| When researching AC systems, one will inevitably run across the term “SEER”. What does that mean? |
SEER means Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio. Basically, how efficient the system operates. The SEER system was revamped for 2023 and the new term is SEER2. The only difference between the two is in how the testing is conducted to get the SEER rating. SEER ratings by themselves don’t determine how effective the unit will cool your house. A 14 SEER unit will cool the same as a 16 SEER. The 16 SEER unit will just cool more efficiently. AC units come in three different flavors – Single Stage, Two Stage and Variable Stage. Two Stage and Variable Stage are more efficient than single stage, so the SEER rating is higher. General comfort in the home is better, but that has to do with the cooling stages as opposed to the SEER rating.
| Posted above is an EnergyGuide sticker. Notice where 14.5 is the SEER rating for the condenser (outside part of the AC). The true SEER rating will depend on the coil the condenser is connected to. The SEER rating for this setup will be 16 if paired with the matching coil |
| AHRI is the organization that certifies the efficiency of AC equipment. If one wanted to independently verify the efficiency of equipment being proposed, it can be verified from this site. Every setup comes with an AHRI certificate number. If you don’t have that number, don’t worry. You can also find the answer if you know the model numbers of what’s being installed. |
