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Sizing central AC here starts with what the equipment will actually run against, and severe weather in Moore County is frequent enough that a contractor accounts for it before specifying a system. 228 severe weather events were recorded in Moore County, Texas between 2015 and 2024. At that rate, no installation decision is purely a catalog lookup by square footage. The contractor has to factor in how hard the system will be pushed during weather events, which bears directly on equipment selection, refrigerant line placement, and how the unit is secured and sealed at install. A system put in without that accounting gets undersized or under-built for what this area asks of it.
Ductwork laid down for an older system carries assumptions about airflow, routing, and load that a modern central AC unit was not designed around. Half the homes in Moore County, Texas were built in 1975 or earlier (2020-2024 ACS 5-year). A contractor installing a new system in stock like this has to assess whether the existing trunk lines and branch runs can handle what the new equipment delivers, before the unit itself is ever ordered. If the ducts cannot, the electrical panel is the next question. The choice a homeowner faces is not always about which unit to buy.
What a Central AC System Includes
The outdoor condenser unit sits on a concrete pad outside the house and holds the compressor and condenser coil. Inside, the air handler or furnace-mounted evaporator coil lives in a utility closet, attic, or basement and is the other half of the refrigerant circuit. Both units arrive as separate pieces that a contractor ties together on site.
The copper refrigerant lines run between the two units, and the thermostat mounts on an interior wall where it reads the home's temperature and tells the system when to run. A contractor also connects the system to a condensate drain line that carries moisture pulled from the air out of the house.
The drawing shows a typical layout, and a licensed contractor determines what applies to your specific home.
Get matched in Moore CountyMoore County, by the numbers
228 severe weather events were recorded in Moore County, Texas 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 Moore County, Texas were built in 1975 or earlier (2020-2024 ACS 5-year).
U.S. Census Bureau, 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesMoore County, Texas holds 8,277 housing units (2020-2024 ACS 5-year).
U.S. Census Bureau, 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesOwners occupy 62.5% of the occupied homes in Moore County, Texas (2020-2024 ACS 5-year).
U.S. Census Bureau, 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesCodes & Standards Governing Central AC Installation in Moore County, Texas9 sourced rules and standards
What the Installation 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.
What Moore County, Texas Requires for HVAC Installation
In Texas a person may not engage in air conditioning and refrigeration contracting unless that person holds a license issued under the state air conditioning and refrigeration contractor law.
Severe Weather Events in Moore County
Weather puts a measurable load on HVAC equipment, and that load is specific to where you live. A system sized and installed for local conditions holds up under pressure that a generic setup would not.
228 severe weather events, 2015–2024. Source: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database.