What Is A SEER Rating and How Can It Affect My Wallet?
Most homeowners may know what a British Thermal Unit is. They will certainly have heard of BTUs in regards to air conditioners. In general terms, more BTUs mean faster cooling power. In other words, the BTUs produced by an air conditioner translates into cooling power.
However, you can go beyond raw cooling power in your analysis. You should also think about how efficient your chosen unit is because it will be in your home for up to 20 years.
What Every Homeowner Should Know About SEER & Air Conditioner Replacement Ashfield PA
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First of all, you must understand what Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio, or SEER, is. The SEER rating is what impacts the energy efficiency of an air conditioner. Furthermore, it affects the operational cost of your chosen AC unit.
In simple words, SEER is the relationship between two elements: 1-) the amount of cooling output produced by the air conditioner in relation to 2-) how much energy is consumed by the AC unit.
The Department of Energy requires all air conditioning units to have their SEER ratings listed on them. This rating is the simplest way for consumers to understand the energy consumption needed for the unit’s operation.
How Are Air Conditioner SEER Ratings Calculated?
The US Department of Energy has certain tests to standardize air conditioner SEER ratings. This analysis assumes a fixed outdoor temperature at 82ºF, fixed indoor temperature at 80ºF, and the indoor relative humidity is fixed at 50%.
Under these standard assumptions, consumers can expect an air conditioning unit with a SEER rating of 16 to work 60% more efficiently than an AC rated at 10.
The DOE measures the cooling output BTUs during regular operation to determine the SEER rating for an AC unit. Then, this number is divided by the number of watt-hours of consumed energy.
SEER And Your Energy Consumption
The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) has a requirement: all air conditioner units manufactured after January 1st, 2015 must have a minimum SEER rating of 14.
In addition, an AC is awarded an Energy Star rating when it uses 8% less energy than units without an Energy Star label. You can use the AC SEER rating to calculate the likely amount of energy you will need to when cooling your home.
As you should expect, once you apply variations into the calculations, the actual energy efficiency of an AC unit is likely to change.
Elements that can influence the energy efficiency of an air conditioner include the region where you live, the amount and type of insulation in your home, and more. All of these factors make a difference in your electricity consumption.
SEER Ratings And Its Effect On Your Utility Costs
Before an air conditioner upgrade, you should definitely calculate the financial aspects of different air conditioning units.
It is imperative to take into consideration the initial cost of more than one AC unit. It is also essential to calculate the cost of operation. You can expect that air conditioning units with higher SEER ratings will be more energy efficient. You can also expect that higher SEER ratings come at a higher acquisition cost.
There are additional factors that affect your energy savings and the running costs for cooling your home.
These are the age of your current AC unit, as well as specific conditions of your own home and the location it is in. An air conditioner that you have owned for the past 12 to 15 years could have a SEER rating as low as a 10 or a 13. This number is considerably lower than the current market average.
In addition, as time passes and your AC ages, it is more likely to lose efficiency, which reduces your SEER rating even further.
It is crystal clear that the replacement of a less-efficient AC with a more energy-efficient unit helps homeowners reduce utility bills and save money. However, balancing utility costs and budget is something each family should consider.
Closing Thoughts
If you want reliable and accurate HVAC services, call us at R.F. Ohl. We are the leading service provider in northeastern Pennsylvania. You can call us for professional services for HVAC systems, including air conditioner checkups, tune-ups, repairs, and installations.
Our technicians are NATE-certified with excellent knowledge and experience to provide you with accurate and timely solutions for your HVAC system. We offer affordable, effective, and reliable services to ensure a safe, efficient, and comfortable home. All our services come with a warranty as well. If you want to discuss any concerns with your HVAC system, call us today. We offer free, in-home estimates and second opinions.
Some of the areas we service include Ashfield, Bowmanstown, Lehighton, Parryville and these zip codes 18212, 18030, 18235, 18244 as well as all surrounding areas in East Penn Township, Carbon County, Pennsylvania.
Click here to contact us today or give us a call at (610) 377-1098 if you have any questions.