If you’re a homeowner, you know that you care about your HVAC bills—you want them to be as low as possible! You want to make sure that every dollar you spend is put to maximum use. That’s why you should know how energy—efficient your AC unit is.

What is SEER?

Your HVAC contractors will stress the importance of SEER if you’re concerned about energy efficiency. SEER stands for Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio. This ratio is the amount of cooling produced divided by the energy it took to produce it. The higher the SEER, the more efficient the AC system is. There’s a simple way to determine if an AC unit is energy-efficient or not. You need to look for the Energy Star label. To meet the U.S. Department of Energy’s requirements, an AC unit needs to have a SEER® of at least 14.5 to qualify for the label.

Think About the Long Run

When you’re looking for a new AC unit, look for the Energy Star® label first. This way you’ll always know whether the SEER is high or not. While AC units with high SEERs are expensive, you need to remember that when looking for an AC unit, a larger upfront cost will help you avoid long run costs. If you have questions about choosing a new unit, feel free to contact us using the information below!

Is Your System Producing the SEER It Should Be?

While an SEER rating is handy when it comes to new AC units, it gets more complicated when dealing with older machine. If your machine faces age, a lack of maintenance (shown by dirty coils), and/or other problems, this can reduce the actual SEER that the system produces. If your HVAC bills have been rising over the past few years for seemingly no reason, it may be that your system is losing efficiency. It could be time to replace the system to save on long run costs. Call an HVAC technician to see if there are any repairs that can be made. If not, talk to them about replacing the system.

Want to make sure your HVAC system is helping the environment (and your wallet)? Call (703) 968-0606 or fill out our quick contact form to see how we can help!