We all want to know that our air conditioning system is running efficiently, but may not be so sure about how to define or quantify its efficiency. An inefficient cooling system drives up your energy costs, even if it’s not actually cooling your home as it should. It’s important to understand the efficiency of your system in order to save money on your utility bills and keep your home comfortable.
In the HVAC world, an AC unit’s efficiency is described by its SEER rating. The “Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio” compares the cooling power your system provides with the number of units of electricity the AC is using. The local climate is also taken into account when calculating this value to get as clear of an understanding as possible of your individual AC unit’s efficiency.
Now that you have your SEER Rating, how do you interpret the result? The federal government mandated that all new air conditioners must be made with a SEER rating of 13 or higher, so 13 is usually seen as the lowest of the efficient ratings. The most commonly accepted range of SEER ratings is 13 to 21. The higher-rated AC models tend to be more expensive up front, but are known to cut down on costs in the long-term as far as electricity and utility costs are concerned.
While the SEER Rating is a valuable indicator of how well your air conditioning is operating, it’s not the only one. The EER, or the Energy Efficiency Ratio, can be a better measure for those in a hot climate. If you live in the Sunrise FL area, we recommend that you call our experts to discuss which test would work best for you.
Things work better when they work efficiently, so let the licensed technicians at All Year Cooling help you with your air conditioning. You deserve an HVAC system that works as hard and as smart as you do!