! Stay cool out there!