What Makes High-Efficiency Air Conditioners So Desirable?

Most people upgrade to high-efficiency air conditioners for increased energy savings. If you’re hanging on to an A/C manufactured before 2006, then simply by moving up to a new high-efficiency model, you’ll advance from a SEER (seasonal energy efficiency ratio) of 10 to a unit rated at least 14. This translates into energy savings of more than 30 percent compared to the old unit. But high-efficiency air conditioners go beyond the bottom line of efficiency to offer perks and technology that boost comfort and convenience in addition to saving money. Not every make and model offers every potential advantage, but here are a few of the reasons homeowners are taking the step up to higher efficiency:

• Two-stage cooling. A single-stage compressor in a standard unit runs at full output continuously. A two-stage high-efficiency compressor operates at full output only when the cooling load in your home demands it—about 20 percent of the time. The rest of the time it automatically shifts into reduced output mode, saving energy while cooling more consistently and reducing noise.

• Fan-only operation. To use the air circulation power of your standard A/C, you have to run the energy-consuming, noisy compressor, too. High-efficiency air conditioners offer the option to run the blower fan alone and circulate cool nighttime and early morning air without starting the compressor.

• Peace and quiet. Standard single-stage units disrupt your household peace and can even disturb neighbors. High-efficiency A/C with two-stage cooling offers an array of sound-dampening technology to reduce noise levels to below 69 decibels, up to 20 times quieter than standard units.

• Friendly refrigerant. Ever worry that your air conditioner may need refrigerant that’s unavailable—or only at black market prices? If your standard A/C uses R22A refrigerant, you should. Now being phased out for environmental reasons, spot shortages of R22A have occurred and costs have multiplied. Fortunately, new high-efficiency air conditioners utilize R410A, an environmentally-friendly replacement available at stable prices.

With the largest full-service HVAC fleet in Tulsa, Air Assurance specializes in residential and commercial comfort solutions. Contact us for more information on the benefits and bonuses of upgrading to a high-efficiency air conditioner.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

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.