Air conditioning: 13 SEER vs 16 SEER.

[I.B. Washincars]

My step-daughter and husband are in the process of building a new house. They were posed with the option of upgrading from the standard 13 SEER, to 16 SEER. They had no clue as to what that meant, and asked me. I have no clue either...have never heard that term. Of course, they are a bit over budget and are wondering if this is a sensible place to trim. Any education and advice is appreciated.

 

[washnshine]

My step-daughter and husband are in the process of building a new house. They were posed with the option of upgrading from the standard 13 SEER, to 16 SEER. They had no clue as to what that meant, and asked me. I have no clue either...have never heard that term. Of course, they are a bit over budget and are wondering if this is a sensible place to trim. Any education and advice is appreciated.

There should not be a choice to the buyer, as every AC unit is sized to a specific home - based on square footage and the system selected.

In the case of AC Seer - more is not necessarily better. Properly sized and functioning ac units should be running fairly constantly to maintain temperature and humidity level in a home. A seer rating that is too high for a home will cool it very quickly, and then shut off- allowing the humidity to rise before cycling on again. This results in a cool, clammy feel in the air because the humidity is not kept in check while the temperature is lowered. The properly sized unit will run more steadily and keep the feel in the house dryer - which is what makes AC, AC - the removal of humidity. Too low a seer value will not adequately cool or dehumidify the home. So, I would send the question back to the HVAC specialist and ask “what is the proper seer rating for a unit for this homes square footage.” If they cannot calculate and educate, I would find someone who can.

 

[OurTown]

SEER rating is an efficiency rating and the higher the better for lower electric bills. The tradeoff is higher purchase price, larger size unit and more expensive to repair because of the components. BTU or tonnage is its output and that is what is used for sizing. It might be a good place to trim cost but I don't know. What is the cost difference?

 

[MEP001]

As OurTown said, SEER is an energy efficiency rating. For simpler math, if you go from a 10 SEER rating to a 20 SEER rating, the system will use half the electricity to provide the same cooling. If it's a big house, the extra cost of the higher SEER rating might be worth it. I figure the A/C portion of my electric bill is about $60/month, let's guesstimate about $300 a year for cooling the house (Gas heat so just A/C figures in here). If it costs $3,000 for a 13 SEER replacement system vs $4,500 for a 16 SEER system, I suck at math but I think I'm looking at about a 15% energy savings. How long would it take to pay off that extra $1,500 spent on a more efficient system if I'm only saving about $10 a month on the electric bill?

 

[PaulLovesJamie]

Of course, they are a bit over budget and are wondering if this is a sensible place to trim.

Yeah, SEER is an efficiency rating. I suspect washnshine just tangled up his terms for a minute, but his advice is spot on - sizing the unit for the house is important, then look for a high seer unit for the lowest price within the appropriate size.

Regarding trimming costs, base that decision on whether you think energy costs are going to go up or down over the next decade or two.

 

[Toms PTcarwash]

SEER is seasonal energy efficiency rating.
13 is the lowest you can currently purchase (14 in the south)
A 16 or above will most likely have a variable speed indoor fan and maybe a two-speed compressor. Both great options.
For the average 2.5 ton unit, going from 13 to 16 will save about $60 a year on electric. For an A/C system. For a heat pump its a bit more than twice that, depending on where you live.

 

[I.B. Washincars]

It's a little over $1400 difference. I think they've decided to stick with the 16. We're in SW Indiana, so I'm assuming the unit is a heat pump.

 

[washnshine]

Yeah, SEER is an efficiency rating. I suspect washnshine just tangled up his terms for a minute, but his advice is spot on - sizing the unit for the house is important, then look for a high seer unit for the lowest price within the appropriate size.

Right. Thank you.