Understanding Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio and More

There are so many acronyms to remember these days, and while you are not expected to understand the technical terms of an HVAC tech, there are a couple of terms that can help you maximize the comfort in your home.

SEER stands for “Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio”. This is how HVAC service techs determine the energy efficiency (output and input) of your heating and cooling system. These factors are used for SEER ratings:

• SEER ratings measure the energy rate in which a cooling system works to provide AC through your home.

• SEER metrics also determine the effectiveness of your AC system.
  The higher the rating, the more efficient your system is.
  You can find a list of cooling systems on the AHRInet.org website to find the rating that applies to you.

Comfort First has trained HVAC experts who can assess your current system or provide you with a new unit, if need be. We are familiar with the most up-to-date SEER ratings and standards to help your home get fitted with the best size and energy output to maximize efficiency. Using both internal and external factors – such as seasonal weather patterns, size of your home, and average energy consumption – we can make sure you comply with SEER recommendations.

We are driven to put your Comfort First, as our namesake states. Heating Season Performance Factors (HSPF) is similar to SEER, except in regards to the heating output, rather than the cooling. What does HSPF do? It measures the rate at which the home’s electric heat pump utilizes energy to warm up the home.

Much like the HVAC SEER ratings, Comfort First uses similar factors to determine the optimal heating system for your home. Our goal is to provide you with the best heating system within HSPF standards to give you the ultimate comfort during those cooler fall, winter and sometimes spring months.

One other acronym to know within the HVAC industry is the Annual Fuel Utilization of Efficiency (AFUE) rating. These AFUE ratings are measured in percentages and used to monitor oil and gas systems. While you don’t have to understand the how’s and why’s, it is important to know that many factors go into the end results, including heat both indirectly and directly captured within your home (i.e. – Prevalence of any solar windows, etc.).

Having the best HVAC SEER ratings for your home is something we strive to accomplish for you. While these are not something many of our customers fully understand, it is worth noting the difference that having the best ratings can do to keep your family warm and cool when needed.