There are a lot of factors that you must consider when purchasing a new heating or cooling system for your Tampa home. One of the most important of these factors is ensuring that you get the most efficient heating or cooling system that you can, taking your budget into consideration. Manufacturers have made this a little easier by providing easy to find efficiency rating information about their products. If you do not understand what these efficiency ratings mean, though, here are some of the common acronyms you may see along with a description of what they mean. For more information, contact the experts at Ierna’s Heating & Cooling.
- SEER – SEER is used to measure the efficiency of air conditioners and the cooling performance of heat pumps. It stands for seasonal energy efficiency ratio. The higher the SEER the more efficiently the air conditioner or heat pump will be able to cool your home. New products are required to have a SEER of 13 or more, though the rating can go into the 20’s.
- AFUE – AFUE is the measurement of how efficiently a furnace operates. It stands for annual fuel utilization efficiency. The higher the AFUE rating the less fuel is wasted in the heating process. Obviously the more fuel that your furnace is able to successfully and completely use the better the efficiency level of that furnace will be. The industry minimum for AFUE ratings is 78%.
- HSPF – Standing for heating seasonal performance factor, HSPF ratings are assigned to evaluate the efficiency with which a heat pump is able to heat a building. The high the number the more efficient the heat pump is. New heat pumps must have a minimum of 6.8 HSPF.
Before deciding on a new Tampa air conditioning system be sure to ask questions and do a bit of research. You may not be able to afford the most efficient system available, but you should purchase the system with the highest efficiency level that you can afford. Over time the energy savings will help to offset the initial investment. Make your home a more comfortable and efficient place to live. Contact Ierna’s Heating & Cooling today.