Do You Have an Energy Efficient HVAC Unit in Your Home?

David Rampey ·

Energy efficient HVAC units do more than simply keep you comfortable at a lower cost. Today, the most efficient air conditioners and furnaces also tend to incorporate the latest technology and provide the most effective cooling and heating performance.

But how do you know whether a unit installed in your home — or a new one you’re considering purchasing — is an energy efficient HVAC model or a standard model? Established industry metrics can help you determine the efficiency of a furnace or AC.

Energy Efficient HVAC

Gas-furnace efficiency is indicated by the unit’s AFUE rating. Short for Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency, it’s a percentage that expresses the amount of useable heat energy generated by a furnace versus the amount of heat lost in the heating process.

  • A standard-efficiency furnace generally has an AFUE of 80%. Standard furnaces typically intake combustion air from the house and incorporate a single heat exchanger.

  • High-efficiency furnaces have AFUE ratings above 90%. These units bring air in through a dedicated intake pipe. In addition, they include a secondary heat exchanger that extracts additional heat from the exhaust flow.  

  • While the upfront cost of purchasing and installing a high-efficiency model is higher than a standard-efficiency unit, over a period of time, the reduced gas consumption can be expected to compensate for the initial higher cost.

AC Efficiency

Air conditioner efficiency is indicated by the SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio) rating. This numerical rating is computed by dividing the total BTUs of cooling in a typical season by the watts of electricity consumed to operate the air conditioner.

  • The higher the SEER rating, the more energy efficient the AC will be.

  • The current required minimum air-conditioning standard-efficiency rating is SEER 13. A high-efficiency SEER rating today may rise as high as the mid-20s.

  • High-efficiency air conditioners typically incorporate improvements like advanced coil materials, a multistage compressor, and a variable-speed blower to produce improved cooling at lower costs.

For experienced advice and help selecting an energy efficient HVAC unit, contact the professionals at Air Assurance.