Guide to SEER Ratings

Guide to SEER Ratings

Since 2006, Air Conditioning units have been labeled with a SEER rating. SEER is short for System Energy Efficiency Ratio, and is a measurement of how efficient an AC unit is at cooling your house. Homeowners should understand SEER ratings to know exactly how they affect their bottom line.

Developed by the U.S. Department of Energy to give an apples-to-apples comparison figure between air conditioners made by different manufacturers, SEER ratings are determined by dividing the amount of cooling (in BTUs) a unit provides by the amount of energy it takes to achieve those BTUs under set environmental conditions.

However, conditions in a lab don’t come close to approximating real-world conditions, so AC Unit installers need to be well-versed on calibrating your system to make sure it’s functioning at its highest efficiency specific to your home.

Modern-day home air conditioning units generally fall on a scale between 13 and 16, though some AC units grade as high as 23. The higher the number, the more efficiently it will cool. The current minimum is a SEER rating of 13, but some older units may only function to a level of 5 or 6. In our Phoenix heat, it’s recommended that homes have at least SEER 16.

Highly rated units will cost more on the front end, but homeowners will see the savings on their bill each month and will make up the cost of a new, high efficiency unit in the long run. Depending on how efficient your new unit runs, you may also be eligible for rebates locally and tax credits at the federal level.

For an expert’s guide to SEER ratings and what they mean for your Arizona home, consult Precision Air & Plumbing in the Chandler area, we service AC Units in Phoenix and the surrounding metro area.