SEER: 3 Reasons It Matters
It’s no secret that summers in British Columbia have hit record-breaking high temperatures in the last few years. Combine that with the dry weather, and sometimes sitting at home can be unbearable.
The obvious reason to get an air conditioning unit is to cool down, but there are so many other reasons to invest. And guess what, all of those reasons are connected to the EFFICIENCY of a unit.
An A/C Unit will give you and your family the relief you need this summer, with 3 added benefits.
SEER Into Your Future
SEER is an acronym that means Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratios. This number is calculated by dividing total cooling output by total energy input.
Simply put, this number tells you the cooling efficiency of an A/C unit. A SEER number sums up how much electricity your unit needs to lower a space’s temperature.
The higher the SEER number, the more efficient that A/C unit is. In Canada, our numbers must meet a minimum SEER rating of 13.
Extra Reading: If you want to know more about SEER numbers, check out this article from EnerGuide.
Why should you care about energy efficiency and a unit’s SEER number? Let us walk you through the benefits.
#1 Save Your Money
The LESS energy your unit uses means the MORE money you can save. The trick is to find a unit (and SEER) that is right for your home.
According to Natural Resources Canada, “today’s ENERGY STAR qualified units use 30 to 40 percent less energy than most models sold 10 to 15 years ago.”
Some families will see their electricity bills drop by HUNDREDS of dollars each year after they make the switch to a newer A/C model. Think about what your savings could be over the life of your A/C unit—which could be 20 years.
Use a SEER Savings Calculator to estimate how much an upgrade will save you!
#2 Make Mother Nature Smile
Every summer, there is a spike in energy usage on those particularly hot summer days. There are two reasons why that isn’t great:
- When we all need energy at once, we put a lot of strain on our local power grids.
- More electricity = more carbon emissions. A more efficient model will mean fewer carbon emissions going into the air.
You can reduce your carbon footprint by selecting an A/C model with a higher SEER rating that will use less energy.
#3 Climate: Controlled
By choosing the right air conditioner with a good SEER number, you can expect all the rooms in your home to stay consistently cool with less effort. Older air conditioners used a lot of energy to try and control the climate in all the different areas of a home. You’ve probably been in a home that had a freezing kitchen and boiling bedroom.
A SEER rating above 13 will mean that your air conditioner can keep up with each different zone in your home. But, to make the most out of your air conditioner, keep these two tips in mind:
- Weatherize your windows with caulking to reduce air leakage.
- Seal off areas of your home that don’t need air conditioning, like your attic or garage.
Bottom line, an energy-efficient air conditioner is how you will keep all your rooms consistently cool.
Find the perfect Air Conditioner for your home!
Contact American Standard today.
American Standard offers air conditioners that can save you 38-50% on your cooling energy usage.