Air Conditioning Installation Jacksonville Homeowners Trust
A new system sized to your house, not to the old box. You get the price for the entire job before we start, and we’ll tell you if you don’t need one yet.
Get a free install quoteTell us what it’s doing — we’ll come back fast.
AC Install & Replacement in Jacksonville, FL
What Size AC Do You Need? Sized for Your House
Replacement is what happens when a repair stops making sense — the compressor is gone, the system still runs on R‑22, or you are about to put real money into equipment that will not see another Jacksonville summer. Installation is the part that decides whether the new one lasts: sizing it for your house rather than matching the box already sitting there, the line set, the drain, the electrical, and whether the ductwork it connects to can actually move the air the equipment is rated for.
Great Dane Heating & Air has kept Jacksonville and Duval County comfortable for more than twenty years. We are a family company — the people who answer the phone are the people who show up — with upfront pricing, comfort techs who treat your home like their own, and a soft spot for shelter dogs. Every job we finish gives back to the Jacksonville Humane Society.
None of these on its own means you need a new system. Two or three of them together usually do — and a system that keeps failing in July is telling you something a repair will not fix. Tap whichever one sounds like your house.
Production ended in 2020. On most older systems a refrigerant leak now costs more to chase than the equipment is worth.
The Repair Costs a Real Share of a New AC
There is a point where you are paying a meaningful fraction of a replacement to keep an old one limping. We will show you both numbers.
Your AC Is 12 to 15 Years Old and Slowing Down
Systems here run close to nine months a year. Age alone is not a reason to replace, but age plus rising repairs usually is.
Often that is sizing or ductwork rather than the unit. It is worth finding out before you buy anything.
A system losing capacity runs longer for the same cooling. The bill is often the first place you notice it.
Your AC Has Been Repaired Twice This Year
One failure is a repair. A pattern of them is a system telling you something.
Most of what we replace looks like the unit on the right — a system that still runs, but has been losing capacity for years while the power bill quietly climbs.
Same slab, same lineset, same afternoon. We size the new one for the house rather than matching the old label, and we leave the site cleaner than we found it — just like this install.
★★★★★4.9 stars on Google
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Our AC Install Process
What Happens on AC Replacement Day
No mystery, no pressure, and no work done before you’ve agreed to it.
01We look at the house, not just the unit
What is failing, how the ducts run, where the air is not reaching, and what the house actually needs. A replacement quoted off the old label is a guess.
02You see the whole quote before anything is ordered
Equipment, labor and what is included, in one number, with the options explained in plain language and no pressure to decide on the spot. Financing is available; ask us.
03We install it properly
We install Carrier and Bryant systems. Line set, drain, electrical and airflow — the parts nobody sees and every part that decides whether the system lasts.
04We test it, register it and clean up
We confirm it is performing the way it should, walk you through it, handle the manufacturer registration, and leave the space the way we found it. Every system comes with a 10-year parts warranty, and labor coverage of up to 10 years is available as an option.
The honest part
Do You Need a New AC Yet? We’ll Tell You
A new system is the biggest number we will ever quote you. It is also the easiest thing for a contractor to sell, which is exactly why you should be suspicious of anyone who leads with it. If what you have can be fixed and is worth fixing, we will say so.
What you might hear
“You need a whole new system.”Said before anything has been properly diagnosed.
“They don’t make parts for that anymore.”Usually they do. Sometimes they genuinely do not — we will show you which.
“This price is only good today.”A deadline on a decision this size is a sales tactic, not an estimate.
What we’ll tell you
“Here is what actually failed.”And whether it is worth repairing against the age of the system.
“Here are both numbers.”Repair and replacement, so you can weigh them yourself.
“Take the week to think about it.”We will still be here, and the price will be the same.
Not every system we put in is a replacement. The question usually isn’t which unit to buy — it’s whether what you already own can carry the extra load, or whether the new space is better off on its own.
1
An addition or converted space
A new room, a garage turned into an office, a Florida room you actually want to use in August.
2
A room that never keeps up
Sometimes the system was never sized to reach it. Sometimes the ductwork gives out before the air does.
3
A new build
Sizing, duct layout and equipment all get decided together, instead of one being fitted around the other.
4
New or replacement ductwork
Sometimes the equipment is fine and the ducts are the problem — runs that were never sized right, or flex that has been crushed or torn in the attic.
