UNDERSTANDING SEER RATINGS

     Now days when you have a HVAC sales person or technician to your home and you are trying to decide on which model to purchase, you will find that air conditioners and heat pumps have a rating for efficiency called a SEER rating. What are they talking about? The axiom SEER stands for "Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio". Efficiency is of course one of your most important considerations. An efficient system will not only lower your energy costs, it will also lower your impact on the environment.
  

Seer ratings are much like 'miles to the gallon' in your car. The higher the number, the more efficient the unit is. The minimum the government will allow is 13 SEER, and they range up to 20 SEER for central air conditioning systems. If your air conditioner is 10 or 15 years old then it most likely was a 9 or 10 SEER unit. The other thing that is good to know is, that over time, air conditioners lose efficiency because of corrosion, dirt, debris, and just plain old wear and tear. So, I'm saying that if you have a 10 SEER air conditioner that is 15 years old, it is now probably only a 7 or 8 SEER.

     So purchasing a cooling system with the highest SEER rating you can afford is good advice. Let me give you an example: If you presently have a cooling system that is rated at 10 SEER and upgrade to the minimum of 13 SEER, you could save up to 38% annually on your energy bill. If you were to upgrade to a 16 SEER, you could save up to 50%. Now, it is true that the higher the SEER rating, the more the unit will cost up front, but with the savings each month, it will pay for itself in just a few years. So bottom line, when we buy an automobile one of the considerations is economy. @comfortguyjerry recommends getting a high to super high efficient, quality unit, and have it installed by a company that has a great reputation for quality work. Remember, the most important day in the life of your air conditioner is the day it is installed. Check our website at greensheating.com. Also enjoy other helpful blogs at hvaccomfortguyjerry@blogspot.com.