What is SEER?

When you go to buy a  new AC you will see that you have all sorts of different choices to make. There are different sizes, different brands, different efficiencies, ect. One of these choices is the SEER. Your air conditioner takes up about half of your energy bill each month during cooling season. With as much energy as the AC consumes, you may want to look into getting the most efficiency out of your AC. Air conditioners are rated by SEER to show efficiency. SEER stands for Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio. The higher the SEER number, the more efficient the air conditioner is. The United States Department of Energy has set guidelines for the minimum SEER that the air conditioner has to meet. That number currently is set at 13 SEER. SEER numbers range from 13 to 24. The minimum SEER number to be considered higher efficient is a 16 SEER air conditioner. In order to be Energy Star rated the air conditioner has to be a minimum of 14 SEER. SEER is calculated by taking the cooling output in BTUs and dividing it by electric energy in watt hours consumed during a season. If you know how much your electric costs per watt hour, you would be able to do the calculations to see how much money a higher SEER air conditioner will save you. The higher the SEER the more expensive the air conditioner but it can potentially be worth it with the money it saves in the long run. Certain areas like the hotter ones in the southern states benefit more because they run the air conditioners more. Higher efficiency models operate more smoothly so less repairs are typically needed on higher SEER models. The experts at Bartlett Heating and Air can help you decide which air conditioner is best for your homes need so don’t hesitate to call us!