Same house, four different jobs — and four different answers.
Local Jacksonville HVAC Conditions
Why AC Replacement Comes Sooner in Jacksonville, FL
Northeast Florida is harder on a system than almost anywhere else in the country. Four reasons — and where each one lives in your house.
78°Set to 78° — nine months a year
March–NovemberYour AC Never Gets a Break
Your system cools from March into November and still runs on warm January afternoons. Parts wear by the hour rather than by the calendar, which is why a system here is effectively older than its age.
Salt airCoastal corrosion
From the beaches through the Intracoastal neighborhoods, salt spray eats condenser coils and the fins around them. Capacity drops long before anything quits — the first sign is usually the power bill.
The waterHumidity and drain lines
A Jacksonville summer asks your system to pull gallons of water out of the air, and every drop has to drain somewhere. A clogged condensate line is one of the most common no‑cool calls in this climate.
The atticDucts in 120‑Degree Air
Most Jacksonville ductwork runs through an attic that climbs well past 120 degrees in summer. Air chilled to the mid‑50s has to cross that space before it reaches a register — so a loose joint or a thin patch of insulation is paid for in every room.
Carrier & Bryant dealer
Central AC, Heat Pump and Mini-Split Installation
Straight-cool split systems, ductless mini‑splits, heat pumps, package units. If it cools a Jacksonville home, we’ve had our hands inside one.
A working air conditioner is comfort. A system looked after properly is something closer to peace of mind — especially in a Jacksonville August, and especially with small people in the house.
Vetted people in your home
Florida state certified — licence CAC036942 — fully insured, and BBB accredited at an A+ rating. The same small crew every time, not a rotating list of subcontractors.
The air they breathe all day
Florida humidity does not just make a house uncomfortable — it feeds what grows in it. Filtration, purification and humidity control keep the air in your rooms clean as well as cold.
Fixed right the first time
We show you the failed part, quote the whole number before we start, then test the system and clean up behind us. Our work is guaranteed — that is the whole point of the name on the truck.
The full price before we start.Tell us what your system is doing and we’ll tell you what it actually needs.
Paul came out and replaced our blower motor and saved the day. He fielded my call on Sunday evening, then did the service Monday afternoon. Friendly, efficient, and professional.
After years of feeling vulnerable to dishonest HVAC companies, a neighbor put me in touch. He quickly earned my trust — quick to return calls, reasonable rates, and he’s never tried to sell me things I don’t need.
We’ve used him for everything from small tweaks to replacing our entire unit. Quick, reliable, honest, and clean — and he beat the prices of every competitor. Yes, we priced out seven.
Fast and efficient, unbelievably affordable pricing. He quickly figures out the problem and explains it in a way anyone can understand. You automatically feel like you can trust him.
Our A/C went down and the team showed up Monday morning first thing. We had cool air flowing in no time. The crew was fast, clean, and finished under time.
Mike and the team were very professional, friendly, and knowledgeable. The price was not unreasonable. So happy we found this company — we know we will be taken care of in the years to come.
Just had Great Dane install a new A/C in my home. Mike came to my home, saw what I had, and I told him what I wanted installed. There was absolutely no sales pressure.
Mike came out and gave an estimate with no fluff, which is what I like. He was honest and professional. The team that installed the unit worked well together and the work performed was stellar!
My experience was beyond my expectations. They did an amazing job replacing my antique air conditioner! Mike gave me a great quote and DJ and his son completed this challenging job amazingly well.
Our outdated A/C system went down for good and I had called multiple other companies with little to no response. I called Great Dane and Mike was at my house in less than 15 minutes.
So glad I went with Great Dane to service my a/c. I highly recommend Quentin, who serviced the unit. He is extremely knowledgeable, highly competent, and up front about potential issues.
I’d been without A/C for quite some time. It was amazing — the care and concern that Mike (and MJ & Brandon) had about my situation. I know I chose the right company.
AC Replacement Questions: Size, Brands and Warranty
Straight answers, no jargon — including the ones that cost us money to answer honestly.
How long should a new AC last in Jacksonville?+
Less than the brochure says. Systems here run close to nine months a year, so a unit rated for fifteen to twenty years elsewhere often gives you twelve to fifteen in Duval County. Maintenance moves that number more than the badge on the side does.
