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SEER Rating: Is Bigger Always Better?

By Randy Arthur

President, Arthur Air Conditioning

Smart consumers know that air conditioning systems’ efficiency is measured by Seasonal Energy
Efficiency Ratio, or SEER. Every model is labeled with its SEER level, and the U.S. Government now
requires that no air conditioner be sold with a lower SEER than 13. (The rating is the number of BTUs
of cooling output per hour divided by the total electric energy input in watt-hours under a specific set
of seasonal conditions.)

Models from five to 10 years old are rated at 9 or lower, and cost a lot more in electricity to run than
the more energy-efficient 13 or 14. There are units rated as high as 19. Should you automatically
choose the highest rating you can buy? Maybe or maybe not.

Certainly the highest-rated models use less electricity to cool the same number of cubic feet of your
home or business. But they are more complex in design, with more moving parts and more that can
go wrong. They may require repairs more than a workhorse 13 SEER unit that will run for many
trouble-free years with only routine preventive maintenance, according to Consumer Reports
website. Trust only the most experienced, certified technicians to install any unit, and sign up for
preventive maintenance every six months the day your new unit is installed.

Regardless of rating, it’s the actual field conditions that set the true SEER rating of any unit, not the
laboratory where it was tested. Your HVAC contractor should take these four conditions into
account to make sure your new unit delivers at the efficiency you have paid for:

  • Airflow: Are ducts too small, or laid out to restrict air flow? Are grilles the right size? Does the
    air handler match the other equipment?

  • Charge: Is enough refrigerant being forced into the system? Systems with longer lines tend
    to be much more severely undercharged than systems with shorter lines. Ask your tech to
    explain why the longest line in your installation is the right size.

  • Tight Ducts: If your ducts leak at the seams, you are cooling your attic.

  • Size: Oversized equipment is not better; it will run for shorter periods and leave too much
    humidity in your indoor air. Uncomfortable hot spots can occur, and residents will reset the
    thermostat frequently, which is inefficient and can lead to maintenance problems.

  • Be sure your licensed air conditioner installer understands which SEER rating is best for you,
    your budget and your home. As one of your neighbors, I’ll be happy to give you a second
    opinion on your air conditioning needs.
Lic: CAC1813999 - Arthur Air Conditioning © 2008

Main Office - 801 Stevens Avenue, Oldsmar, Florida 34677 - Tampa 813.925.3000

Arthur Air is Proud to service these Tampa areas:
West Chase, Oldsmar, East Lake, Safety Harbor, Dunedin, Countryside, Clearwater, Clearwater Beach,
Island Estates, St. Pete Beach, St. Petersburg Beach, St. Petersburg, Palm Harbor, Tarpon Springs, Odessa,
Tampa, Davis Islands
Arthur Air
Conditioning Inc.

Main Office
801 Stevens Ave,
Oldsmar, Fl 34677

813.925.3000
or
727.535.5817

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