What’s SEER Got To Do With It?

SEER = Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating

When you’re looking for a new air conditioner, you’re ideally trying to find a unit that operates at the highest efficiency possible. A home comfort system that runs at a higher efficiency will cost you less in monthly energy bills. How do you go about finding the most efficient air conditioner? By checking out each unit’s SEER number.

SEER is calculated by dividing the total cooling energy required in a cooling season by the total electrical energy required to run the system that season. This means that the rating is a ratio of an air conditioner’s cooling capacity to how much power is inputted.

You’re looking for a high number—the higher the SEER rating, the more efficient the unit. This will reflect on your energy bills year after year and even help you leave a lesser carbon footprint on the planet. Take a look at your home’s current air conditioner; if it’s over ten years old, you’ll likely find that the unit’s rating is significantly lower than most units available today, especially high-efficiency ones.

Your furnace, on the other hand, also has a handy rating used to analyze its efficiency: AFUE, or, the Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency. This is calculated by comparing the annual heat output to the furnaces’ annual fossil fuel energy consumption. Just like SEER, the higher the AFUE, the more efficiently your furnace will run.

When shopping for a new home comfort system, make sure to take the SEER and AFUE ratings into account. Weiss-Johnson recommends you speak to one of our HVAC professionals to help you find the best fit for your home.

Weiss-Johnson Heating, Air Conditioning and Home Comfort has been serving the Edmonton area for 40 years. We’re committed to providing our customers with the best quality service and equipment that fits your needs and budget.

Ready to learn more about SEER? Contact us today to chat about your options, OR get a free quote online!