Last week ABC15 welcomed Penguin Air, Plumbing & Electrical General Manager Jay Kline to a new series, Tips of the Toolbox, which will air every Wednesday at 9 a.m. on Sonoran Living. Each week Jay will be discussing tips for you to save energy and money in your home.
In this segment, Jay discusses the new federal mandate that will take place Jan. 1 that requires all air conditioning units to be 14 SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio).
How do Energy Efficient Ratings affect my home?
The easiest way to think about SEER rating it is that it’s like gas mileage for your car. The higher the number, the better it is and the less energy it’s using to run. Although the 14 SEER units will cost more in the beginning, they end up saving homeowners money down the road in energy costs.
Why should you upgrade to a new unit now and not wait till next year?
Currently, units are only 13 SEER. As of Jan. 1, if you put in a new air conditioner unit, it has to be a minimum of 14 SEER. Homeowners should take advantage of this, as it will help them to save money to purchase units now. Many homeowners are simply glad to have made it through the summer. They tend to not worry about needing a new air conditioning until it’s time again to use it.
However, if you wait till next spring to replace your air conditioning unit, the prices are going to go up about a couple thousand dollars or so per system. Today, you can take advantage of purchasing a 13 SEER unit for a couple thousand dollars less than next year. In addition, when the federal mandate begins, you will be grandfathered in if you get a 13 SEER unit now. There will still be parts and everything available for those units.
How will a 14 SEER unit change how an air conditioning unit operates in the home?
Comparing the 13 to 14, there really isn’t much of a difference other than a little bit of energy savings going forward. This is why if budget is a concern, as it is for many people, then saving that couple thousand now to go up to a 13 SEER – which isn’t a whole lot different than a 14 SEER – will really help out.
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