Central Air Conditioning

Central AC uses a single indoor coil and the home's ductwork to deliver cool air to every room. Ductless (mini-split) uses one or more indoor units mounted on walls or ceilings, each serving its own zone, with no shared ductwork. Central AC is the right answer when the home has sound ductwork; ductless is the right answer when adding ducts isn't practical or when zoned control matters more than whole-house uniform cooling.

Often yes, with assessment. If the ductwork is sized correctly for the new system's airflow, sealed well enough to pass Title 24's HERS leakage test, and in sound physical condition, it stays. If any of those is false, we address the specific problem — usually sealing, sometimes return-air upsizing, occasionally a replacement run — rather than replacing a whole duct system that doesn't need it.

ACCA Manual J load calculation — the industry-standard per-room building-science calculation that accounts for the home's actual windows, insulation, orientation, and infiltration. Floor-area rules of thumb routinely oversize modern homes. We run Manual J on every new install and replacement.

Yes — central AC pairs with gas furnaces, electric furnaces, air handlers (for heat-pump systems), or dual-fuel configurations. The AC's indoor coil mounts above the heating system's blower and shares the ductwork. Any ducted heating setup can accept a central AC component with the right integration.