SEER. HSPF. AFUE. No, these acronyms don’t represent government
agencies or anything like that, but to many South Floridians confronted
with these terms when looking to purchase a HVAC (Heating Ventilating
Air Conditioning) Unit, their meaning and purpose may be just as
obscure. While looking to find the best HVAC system, you will encounter
several important industry-standard efficiency ratings. such as the
ones above. The higher efficiency your product, the lower your
long-term energy costs will be. As always, if you have any questions on
how to make these ratings work for you, Cousins Air will work with you find the best system for your needs.

SEER
SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio) is the measure of efficiency by
which the cooling process of air conditioners and heat pumps is rated.
The higher the SEER number, the greater the efficiency—and therefore
greater energy savings. Today, U.S. regulatory agencies require all new
products to have a 13.0 SEER rating or better. For example, Carrier’s full line of air conditioners offer SEER ratings of 13.0 to 21.

HSPF
HSPF (Heating Seasonal Performance Factor) is the efficiency
measurement used to gauge the efficiency of the heating mode of heat
pumps. The higher the number, the greater the efficiency and
cost-savings. Today’s models are required to have a 6.8 HSPF. Carrier
offers heat pumps with HSPF ratings ranging from 6.8 to 9.5.

Cost Savings- Higher efficiency in heat pumps and air conditioners
usually means higher equipment cost but lower utility bills. If you
live in a warm and humid climate like South Florida’s, you will
probably see the higher cost of a high efficiency air conditioner or
heat pump paid back (through lower utility bills) in a few short years.
You can ask the team of experts as Cousins Air to help you determine
about how long it would take you to recover the additional cost in
energy savings. Of course, after the payback, you continue to save on
your energy bills.

AFUE
AFUE (Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency) is the standard measurement
of efficiency for gas and oil-fired furnaces. Given in percentages,
this number tells you how much of your fuel is used to heat your home
and how much fuel is wasted. The higher the AFUE rating, the greater
the efficiency. Obviously, we don’t have much of a use for this rating
in South Florida, but it is good to know what this means to avoid
confusion.

Matching Your System for Optimum Efficiency
One additional factor that affects the efficiency of your air
conditioning or heat pump system is your indoor 

coil. If your
condensing unit is not matched with the proper indoor coil, it may not
give you the stated SEER and/or HSPF ratings and could even develop
performance problems. When you replace an existing system, make sure
you replace both units so your new condensing unit will give you
optimal performance, efficiency and comfort.

Remember, if you have any questions about these ratings or anything
else related to air conditioning, then look no further than the team of
experts at Cousins Air. Not only does Cousins sell and install systems
from manufacturers such as Amana, Carrier, Rheem, and Trane, but they
are also experts when it comes to repair and maintenance of your
current air conditioning system. Call the experts at cousins today:
954-596-6999 in Broward County, or 561-333-3389 in Palm Beach County.

Carrier is one of several brands carried by Cousins.