SEER, EER and COP: Three Terms You Should Know Before You Shop

When Tulsa-area homeowners search for an efficient air conditioner to combat this summer’s heat, they will be confronted with three acronyms: SEER, EER and COP, often given in air conditioning sales literature without explanation. To find the best value for your home, make sure you understand the HVAC terms: Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio, Energy Efficiency Ratio, and Coefficient of Performance (SEER, EER and COP) before any purchase.

COP

If you are considering a heat pump to cool and warm your Broken Arrow home, the COP will be an important measure. Mechanical devices such as heat pumps should have a COP of at least three, though the range can be two to four. Higher COP means greater efficiency.

EER

Of SEER, EER and COP, EER is the most involved calculation. EER is a ratio of the cooling energy coming from a window air conditioner and the electricity used to operate the air conditioner. A high EER means the room air conditioner will save you more money on your electrical bill than a machine with a low EER.

If a sales person tries to dazzle you about the virtues of a particular unit, just mention that your EER is calculated as British Thermal Units (BTUs) divided by Watt-hours. Your knowledge is your best defense against distracting sales talk.

SEER

With SEER, EER and COP, Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER) is the only measure to calculate costs for an entire season. This allows you to estimate electricity costs for your Broken Arrow home when shopping for, and comparing, various central air conditioners.

The higher a central air conditioner’s SEER, the more efficiently the machine will cool your Broken Arrow home. Look for numbers of 13, the current minimum allowed by regulation, or higher. While you can find central air conditioners with SEERs into the 20s, their expense may not support your investment. Take comfort, though—a 13 SEER unit is 30 percent more efficient than a 10 SEER unit.

For help understanding how SEER, EER and COP will affect your central air conditioner purchase for your Tulsa-area home, contact us at Air Assurance.

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). 

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HVAC Terms Every Oklahoma Homeowner Should Know

HVAC technicians go through years of training because there’s so much knowledge to take in. It’s not practical to expect the average Oklahoma homeowner to have all this information. However, Air Assurance has some terms that can give consumers a great advantage in finding the best equipment, service and savings.AFUE stands for Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency. It’s a measurement for a furnace’s efficiency. AFUE percentages rate how much heat the furnace produces compared to how much energy it takes to operate. A high efficiency furnace with an AFUE of 95 percent converts 95 percent of the fuel it consumes into usable heat.  So in simple terms, for every dollar you pay the gas company to heat your home, $.95 cents is actually getting into the home while only $.05 cents is wasted.  A unit that is over 20 years old is typically rated around 60 AFUE.  This means that $.40 cents of every dollar is wasted through flu venting, pilot lights, insulation of the furnace cabinet, or thicker heat exchangers that trap the heat longer.SEER stands for Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio. SEER measures the efficiency of air conditioners. It is similar to AFUE in that it measures how much cool air the units produce against how much energy they consume. High efficiency air conditioners with SEERs from around 16 to 23 get great “miles per gallon.”  A system that is 20 years old is typically rated around 6 SEER. The minimum manufactured SEER rating today is 13.  This could equal nearly 40% in cooling savings annually!MERV stands for Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value. This measurement applies to air filters. A high MERV rating means the filter traps more particles. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, using a MERV 13 is ideal, as it can trap many airborne particles and allergens.Higher MERV filters are more restrictive, and can inhibit airflow in your system. This can strain your equipment, so before running right out for a high MERV, be sure to get the advice of a qualified technician who can match a filter to your system.  Note: Interesting point, Merv ratings are not governed, therefore each manufacturer can claim different Merv ratings according to different variables such as slower air flow, particle size, etc. Air Assurance has done the testing on all the filters available which is why they recommend the filters they do.  This is also the reason our technicians carry our own Clean-Climate Filters.  Built to our specs according to the most efficient air flow and particulate cleaning possible without harming your system.NATE stands for North American Technician Excellence. NATE is a third-party, non-profit organization providing testing and certification to HVAC technicians nationwide. The tests cover areas of the HVAC field, such as heat pumps, air distribution and air conditioning. When you work with a certified NATE technician you can be sure the service is up to national standards, and that you’re not taking chances with your contractor.  Air Assurance was the first company in the country to offer their customers 100% NATE certified technicians.Understanding these four terms can help you make an educated decision on equipment and contractors, so you’ll be sure to get the most “bang for your buck.” Call Air Assurance if you have more HVAC questions. We’re happy to help!Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information, click here to download our free Home Comfort Resource guide. Air Assurance services Tulsa, Broken Arrow and the surrounding areas. To get started, check out our website or see our current promotions.

Get Efficient A/C Systems With SEER

No matter whether you live in Broken Arrow, Tulsa or any other town or city across the state of Oklahoma, when you’re A/C system isn’t operating at top capacity, you certainly feel it. And when your equipment has passed the 10-year mark in age, it’s time to seriously look at replacing the system you have now with a high-efficiency air conditioning unit.When embarking on this adventure, you should be aware of the SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio) rating of the unit you will purchase. Cost-efficiency is important in these days of rising energy costs.What is SEER?The Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio is the rating of an air conditioning unit, measuring the cooling output against the amount of energy (watt-hours) used over the course of a season of cooling. But what you really need to know is this: it measures how effectively a unit will cool your home. Think of it as Miles Per Gallon on a car.The higher the rating, the more energy efficient it is, and the less you will pay in cooling costs. Remember:

• Older air conditioners usually have a lower SEER rating of perhaps 5 or 6.

• More efficient models have a rating of at least 14 and can extend to 21+. Geothermal units can go as high as 27!

Save Money with Efficient Energy UseResidential air conditioners are currently required to be manufactured with a minimum rating of 13. But when you decide to replace your A/C system, you should look at getting a SEER rating of 14 on your unit, which qualifies it as an Energy Star air conditioner. Energy Star labels tell you you're getting energy-efficient equipment. Typically, these units also qualify for additional utility company rebates which can often offset the cost of the upgrade.When you have a long cooling season and high electricity costs, it is quite justified to spend a little more upfront for a high-efficiency A/C unit because you'll save more over time.To review your options thoroughly, it’s best to get a professional HVAC contractor to go over them with you. At Air Assurance, we are happy to answer any questions and give you our expert advice.Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information, click here. Air Assurance services Tulsa, Broken Arrow and the surrounding areas. To get started, check out our website or see our current promotions.