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Sizing a central AC system in Comal County starts from a realistic picture of what the equipment will face, not from a catalog spec. 111 severe weather events were recorded in Comal County, Texas between 2015 and 2024. At that rate, severe weather is part of the normal operating calendar, and a contractor who ignores it will undersize the equipment or choose components rated for quieter conditions. Duct design, refrigerant line routing, and unit placement all change when sustained load is the expected state rather than the exception.
Existing ductwork in this county's homes was sized and routed for central air when those homes were built, not added around a structure that predated it. Half the homes in Comal County, Texas were built in 2005 or earlier (2020-2024 ACS 5-year). That matters for installation because a contractor pricing a new system can treat the existing duct runs as a reasonable baseline rather than an open question, and the electrical service in houses of that vintage was put in expecting a central unit on the load. The variable that decides how an installation goes here is the condition of what is already in place, not whether the house was ever meant to hold it.
What a Central AC System Includes and Where Each Piece Lives
The outdoor condenser unit sits outside the house, usually on a concrete pad beside or behind it, and holds the compressor and condenser coil. The indoor air handler or furnace-mounted evaporator coil lives inside, typically in a utility closet, attic, or basement, and is the indoor half of the system a contractor pairs with the outdoor unit.
A copper refrigerant line set runs between the two units, connecting them through an exterior wall. The thermostat mounts on an interior wall and is the control point that tells the system when to run.
The drawing here shows a typical layout, and a licensed contractor determines exactly how those pieces are configured in your home.
Get matched in Comal CountyComal County, by the numbers
111 severe weather events were recorded in Comal 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 Comal County, Texas were built in 2005 or earlier (2020-2024 ACS 5-year).
U.S. Census Bureau, 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesComal County, Texas holds 77,961 housing units (2020-2024 ACS 5-year).
U.S. Census Bureau, 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesOwners occupy 76.6% of the occupied homes in Comal County, Texas (2020-2024 ACS 5-year).
U.S. Census Bureau, 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesRules & Standards Behind Central AC Installation in Comal County, Texas9 sourced rules and standards
What happens on installation day
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 Comal 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 Comal County
Weather puts a measurable load on heating and cooling equipment, and that load varies by location. What the skies do in Comal County over the years shapes how hard a central AC system has to work and what it needs to be built to handle.
111 severe weather events, 2015–2024. Source: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database.