Choosing an Energy-Efficient HVAC System
According to Pew Research, 74 percent of Americans care about the environment. If you recycle regularly, skip the bottled water and take shorter showers, you’re already doing something positive for the environment. Maybe you even have a programmable or smart thermostat; but, when it comes time to replace your heating, ventilation and air conditioning system, how will you know how to make the right choice that protects mother earth and your wallet at the same time? Read on to learn how to properly choose your new, eco-friendly, energy-efficient HVAC system.
Choosing Your New Eco-Friendly, Energy-Efficient HVAC System
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Your home’s HVAC system accounts for about half of all the energy used in your home. Doesn’t it make sense to choose one that uses less energy? The best place to start is by understanding rating systems.
Understand SEER and AFUE Rating Systems
Rating systems are put in place to help homeowners better understand what they’re getting and make more informed decisions when they purchase a new HVAC unit. Two important ratings to learn about include SEER and AFUE.
SEER, Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio, refers to the efficiency of a system’s AC unit. Efficiency is determined by measuring performance over a hypothetical cooling season. This ratio compares the amount of cooling provided by the air conditioner (in BTUs) with the amount of energy the central system consumes (watts per hour). The size of your equipment, installation and energy usage patterns will determine the unit’s actual efficiency, but SEER provides a good estimate of probable performance.
AFUE, Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency, measures heating efficiency for water heaters, furnaces and boilers. AFUE provides an estimate of how much energy the equipment will use compared to similar products; the more efficient your furnace, the more heat you will get per unit of fuel. As a factor that manufacturers use to qualify for Energy Star certification, the higher the AFUE rating, the higher the efficiency.
Sizing Your HVAC System
It’s easy to understand that a system too small for your home will not function efficiently. But investing in a system that’s too large for your space can be just as inefficient. If an HVAC system is too large, it will waste energy, sky-rocket utility bills, create hot and cold spots, poorly control humidity and eventually develop maintenance problems over time.
Energy-Efficient HVAC System Installation by Point Bay Fuel
Looking for more guidance on how to choose your new, energy-efficient HVAC system? Read our post, “Important Factors When Choosing the Best Air Conditioning Systems Today,” on upgrading your central air unit. At Point Bay Fuel, our local HVAC technicians are here to help you find an energy-efficient HVAC system that’s kind to the environment and your budget at the same time. Give us a call at 732-349-5059 to learn more.