Why a SEER Rating Is Important to Your AC Unit
As the summer months approach, it is important that you have an air conditioning unit in place to deal with the hotter temperatures. If you are buying a unit for the first time, or if you would like to upgrade the one that you currently have, doing a bit of research beforehand can help you determine which one you should get. All AC units have a SEER rating. This stands for Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio. TemperaturePro Central New Jersey, a local professional who does air conditioning repair in East Brunswick, NJ, explains that this is a measurement that tells you the ratio of cooling to energy consumption. This is important to know because getting a more efficient AC unit can save you money on your electricity bill.
What Defines a Good SEER Rating?
Trane explains that a higher SEER rating means that the unit is more efficient. For example, most units range anywhere from 13-21. 13 is the minimum standard rating for any modern AC unit. If you see anything lower than this, you will probably find it in a much older unit that is not up to current standards. This could also be the case if you haven’t replaced your current unit in a long time. If it shows anything less than 13, you will definitely want to consider a replacement.
How efficient your AC unit should be depends on how large your home is. There is a big difference between cooling a one-bedroom apartment versus a three-bedroom home. Normally, there are charts that you can reference to know what SEER rating you should be looking for given the size of your living space.
In order for AC manufacturers to determine the SEER rating, they must consider what a typical annual cooling output would be divided by the total electric energy input. From there, they can figure out what the maximum efficiency will be. Think about this rating as you would think about the miles per gallon that your car gets as you drive. Certain cars get more miles per gallon traveling fast on the highway, but then they could get less as they are stuck in traffic and moving at a slower speed.
Your air conditioner operates in a very similar way to your car. If it is working extra hard to cool down a big house in 90-degree weather, then more energy is going to be necessary. For a smaller space in weather that isn’t as hot, less energy can be used. If you are uncertain about what an appropriate SEER rating for your space would be, you can always contact a local contractor for help.
Does the SEER Rating Impact Unit Pricing?
If you are going to purchase an air conditioning unit with a very high SEER rating, then you can expect to pay little bit more. The more efficient your AC unit is, the more you can expect to pay; this is normal. Of course, the price will vary depending on the make and model that you select too. It just takes a bit of comparison to decide which unit is right for your budget and your desired efficiency rating.
Bob Vila explains that a lot of factors are involved that determine how much you can expect to pay for an AC unit. You will need to figure out how big the unit must be. This can be determined by measuring the actual physical space that you have to hold the unit, as well as taking into consideration the amount of space that you will need to cool. After this, you will have some parameters to search within, and then you can browse the different models with various SEER ratings. If you still don’t know which one is best for your home, you ask a local contractor for assistance.
How Much Money Can a High SEER Rating Save?
If you are curious about how much money you can save, try using a savings calculator to find out. Once you have a few units that you like picked out, you can type in their SEER ratings and compare them to other units (or the one that you currently have). For example, by going from a 9 SEER rating to a 19 SEER rating, you can expect to save around 53% each year! This cuts your electricity bill in half, so you can see why it is important to consider an energy efficient option when you are looking to use an air conditioning unit in your home.
The rating system is easy to customize based on your current location, as well as your current air conditioner tonnage. It is a no-brainer why switching to something more energy efficient would be the best choice in any household!
