Clear the paths, clear the equipment areas, and make some decisions in advance. Thirty minutes of preparation the night before genuinely shortens the install and reduces the chance of something being damaged.

Clear the Access Paths

The crew will be carrying an outdoor unit, an indoor unit, sheet metal, refrigerant lines, and tools through your house or around it.

Clear a route from the entry to the indoor equipment and from the driveway to the outdoor unit location. Move anything fragile out of that path — this is where accidental damage happens.

If the equipment is in an attic, make sure the access hatch is clear and anything stored near it is moved. If it is in a closet, empty the closet entirely rather than pushing things to one side.

Clear Around the Outdoor Unit

Trim back vegetation within a few feet of the condenser location. Move planters, furniture, hoses, and anything else in the way.

If a new pad is being set, the area needs to be accessible and reasonably level. Gate access matters too — if the only route to the back yard is a narrow gate, tell us during the estimate rather than on install day.

Plan for the System Being Off

Your air conditioning will be down for most of the working day.

In shoulder-season weather this is a non-issue. In a Hill Country August it is worth planning around — consider running errands during the hottest part of the afternoon, and close blinds on west-facing windows in the morning to slow heat gain.

If the forecast is extreme, tell us when scheduling and we will sequence the work to minimise the gap.

Secure Pets and Plan for Kids

Doors will be propped open and crews will move between inside and outside repeatedly. Cats in particular find this an excellent opportunity.

Put pets in a closed room away from the work, and tell us which room so nobody opens it.

Decisions to Make in Advance

A few choices go faster if you have already thought about them.

Thermostat location. If your current thermostat is on an exterior wall, above a supply register, or in a hallway that does not represent the living space, installation day is the natural moment to relocate it.

Outdoor unit placement. If you have been unhappy with where the condenser sits — noise near a bedroom window, an eyesore from the patio — say so before the pad goes in.

Filter type. If you want a four- or five-inch media cabinet rather than a one-inch filter, that is easiest to add during installation. Options are on our air filters page.

Know What Is in the Scope

Before install day, confirm what the quote includes: ductwork corrections, electrical work, permits, removal of the old equipment, and cleanup.

Ask specifically about commissioning — measuring refrigerant charge to specification, verifying airflow, and checking static pressure. That step is the most commonly skipped, it is invisible, and it determines whether the system performs for a decade.

If duct sealing was recommended, doing it during the installation is far cheaper than coming back.

What Happens on the Day

Floors get protected along work paths. The old equipment is disconnected, recovered of refrigerant per EPA requirements, and removed. New equipment is set and connected, lines are evacuated to a deep vacuum, and the system is charged by weight and verified under operating conditions.

The old unit and all packaging leave with us.

Before We Finish

We run the system with you, show you the filter location and size, walk you through the thermostat, and explain the maintenance your warranty requires.

You get model and serial numbers, warranty registration handled on your behalf, and permit documentation.

Adding a Care Club maintenance plan keeps that warranty documentation current. Contact 72 Degrees or call (830) 468-5316.