Meaning Of HVAC Ratings From Your AC Repair Technician | Lewisville, TX
Air conditioners play a critical role in ensuring the comfort of your home, especially with each other summer seeming to be hotter than the previous one. The AC unit ensures that your Lewisville, TX, home is cooler and removes the humidity from the air. However, with the heat increasing every summer, your air conditioning unit will run for longer hours daily. The net effect is that you’ll use more money to pay for energy utility bills.
As a result, having an energy-efficient air conditioner is paramount. Otherwise, the energy utility bills would seriously impact your financial well-being. AC repair professionals recommend installing energy-efficient units to ensure energy utility bills don’t overburden you. Hence, when searching for an air conditioner, consider consulting an AC repair technician for guidance on which units are energy efficient and what various metrics mean.
But what does an energy-efficient heating and air conditioning system mean? Why are there so many rating systems? And, what do those ratings mean? Learning more about the efficiency of the heating and air conditioning system and the meaning of various ratings is therefore critical.
What Is a Heating and Air Conditioning Unit’s Efficiency Rating?
The efficiency rating of an air conditioner is a measure of how well the unit turns the electrical energy into cool air. The energy used in the cooling and heating process represents a considerable part of the energy utility costs in most households. Hence, if the efficiency rating is higher, you’ll be paying less on operational costs, and if you choose one with a lower rating, you’ll pay more. Below are a few of the rating systems AC repair technicians recommend that you pay attention to, including:
Energy Efficiency Ratio (EER)
Energy Efficiency Ratio measures an air conditioner’s cooling capacity to the amount of energy needed to power it. Heating and air conditioning systems are tested at a higher operating temperature to evaluate how well they can perform and consider humidity removal. Remember, an air conditioner not only cools your home but also removes the humidity from the air.
Using Energy Efficiency Ratio is an excellent way of assessing how efficient small systems such as window units are. This is because it measures or determines the actual operating efficiency of an air conditioner daily. If you still wonder what those numbers indicate against EER on your AC means, consult your reliable AC repair technician for more explanation.
SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio)
This measures the air conditioner usage over time (seasonal), while Energy Efficiency Ratio measures the efficiency of an air conditioning unit over a moment in time. Does your locality experience seasonal changes? If it does, then you should consider the seasonal energy efficiency ratio. The higher the SEER rating, the better. This means that an air conditioning unit with a SEER rating of 14.5 is certainly better than one with a rating of 8.0.
Therefore, when you search for an air conditioner, look for one with a higher SEER rating. But after purchasing the air conditioner, have an AC repair professional install it properly at your home. Remember that an air conditioner is an expensive appliance with a warranty. The warranty has preconditions, and installing it yourself will automatically void it. You will have to cover the repair costs if a problem arises.
Energy Star Rating
This measures the efficiency of the AC or HVAC model compared to other models or systems of a similar size. HVAC systems that are rated between 1-6 stars. Earning the energy star means that an HVAC system meets the stringent energy efficiency guidelines set by the EPA. Those models having a higher energy star rating have higher energy efficiency. AC repair professionals recommend that an HVAC unit have an energy star logo before purchasing it. Then, you can go ahead to inspect the reading value.
Choosing air conditioning units rated energy star means living in a comfortable home and paying less. By saving on energy, you will protect the environment and climate and save on monthly utility bills. Air conditioning systems certified by Energy Star have higher SEER and EER ratings. They also consume 8% less energy compared to the conventional new models.
Heating Seasonal Performance Factor (HSPF)
Like EER and SEER determine how efficient your HVAC system is in cooling your Lewisville, TX, home, HSPF measures its heating efficiency. HSPF is the measure or ratio of the total heating energy required to the amount of electrical power used by the HVAC unit.
If you want a unit that doesn’t consume a lot of electrical energy or one that won’t overburden you with heating costs, you should choose one having a higher HSPF. Therefore, if you want a unit that won’t overburden you during summer and winter, purchase one with high SEER and HSPF ratings. Then have an AC repair technician install the unit.
MERV Rating
This is a measure of how well your HVAC unit ventilates a home. It measures the efficiency of an air filter in removing the contaminants or pollutants from the air passing through. However, you should regularly replace the air filters and clean the air ducts to ensure that the air entering your indoor space is clean and high-quality.
It is recommended that you replace the air filters every 1-3 months and install filters with a higher MERV rating. Routine air conditioner maintenance is the best way to prolong the unit’s service life. Contact an AC repair technician for further guidance if you are still undecided on which air filter to use.
Wondering Which Unit to Choose?
From the ongoing, you can conclude that purchasing an air conditioning system isn’t as easy as it seems. However, with the help of an AC repair professional, you can purchase a unit that will not overburden you financially in terms of operating costs. Contact us at One Hour Air Conditioning & Heating of Dallas today to advise on which air conditioning system to purchase in Lewisville, TX.