You hear and see the term all the time:  SEER.

And you know at least this much:  that it has something to do with the efficiency ratings of air conditioning systems.  But you may not know is that also has to do with how cleanly a system operates, and thus the environmental impact you can expect it to make.

So, a little back-to-basics for starters:  SEER stands for Season Energy Efficiency Ratio.  And that’s the amount of cooling that an AC system delivers per watt of electricity to operate.  Therefore, the higher the SEER rating, the less electricity that’s consumed. At the same time, the higher the SEER rating, the more you’re likely to pay for the system, all other things being equal.

If you’re looking to buy a new system this year and wondering what the payback period is for a system with a higher SEER rating, there are a number of online calculators you can use for that purpose.

If, for example, you were to replace your old 10-SEER system with a new 13 SEER  model, you can expect to save about $750 in electricity over the next ten years, or about $1,220 if you were to purchase a 16 SEER model.  So, if the price differential between the two systems is around $500 or less, it’s a good investment to purchase the more efficient system.

But there’s another very compelling reason to purchase a higher rated system and why today’s minimum SEER rating is 13, and that has to do with the amount of carbon dioxide emissions.  As you would expect, the higher the SEER rating, the fewer the emissions.

At Absolute Air, we understand that an air conditioning system is not only a big purchase, but can be a confusing one, as well.  We’re here to guide you through every step of the process and make it as simple and rewarding as possible.  Contact us today to schedule a FREE in-home consultation and proposal.