What is a SEER Rating for an Air Conditioner?

If you are looking into purchasing a new air conditioner at some point in the future, then you will likely come across a term known as ‘SEER rating’. This stands for Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating and it can give you a good idea of the amount of money you are likely to spend on energy should you purchase any given unit.

How the Rating is Calculated

The SEER rating for any air conditioner is calculated by measuring the amount of cooled air that it puts out for every unit of energy it consumes. Each matched system (meaning both the indoor and outdoor parts of the entire unit) is given an Energy Efficiency Rating for the consumer to consider in much the same way miles per gallon are considered when purchasing a new car. The higher the efficiency rating, the less it will cost to cool your home in the long run. Similarly, air conditioners with a high SEER are better for the environment because less energy is expended as your home is being cooled.

Ratings and Government Mandates

Since January of 2006, the federal government has required that all new air conditioners have a SEER of at least 13, but there are some units out there with ratings as high as SEER-18 and even SEER-23. Most professionals recommend that consumers purchase units that have at least a SEER-16 rating, but this is especially true in the Florida area because the units run more often here than in other parts of the country. Of course, the amount of difference that the rating makes for you depends upon the size of your home, the age of your air conditioner and more. The SEER number is only at its peak when the unit is properly maintained, too.

Huge Savings – Monetarily and Environmentally

As an example, consider a Florida homeowner who replaces an old, outdated, inefficient three-ton air conditioner with a new one that boasts a SEER-16 rating. The average operating life of a brand new air conditioner is about 12 years (though there are some that are guaranteed by the manufacturer for as many as 20) and the average cost of electricity per unit is $0.11 per kWh. Over the lifetime of the new unit, that homeowner will save more than $2,000 in operating costs and prevent more than 300,000 metric tons of harmful greenhouse gases from entering the atmosphere. That is the equivalent of taking three cars off the road or planting four acres of trees each and every year.

Choosing a Unit

With all of this information in mind, you should always check the SEER associated with an air conditioner that you are considering purchasing. Not only will this number tell you how much money you can expect to save, but it will also tell you how much good you will be doing for the environment. Every air conditioner brand in the industry must provide a SEER number to consumers and it can typically be found on a yellow tag like the one shown here.

For help with choosing a new air conditioner with the best SEER possible, please do not hesitate to contact us here at A Superior AC. We can help you choose the right size unit for your home, provide you with a professional installation, and make sure that your unit continues to operate at peak efficiency for years to come.