Your Las Vegas Heating and Cooling Experts
The federal minimum efficiency standards for new AC equipment changed in 2023, and they vary by region. New Mexico falls in the southern efficiency region, meaning new AC installations in San Miguel 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 Las Vegas'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 San Miguel 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.
Las Vegas averages approximately 4,110 cooling degree days annually and sees around 98 days above 90°F each summer. The median home in San Miguel County was built around 1981, meaning a substantial share of local air conditioning systems are approaching or past their typical 12 to 18 year service life.