What Does SEER Mean In Air Conditioning & HVAC?

Air Conditioner Tips, Blog, HVAC Facts

What Does SEER Mean for An Air Conditioner?

When it comes to hot summer temperatures nothing feels better than walking into a perfectly cool home. High-quality, fresh, cool air in your home helps you sleep and can help reduce your allergy symptoms however it can come at a cost.

The cost of running an air conditioner can be pricey depending on a ton of factors. These vary from energy rates in your city to the seasonal temperatures outside and how much you use your air conditioning unit. SEER rating is an easy way to understand efficiency and savings.

In Calgary, our temperatures get to a nice 30-34°C on a nice day but some places in the southern United States can see temperatures like this overnight, peaking at close to 40 or higher mid-day. In Fact, Last year (2017) Death Valley set records with an AVERAGE temperature of 107.39 °F or 41.9 °C. You heard Right AVERAGE… Highs were a mild 48.6°C.

What Does SEER Stand For?

Now you can understand where the SEER rating comes in. It stands for Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating.

Which is what it sounds like. How efficient is the air conditioning system based on the seasons/temperature fluctuations, etc.

This typically comes at a rating varying from 13 to low to mid 20’s. The higher the number the more efficient your system but most importantly the less it is going to cost you in energy bills on those hot, hot months. Understanding how your air conditioner works is key to knowing what parts of your air conditioner system are being used.

Most likely your air conditioner will use your homes furnace motor to blow the cool air and circulate it in your home. Unless you have a ductless home air conditioner this is the typical setup for an air conditioning system.

So, your furnace motor is a contributor to your Season Energy Efficiency Rating and changes how your entire air conditioner system is rated. So, the rating chart can fluctuate usually by 1 SEER point after being installed depending on the type of furnace Moto being used.

No matter how efficient your air conditioner itself is, the furnace motor is a large part of your energy bills and is part of your SEER rating.

A rule of thumb would be the higher the SEER the more efficient the system is, and the more you will save on your energy bills.

However, this does come at a cost…

The basic explanation is, it’s a better unit, will last longer most likely and save you more monthly on your energy bills so the cost upfront to each unit goes up with each SEER point.

14 seer vs 16 seer

For each SEER point the cost usually goes up around $500—$1000. However, your energy bills can see big savings. Moving from one of our 14 seer units to a 16-seer unit can see hourly energy costs dropping from roughly 35cents to less than 20 cents per hour. That’s less than 60% approx. of the energy usage by moving up two SEER points. This of course varies on many factors but is a good indicator of the savings you can expect moving up in SEERS.

What SEER rating should I buy?

In general, a higher SEER system will save you more money on your monthly HVAC energy costs, however it doesn’t always mean it’s the best you should buy.

Having a professional comfort club advisor come out to your home is a great start to discussing what is best for your home.

Our top-rated comfort club advisors can come out to your home and give you an accurate quote but also help answer any questions about what’s best for your home.

With their many years of experience they can help you determine whether you really need the higher SEER as the best choice.

What SEER Air Conditioner Do I Need in My Home?

If you hope to own your home for a long time the monthly savings add up extremely quickly for a Higher Seer model. If you don’t plan to stay at your home very long or simply would rather not spend them on the higher SEER cost it may not be worth it to go for a lower seeded model.

Be sure above all else to have maintenance with whichever model you purchase and that the warranties cover you just in case. Also, it’s a good choice to check out the installation companies’ reviews to be sure you are comfortable with what you’re getting.

What SEER Air Conditioner Do I Need in My Home?

What SEER means in HVAC?

Other FAQ

How high does seer go?

Typically, SEERs go as high as 21-25 SEER. These are more common in extremely hot and consistently hot locations. Most standards on HVAC in Canada and the U.S require a 13 SEER or higher.

In Calgary you’ll see most SEERS fluctuating from 13-18 as our temperatures don’t hot nearly the same peaks as those in California.

Is there a SEER rating Chart?

There are many SEER rating Charts and SEER Calculators on your monthly energy bills but with so many variations of units, weather, local energy rates, brands, and individual company installation costs it’s hard to get an accurate estimate of how much your savings really will be.

The best way is getting multiple quotes from your top three local HVAC companies to see what units and pricing they have to offer.

Not all companies are created equally. A perfect unit is only as good as the installer and an awesome installer of bad equipment… well you know the rest.

Look for high quality equipment and high ratings on installations and service.

Also don’t forget about regular Air Conditioner maintenance and Furnace Maintenance to maintain a clean efficiently working system.

Keep in mind SEER and the cost of energy in your location.

If the cost of energy is high it may be wise to invest into a higher SEER model. You can see a greater savings on you’re monthly energy bills.

With the cost of energy fluctuating so much it can give peace of mind to know your bills won’t skyrocket on nearly the same level. A hot day with high energy bills is a formula for a very discouraging energy bill.