What SEER Ratings Mean

With heating season behind us and cooling season on the horizon, it is time to switch gears from furnaces to air conditioners.  When it comes to air conditioning, “Energy Efficiency” is a term that is thrown around quite a bit along with different numbers and ratings.  Though we know we want an energy efficient air conditioner, the problem might be that we don’t really understand how to tell if an air conditioner is energy efficient.  What do all of these numbers and ratings mean?

The energy efficiency of an air conditioner is measured by its SEER number.  SEER stands for Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio.  The higher the SEER number, the more efficient the air conditioner is.  As of January, 2006 the US Government mandated that all units manufactured after that date have a minimum SEER of 13.  However, this did not apply to air conditioners already manufactured, so it was not necessary to buy a new air conditioner at that time.

There are high efficiency air conditioners with a SEER up to 19, and even other cooling systems, such as certain ductless air conditioners, have been revealed to have a SEER rating of 33.

If you are interested in learning more about SEER, and what rating and air conditioner is right for your home, contact FLAME!

Also check out where some of this information is from:  “Seasonal energy efficiency ratio,” Wikipedia, “Central Air Conditioning,” Department of Energy, and “Home Central Air Conditioners“, Bryant Heating and Cooling.