Summer is here in all but name, and that means you need an air conditioner to function every day in order to keep your home comfortable. If you need a new air conditioner, now is the right time to install it. An older air conditioner on its last legs won’t be able to handle the coming months of high temperatures, and installing a new one now means you won’t have to worry about whether your system is up for the job in the hot weather to come.
The most important aspect of a new air conditioner is its power output, which needs to be carefully balanced to match the specifics of your home (neither too powerful nor underpowered). Once that’s been settled, however, you need to find the most efficient unit in your size range. How can you tell which unit is the most effective? Easy, look for the SEER rating.
What Does SEER Stand for?
SEER stands for Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio, and it’s used to measure the AC system’s efficiency. It’s derived by measuring the unit’s cooling output over a given period of time with the energy it consumes in that time. The higher the rating, the more effectively it makes use of the energy it consumes.
That translates to lower costs for cooling the same amount of space over the same amount of time as a unit with a lower SEER rating. It also means that the unit won’t suffer as much wear and tear since it won’t have to run for as long to keep your home properly cool. That means your system will last longer than it might otherwise and helps ensure that you get the most value out of an expensive investment.
As of 2015, all air conditioners in our part of the U.S. need to have a SEER rating of at least 14. Older models have SEER ratings as low as 10, and if the system is worn out, the actual efficiency level might measure much lower than that. So you can see how much a new system with a higher SEER rating can affect your comfort and monthly budget.
Efficiency Comes after Power Output
It is important to note that the SEER rating isn’t the same as power levels. A smaller air conditioner with a higher SEER rating than a larger one isn’t going to save you money. Instead, it will just run and run and run without ever getting your home cool, and eliminate the benefits that come with a higher SEER rating. That’s why you should have your new system sized first: ensuring that it is powerful enough to cool your air, but not so powerful as to cause short cycling (turning on and off rapidly and wasting untold energy in the process). Once your system is sized, select the unit with the highest SEER rating in your price range to ensure maximum efficiency.
For quality air conditioning appraisal and replacement services in your Manor, TX home, call on the pros at Intelligent Air Services today!