How to Keep Your Energy Bill Lower

When it comes to your HVAC equipment, there are many things that you can do to limit your energy usage to keep your bills lower. The easiest way, however, is to invest in the right equipment for your space!

How to Choose the Right Air Conditioner for Your Home

With summer approaching, you might be thinking about investing in a new air conditioner for your home. Maybe yours is on its last legs, and you struggled to keep your home comfortable last year, or maybe your unit broke down at the end of the season. 

Whatever the case, Viccarone HVAC is here with some helpful information!

What is a SEER Rating?

SEER, or Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio, is a rating of an air conditioner's cooling output during an average cooling season. The SEER for any air conditioner is affected by the size of your home, your location, and weather conditions. 

Currently, the minimum standard for SEER ratings in the U.S. is 13. Most manufacturer's SEER ratings range from 13-26.  

What Other Factors Affect My Energy Bill?

Properly Sized Equipment 

It is also important to have a properly sized AC unit in order to keep your home energy efficient in the summer. Not only that but the right size AC will also keep you more comfortable. 

If your unit is too big for your space, you might find your home to be very humid. Therefore, you will think to lower the temperature on your thermostat and end up increasing your energy consumption. 

If your unit is too small for your home, it will have to work much harder to cool the spaces farther away from your thermostat. This is usually why some people have trouble cooling their upstairs. 

Other Factors to Consider in an A/C Unit:

While SEER ratings are an important factor when buying an air conditioner, it is also necessary to consider:

• Shading around your house
• Window quality
• Roofing material
• Insulation
• Attic space
• Your budget
• The size of your home
• The size of the air conditioning unit and its air handling capacity; a specialist will tell you the exact size you need
• Your area’s climate
• The length of the cooling season
• The amount of time you spend at home
• The number of hours you plan to use the A/C per day
• The indoor temperatures that you prefer
• EER ratings
• Quiet operations
• The presence of fan-only switches, which would allow you to circulate air in your home without conditioning it
• Automatic-delay fan switch that turns off the fan shortly after the compressor turns off
• Ease of maintenance
• Lifetime costs, including energy, maintenance, and repairs
• A unit’s quality and life expectancy
• The manufacturer’s history of reliability
• Warranty terms
   

This is why it is so important to choose the right SEER for your home. Our team is here to help you get the right equipment for your home so you can stay comfortable all summer long! 

Learn More About AC Efficiency

If you are interested in learning more about how to keep your home comfortable and efficient for the upcoming summer months, contact us today! 

You can also check out our Helpful Hints here.