Getting the most efficiency in your Air Conditioning Unit means lower electric bills and a more comfortable home. We can help you choose an HVAC System that is rated to provide the appropriate power and efficiency for the East Texas climate. Knowing what ratings to look for, and what all those ratings mean can be the difference between having a unit that efficiently cools your house, or a unit that struggles to keep it barely comfortable during the hottest part of the day.
BTU
The first number we have to consider when looking at a new unit is the BTU, or British Thermal Unit (BTU). It is the international measure of energy. A BTU is the amount of heat needed to raise 1 (one) pound of water by 1 (one) degree Fahrenheit. In HVAC industry, BTU’s measure the quantity of heat a conditioning unit can remove from a room per hour. One BTU per hour is equal to 0293 watts. Now that is pretty technical, but to put things in perspective, your BTUs are essentially the horsepower of your unit. The higher the BTUs, the more heat you can remove from your home.
This means that a higher BTU unit would be needed for a larger house. The larger house, the more air it has, and the more heat it can hold. BTUs also translates directly to the amount of power needed to operate the system. This is called it’s EER Rating.
EER
The air conditioner EER is its British thermal units (BTU) rating over its wattage. For example, if a 10,000-BTU air conditioner consumes 1,200 watts, its rating is 8.3 (10,000 BTU/1,200 watts). The higher the EER rating is, the more efficient the air conditioning unit is. The next number to consider is the SEER
SEER
European seasonal energy efficiency ratio (SEER). The SEER rating of a unit is the cooling output during a typical cooling-season divided by the total electric energy input during the same period. The higher the unit’s SEER rating, the more energy efficient it is. This number is arguably less important, but can help inform what unit you buy based on your area. The real catch here is to find out what region the SEER rating is for. The same unit can have different SEER ratings in different regions.
What is the takeaway?
Acme AC can help you choose the best unit for your home or business. With your new knowledge of BTUs, the EER and SEER ratings, we can partner together and choose the best unit for you. If you are in need of help or a new unit, please do not hesitate to contact us. Let’s get your home cooled off quickly.