A question we get a lot here at Langton Mechanical in Hamilton is what does SEER mean and why does everyone who comes to my home mention something called SEER? In this article we are going to educate you on what SEER means and why this term is very important when it comes to choosing an air conditioner to cool your home.
Air conditioners are rated on whats called a SEER rating which stands for Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio. All that means is the cooling output during a typical cooling season divided by the total electric energy input during the same period.
To keep it very simple all you need to know is the higher the SEER rating of an air conditioner the more efficient it will be. In Hamilton, all you can install is high efficient equipment. There are different levels in efficiency and knowing this is very important. The minimum SEER rating you can install in your home is 13 SEER. A 13 SEER air conditioner is high efficient but it’s at the lower end of the scale. When you install an air conditioner we always recommend you install something that is energy star rated. If you have ever seen the blue energy start symbol on different appliances that’s what we recommend you buy.
To install something with the energy star label it has to be rated at least 14.5 SEER. Here in Hamilton we recommend installing equipment rated from 14.5 to 16 SEER. Anything higher than that is kind of over kill when it comes to comparing value and price.
SEER ratings can reach all the way up to 25 SEER but that is not something you need to install here in our climate in Hamilton. If you were living in Florida where you need to run your air conditioner all year long then a 25 SEER air conditioner may be a good choice. It’s not something you really need to get involved with here in our climate.
If your air conditioner is over 10 years old it’s most likely operating at 6-7 SEER. You will notice a big difference in efficiency when you install an Energy Star rated air conditioner at 16 SEER. If you’re tired of paying those ridiculously high hydro bills in the summer give us a call at Langton Mechanical at 905-312-9644 and we will be happy to help you.