What You Should Know Before Buying
As with almost everything in the world, heating and cooling systems are becoming increasingly more efficient and technologically advanced. While some of these features serve to make us more comfortable, many others also work to save electricity and gas. Navigating some of the specific industry terminology can be confusing so we created this short guide to help.
AHRI Rating: This is a rating assigned through rigorous testing that ensures equipment is matched properly to achieve the efficiency level advertised and desired. This certified rating is what is required to receive energy company and tax rebates. Your contractor should provide you with an AHRI certificate upon completion of the project.
SEER Rating: Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio: The cooling output of an air conditioner over a season divided by the power consumed. This is a measure of how efficient an air conditioner is.
HSPF: Heating Season Performance Factor: This rating is similar to SEER and is used to compare heat pump efficiencies. The higher the number, the more efficient the unit is.
AFUE: Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency: Efficiency rating of natural gas or propane furnaces. Divide the heat output by the heat input to determine how well the unit utilizes the fuel being fed to it. The higher the number, the better the unit.
Heat Pump: Can heat in the winter and cool in the summer by reversing the flow of refrigerant. This type of system doesn’t use electric resistance heat or gas to heat the home (unless extremely cold). Heat pumps do not put out extremely warm air, but will keep the home at the temperature the thermostat is set on.
