Time to Crank up the Air Conditioning

Time to Crank up the Air Conditioning

Brrrr....time to crank up the air conditioning

Though it’s still freezing in many parts of the country, there’s big news when it comes to air conditioning that you should know before it’s time to crank up your home cooling system.

As of Jan. 23, 2006, the U.S. Department of Energy requires manufacturers of air conditioners and heat pumps to produce equipment that has a Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating of at least 13.

SEER is the number that the DOE uses to measure the efficiency of air conditioning equipment. SEER is to air conditioning what R-Value is to insulation and, like insulation, the higher the SEER rating the more energy efficient the equipment.

Prior to Jan. 23, the minimum efficiency standard was 10 SEER — meaning that manufacturers were required to produce equipment that met or exceeded 10 SEER.

The U.S. government wants Americans to use less fuel to cool their homes and the nearly one-third increase in the minimum standard is projected to reduce energy bills for homeowners up to 30 percent over the current 10 SEER units.

Will the new 13 SEER rating affect you? It will if your system has a SEER of 12 or less. But there’s no need to panic, given that existing systems may remain in use and repaired when needed. However, keep in mind that replacement parts for 12 SEER and lower units will become increasingly sparse, thus eventually requiring system replacement with a more energy efficient model.

You may also be required to alter or upgrade your old furnace.

--More on Air Condtioning Ratings--