Buyer's Guide to Energy Efficient Air Conditioners
When you’re looking to replace your AC unit, it’s common sense to look for the most energy efficient air conditioner out there. There are such a plethora of different air conditioners on the market, so when you’re comparing them, it’s important to know what to look for. That’s what this article dives into. How can you tell if the air conditioner you’re looking into is going to be energy efficient? Let’s find out.
Huge Leaps in Energy Efficiency for HVAC
We have seen vast improvements in the energy efficiency of air conditioners across the country. In fact, an energy efficient air conditioner today is 50% more efficient than the best air conditioner from fifty years ago! The improvement has been so dramatic that, according to the government department of energy, you could save up 40% on the cost of cooling your home when you replace a 10 year old AC system with an energy efficient air conditioner.
Check out our article if you want to find out how long air conditioners last. But if you’re wondering how to choose the right energy efficient air conditioner for your home or building, read on.
How to Choose an Energy Efficient Air Conditioner
Look for a High SEER Rating
‘SEER’ stands for Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio. It measures the amount of energy that’s required to cool down a space into a metric that is easy to compare across different systems. The higher the SEER rating, the more energy efficient the air conditioner is, which translates to lower bills for you.
Air conditioners with a SEER rating of less than 11 typically cost around $850 per year in energy bills, while a comparable system with a SEER rating of 16 costs just $500 per year. Of course, air conditioners with a rating lower than 10 aren’t really sold on the market anymore. For the best energy efficient air conditioner, try to go for one with a rating of 20 or over.
Opt for an Energy Star Certified Air Conditioner
Energy Star is a nationally-recognized certification that measures energy efficient air conditioners and guarantees a certain level of efficiency. Typically, Energy Star certified air conditioners use 8% less energy than their on-the-market, uncertified counterparts - that might not sound like a lot, but it definitely builds up over time! If you’re looking for an energy efficient air conditioner, going for an Energy Star certification is an obvious choice.
Consider Replacing Your Blower Motor
Most central air conditioners need the blower fan motor from your furnace outfit to blow the air through the system. Here’s the thing: even if you have an energy efficient air conditioner with a good SEER rating and an Energy Star certification, your air conditioner won’t be as efficient as it can be if the blower motor is old. If the fan blower is older than 10 years, it’s best to consider replacing it for maximum energy efficiency.
Choose the Right Air Conditioner Size for Your Home
You can get the most energy efficient air conditioner out there, and if it’s the wrong size for your building, you’re still going to be using far more energy than you really need to. If the air conditioner is too big and powerful, your home will cool down easily, but the air will be too humid and moisture will build up in your home, which can cause mold.
If your air conditioner is too small, it will cycle on and off rapidly and need far more energy to keep your rooms cool than a properly-sized one would. Getting the right size of air conditioner for your home is a huge part of energy efficiency.
Consider Smart Temperature Settings
These days, thermostats are getting smarter and smarter. Some air conditioners are compatible with thermostats that even work through apps, so that you can control your temperature and AC activity from your phone. These smart temperature settings help to save energy by being extra sensitive to the temperature of your home, and by being easy to programme with energy-saving settings.
You don’t want your air conditioner to run on the same setting all the time. Life is too unpredictable for that, and so is the weather. Instead of one pre-programmed setting, look for units that can be controlled remotely, so that when your plans change, your HVAC shifts with you. Wondering what the best settings are here in Utah? Check out our guide.
Look for Automatic Fan Turn-off
When you’re looking for an energy efficient air conditioner, check to see if the AC unit has an ‘Energy-saving setting’. In this setting, once the desired cool temperature has been reached, the fan automatically turns off. This is just one element that helps you to cut back on unnecessary costs.
Other Ways to Cultivate Energy Efficiency
An Energy efficient air conditioner is a significant step towards reducing the overall energy consumption of your home. Before upgrading, air conditioning costs over 2000 kilowatt-hours of electricity annually.
This ends up releasing thousands of pounds of CO2 pollution every single year, so opting for a more energy efficient model can make a huge difference - not only to the environment but also to your wallet! However, there’s no need to stop there. Take a look at our guide to energy conservation in your Utah home right here.
Switching from inefficient to efficient energy consumption is a huge way to cut down on costs in your home or business - this extends beyond HVAC, down to your car, your washing machine and dryer, and your lighting. If buying an energy efficient air conditioner is part of a bigger project, consider low-energy options for the rest of your infrastructure, too.
Finding the Right Energy Efficient Air Conditioner
If you have more questions about finding an energy efficient air conditioner, feel free to reach out and contact us! And, remember, one thing you can do to make sure your HVAC is running at maximum efficiency is to have it regularly cleaned. We’d be happy to help with that too.