What is a High Efficiency Air Conditioner?

What is a High Efficiency Air Conditioner?

An air conditioner that is highly energy efficient is good for you, your family, your home and the environment. But to understand what a high efficiency air conditioner is, you first need to understand how efficiency is rated and what the ratings can mean for you and your air conditioning.

How Is Efficiency Rated?

Just as cars come with an MPG number to indicate its efficiency, so, too, does your air conditioning system. This number is known as a SEER (seasonal energy efficiency ratio) number, and it tells you how energy efficient a certain air conditioner is on a scale of 1 to 23. Today’s air conditioners have to be manufactured with a minimum SEER of 13, so that would be the baseline number at which you’d start.

Essentially, a SEER number tells you how energy efficient a specific unit will be. For instance, an air conditioner with a SEER of 14 is higher than the minimum standard, but an air conditioner with a SEER of 20 will save you a lot more energy. One item to note: having a higher SEER number doesn’t mean that a particular AC cools better or faster; it means that it uses less energy to cool your home at a specific temperature than an AC with a lower SEER would at the same temperature.

High Efficiency Air Conditioners

High efficiency air conditioners are systems with SEER ratings between 16 and 23. They are installed just like any other air conditioning system, but they use far less energy to cool your home.

Benefits of a High Efficiency System

• Lower utility bills – it is estimated that each SEER point can save you an average of 10% per year on your utility costs. As an example, if an air conditioner with a SEER of 16 costs you $300 per year, upgrading to an AC with a SEER of 21 would cost you $150 per year.

• Environmentally friendly – using less energy is better for the environment and leaves a smaller carbon footprint.

Still Have Questions? Call a HVAC Professional

The best way to determine if a high efficiency air conditioner is for you is to work with a trained professional. Since 1980, Russell’s Heating and Air Conditioning has installed air conditioning in San Bernardino, and we can help you, too. Call us today and schedule an appointment with one of our installation specialists.