You may know that your next heating and air conditioning equipment purchase will be a high-efficiency system, but you may not yet know what to look for when you are doing the research.  Understanding a couple of key terms can help you narrow your choices and know what to look for before you buy. 

The energy-efficiency ratings for heating and cooling equipment can help you make an informed decision about such a valuable investment. Here they are:

Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency (AFUE)

• AFUE applies to heating equipment that uses combustion.
• Fuel sources can include propane, natural gas or heating oil.
• The number is a percentage that represents how much of the fuel is being used to produce heat.
• Higher numbers indicate better efficiency.
• Condensing furnaces achieve the highest AFUE ratings, sometimes as high as 98.2 percent.

Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER)

• SEER is also a measure of equipment efficiency, but it applies to cooling systems.
• The calculation is based on the cooling output and the energy input, producing numbers roughly in the range of 10-26.
• Higher SEER numbers indicate better energy efficiency.
• The minimum SEER rating for new units is 13.
• The minimum SEER rating for Energy Star air conditioners is 14.

The initial investment in equipment that is more energy efficient may be more expensive, but the returns will be seen over time through lower monthly utility bills.  Using the energy efficiency ratings and historical usage data, your contractor can help you estimate the savings that you can generate from investing in high-efficiency heating and cooling systems.  In addition to energy and money savings, your new equipment will also provide increased home comfort.

Because the climate in the Denver area requires the use of both heating and cooling to achieve optimum home comfort, it is important to understand both the AFUE and SEER numbers of newly-purchased equipment.  If you’re not sure which systems will best meet your home comfort and energy-efficiency needs, call the professionals at Coffman and Companies for a consultation. We’re always happy to help.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information, click here to download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Coffman & Companies services the greater Denver area. To get started, check out our website or see our special offers.