Your Second Mesa Heating and Cooling Experts
The federal minimum efficiency standards for new AC equipment changed in 2023, and they vary by region. Arizona falls in the southern efficiency region, meaning new AC installations in Navajo County must meet the 15 SEER2 minimum — not the 14 SEER2 that applies in northern states. Higher-efficiency equipment costs more upfront but reduces operating costs over the system's life. In Second Mesa's climate with its extended cooling season, the payback on higher SEER2 equipment comes faster than it would in a market with a shorter AC season.
Desert heat in Navajo County puts AC systems under some of the highest sustained loads in the country. Equipment that's undersized, poorly charged, or running with dirty coils fails under extreme ambient temperatures faster than anywhere else in the US.
Second Mesa averages approximately 3,720 cooling degree days annually and sees around 97 days above 90°F each summer. The median home in Navajo County was built around 1991, meaning a substantial share of local air conditioning systems are approaching or past their typical 12 to 18 year service life.