AC Installation and Replacement in Westwood

Westwood sits between the 405 and Beverly Hills, packed with mid-century single-family homes, high-rise condos near Wilshire Boulevard, and garden-style apartments serving UCLA students and faculty. Summer afternoons in the village climb to the mid-80s, but the real load comes from south- and west-facing units that bake from noon to sunset. Most buildings erected before 1980 used undersized ductwork and single-zone systems that struggle when tenants crank down every thermostat at once. We size every AC to match actual square footage, window exposure, and duct capacity. If your ducts were designed for a 2.5-ton unit and you try to push a 4-ton system through them, you'll get noise, uneven cooling, and a compressor that cycles too often.

Condo boards and apartment owners in Westwood ask about rooftop installations, balcony condenser placement, and noise ordinances near the university. Garden apartments along Veteran Avenue and Kelton often require ductless mini-split zones because the original duct chase dead-ends at a hallway closet. We've handled Title 24 compliance for over 30 years, and we walk every property before quoting to confirm electrical panel capacity, roof access, and whether the gas line or breaker box needs an upgrade. Visit our <a href='/areas'>service areas page</a> to see the full list of neighborhoods we cover, and check out our <a href='/services/ductless-mini-split'>ductless mini-split service</a> if you're working with tight space or no existing ducts.

Every AC installation in California must meet Title 24 energy code, which requires SEER2 ratings of at least 14.3 for split systems and 11.2 for packaged units as of January 2023. SEER2 is the updated federal test standard, roughly one point lower than the old SEER scale, so a 15 SEER unit under the old test now rates around 14.3 SEER2. We install only systems that meet or beat the minimum, and we file the mandatory Certificate of Compliance with the city after every job. Southern California Edison offers rebates up to two hundred dollars for high-efficiency models, and some manufacturers add their own cash-back offers during spring and fall. We handle the rebate paperwork and confirm your panel can support the new load before we schedule the install.

Sizing matters more than brand. An oversized compressor will short-cycle, leave the air humid, and burn out the contactor. An undersized unit runs nonstop on hot days and never catches up. We calculate Manual J load room by room, measure your existing ducts, and spec the equipment to match your actual cooling need, not the number printed on the old nameplate. Most single-family homes in Westwood need between 2.5 and 4 tons; larger two-story homes near the country club may require zoned systems or a second air handler. Written estimate before we start, and the price includes Title 24 compliance, startup, and registration of your manufacturer warranty. Learn more about qualifying systems on the <a href='https://www.energystar.gov/products/central_air_conditioners'>ENERGY STAR-certified central AC systems</a> page, and schedule annual tune-ups through our <a href='/services/ac-maintenance'>AC maintenance service</a> to keep your new unit running at rated efficiency.