SEER Rating: Why They Are Important

Living in South Louisiana, you know that having an efficient air conditioner is a given. And when that heat and humidity hits full-force, we all tend to run ours a LOT! Unfortunately, what running our ac frequently actually means hits us when we get our first energy bill. Nothing says “summer’s here” than a whopping energy bill!!

Here at Three Rivers Services, we not only strive to offer high quality, reliable air conditioning services effectively and efficiently, but we also want to help you save money. Therefore, when we send one of our comfort specialists to your home to discuss replacing your ac system, we think beyond the costs associated with installation and try to help you save money over time. That is where the SEER rating of air conditioning units comes in.

What Does SEER Stand For?

SEER stands for Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio, and it literally puts a value on the efficiency of using your air conditioner. In other words, the SEER rating is a ratio which tells you how much energy it takes to make an area cool. The higher the SEER rating, the more cooling output you get with less energy expended.

Since 2015, the federal government has mandated that all central air conditioner systems installed in the South have a minimum SEER rating of 14. In practice, most air conditioners sold in Louisiana will have a SEER rating between 14-21.

What Does a SEER Rating Do For Me?

Short answer? Save you money! For anyone who replaced their air conditioner shortly after Katrina (or anyone who has an air conditioner installed prior to 2006), your unit’s rating is probably a 10 SEER of lower. Simply by installing a new unit with a 15 SEER, you could use up to 47% less energy to cool your home. A 20 SEER? You could use up to 60% less energy to stay cool. Think of how much money you could save by reducing your unit’s energy expenditure by 60%!

How Do I Decide?

We here at Three Rivers Services make it our goal to educate you, the customer, about all aspects of repairing, replacing, or maintaining your heating and air conditioner systems. As we have said before, if you are thinking of replacing your air conditioner, we will come to your home, perform a heat load, determine what size unit would best meet your needs, and then give you several options to choose from. As Hayden explains in this video, every quote we give you will have the SEER rating listed so that you can decide what unit will best serve your needs AND let you choose how much money that you want to save down the road.

If you are thinking of replacing (or needing to replace) your air conditioner system, then you need to know what a SEER rating is and how it can help you! We want to help you save money now AND down the road. Call Three Rivers Services today at (985) 238-3239 to see how we can do for you!