Air conditioning systems are pretty complex appliances when you really think about it. Fortunately, you don’t need to know most of the specifications of your air conditioner—that’s what we’re here for after all. However, there is at least one air conditioning factor you should be well aware of—your system’s SEER rating, or Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio.
Understanding SEER will help you to understand how efficiently or non-efficiently your air conditioning system uses power to provide you with conditioned air. Although the SEER rating isn’t the only specification of your AC that matters, it can and should be a deciding factor when considering a new system installation. Keep reading to learn more.
What the SEER Rating Is
The Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio is a number that represents how well a unit transforms available electrical energy into the cooling power that conditions your home. The higher the SEER rating is, the more efficiently the unit uses electricity. This equates to lower energy bills for you—so long as the AC system is properly installed and sized by our HVAC professionals.
SEER is measured by the amount of cooling power the unit provides (BTUs: British Thermal Units) divided by the amount of electricity it uses (measured in watt-hours) over a full season of cooling. This separates SEER from another vital rating, the EER (Energy Efficiency Ratio), which measures the ratio over only a single test.
What type of SEER rating should you look for when having an AC system installed? In order for your unit to receive the U.S. Department of Energy’s ENERGY STAR label of efficiency, it must have a SEER rating of a minimum of 14. High-efficiency AC systems can score around 21-22 SEER. Typically, the higher the SEER of an AC unit, the more expensive it will be to install. But this is evened out when you consider how much you’ll be saving month-to-month on energy costs.
For superior air conditioning services throughout Navarre Beach, FL and surrounding communities, contact Kool Breeze of Northwest Florida, Inc. today!