Why Your A/C's SEER Isn't Being Reached
The SEER rating on an air conditioning system stands for seasonal energy efficiency ratio. SEER measures how many units of energy are expended by the air conditioner to generate one unit of cooling. Modern units are required to have a rating of at least 13 and some are much higher. You can achieve a lot of savings on your utility bill when you replace your old inefficient unit. However, poor conditions can lower an A/C's SEER so much that you won’t even see an improvement.
First, your house should be well insulated to keep hot air out and cool air in. Leaky ducts are another factor that can mean poor energy efficiency. Have your technician check ductwork to make sure it's the right size, tight and leak-free. Leaks can be sealed by a trained professional.
Make sure you choose the right size unit for your home. An oversized unit won’t deliver more cool air, but will run in shorter, inefficient cycles that never achieve the right level of cooling and dehumidification -- especially in places like Broken Arrow, where summers are hot. Your HVAC technician should use Manuals J and S to find the unit that is just the right size and is compatible with your ductwork.
Inefficient airflow can increase energy costs by up to 10 percent, so it’s important to take care of any issues during installation. Airflow can be obstructed by damaged ducts or grilles or obstructions like debris in the ducts. An improperly sized air handler is another cause of improper airflow. Your technician should measure the air handler to make sure it's the right size for your A/C unit.
Refrigerant charge is another important component on the installation checklist. Most systems are either undercharged or overcharged. Your technician will do a careful measurement of the line set to get the right charge.
If your A/C's SEER isn't being reached, call Air Assurance. With more than 20 years experience and the largest fleet team in the area, we can find and eliminate the factors that lower your A/C's SEER.Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). Image courtesy of Shutterstock