Will a new system actually lower my power bill?+
It should, if the old one had lost capacity or was badly sized. How much depends on what you are replacing and how your ductwork performs, so we would rather show you the comparison for your house than quote you a percentage we cannot stand behind.
My insurance company says my AC is too old. Do I have to replace it?+
No — an inspection report is not a code order. What is driving it is the four‑point inspection. Citizens requires one on any home more than 20 years old, and the inspector writes down the age, type and condition of the heating and cooling system alongside the roof, wiring and plumbing. Other carriers set their own thresholds and some are stricter, and an underwriter then decides from that report.
There is no age at which a system becomes illegal or uninsurable in Florida. The line is a carrier’s choice and the line moves. If yours is being difficult, get the actual letter and read what it asks for. Sometimes it is a repair and a photograph, not a replacement, and we would rather find that out for you than sell you a system you did not need this year.
Do you offer financing on a new AC?+
Yes. Financing is available. Ask us when we quote the job.
What size AC unit do I need?+
It depends on the house, not the old unit. Square footage, ceiling height, insulation, window area and how the ducts run all change the answer. Replacing like for like is how houses end up with equipment that short cycles and never pulls the humidity down.
Do I have to replace the air handler too?+
Usually yes. The outdoor and indoor units are matched as a system, and pairing new outdoor equipment with an old indoor coil often costs you the efficiency you just paid for. We will tell you if yours is one of the cases where it is not necessary.
How many square feet per ton do I need? What size AC for a 2,000 square foot house?+
The internet will tell you 500 to 600 square feet per ton. Ignore it. That is a builder’s shortcut from an era of leakier houses and worse windows, and in a Florida house it mostly produces equipment that is too big.
Florida’s residential code does not allow it either. Equipment has to be selected under ACCA Manual S from a load calculated with Manual J, and those calculations go in with the permit package. It matters more here than almost anywhere, because oversizing costs you humidity rather than temperature: a system that satisfies the thermostat in eight minutes never runs long enough to pull the water out of the air, and you end up at 74 degrees and clammy. Ask whoever bids your job to show you theirs.
What is R‑454B, and does it change what I should buy?+
It is the refrigerant new residential equipment ships with as R‑410A is phased down. It does not strand a working system, but it does affect the long-term cost of keeping older equipment running, which is worth factoring into a replace-or-repair decision.
Do you replace ductwork as well?+
When it is the reason the house is uncomfortable, yes. Duct problems are one of the most common causes of rooms that never keep up, and putting new equipment on failing ducts wastes the equipment you just bought.
Heat pump or a regular AC with electric heat — which one do I want in Jacksonville?+
Usually a heat pump, and it is a smaller decision than it sounds. A heat pump is the same air conditioner with a valve that lets it run backwards in winter. In summer there is no difference at all — cooling is cooling. The difference is what heats the house in January.
A straight‑cool system heats with electric resistance strips, which turn one unit of electricity into exactly one unit of heat and nothing more. A heat pump moves heat instead of making it and gets roughly two to three units out of the same electricity at the temperatures we actually get here. And we do get cold ones: Jacksonville is climate zone 2A, not South Florida, and equipment here is sized against a 32‑degree winter design temperature. On the coldest mornings the strips still come on as backup — you just stop paying for them in the fifties, which is most of our winter. If what you have now is a straight‑cool unit with strip heat, that is worth ten minutes of conversation before you sign anything.
Do I have to register the new system within 60 days to keep the warranty?+
Not in Florida. Most manufacturers do run that rule nationally — Goodman, for one, says a unit not registered within 60 days of installation carries a five‑year parts warranty instead of ten. Florida does not allow it. Under Florida Statute 559.957, in force since July 2024, an HVAC warranty may not be conditioned on product registration in any way, and Goodman’s own warranty page says Florida residents get all the rights of registered owners without registering.
Register anyway if you like. It puts the model, serial and install date on file and makes a future claim faster. Just do not pay anyone to do it for you, and do not panic if the sixty days went by.
What brands do you install?+
We are a Carrier and Bryant dealer, and those are the systems we install and recommend for most homes. If you want another brand, ask. We can get most of them.
What warranty comes with a new system?+
Every system comes with a 10-year parts warranty. Labor coverage of up to 10 years is available as a paid add-on.
One call covers the rest of the house.This page is one job. These are the others.
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