EER and SEER ratings are both metrics that determine the energy efficiency of air conditioners. Since they measure the same thing, we will look into how they differ in the EER vs SEER overview. Example: A mini split air conditioner has a 19 SEER rating and a 12.7 EER rating. What does that mean? First … Read more
The single most important metric of any portable air conditioner is capacity. This denotes how powerful a portable AC unit is. The problem arises when we see 2 different numbers for capacity: BTU ASHRAE. These are British Thermal Units, measured by the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration, and Air Conditioning Engineers. This is the old … Read more
Nobody can properly size the ductworks without a duct sizing chart. HVAC duct sizing chart answers one simple question: “What size should my ducts be?” The dimensions of ducts (be it flex, metal, round, or rectangular) determines the airflow (measured in CFM). Example: How many CFM does a 6-inch duct have? A rectangular 6×6-inch duct … Read more
Calculating BTU doesn’t have to be difficult. If you correctly measure the square footage and know the room/home layout, you can calculate the BTU requirements for any air conditioner or heating unit (with under 8.5% accuracy). You can do it yourself using the simple 3-step guide described further on. BTU or British Thermal Unit is … Read more
In HVAC, heating and cooling capacity is sometimes expressed in kilowatts (kW). To properly understand how powerful an air conditioner or a furnace is, we need to convert kW to BTU (BTU per hour, to be precise). To simply convert kW to BTU, you can use this handy calculator: Basically, you just input the … Read more
SEER rating should be the No. 1 factor when choosing an air conditioner. Higher SEER rated AC units can save you $1,000s over the next 10-20 years in electricity bill savings. To see exactly much you can save by choosing an air conditioner with a higher SEER (above the federally mandated minimum of 14 SEER), … Read more
Before buying an air conditioner, you have to make the AC tonnage calculation. Not sizing an AC unit properly can cause $1,000s in wasted AC costs or future electricity costs. According to the DOE, “…an air conditioner generally needs 20 BTU for each square foot of living space.” We need to convert BTU to tonnage. … Read more
We usually choose an air conditioner based on BTU and room size. However, when we’re trying to estimate energy costs, it’s very useful to know how many watts our particular air conditioner use. How many watts does an air conditioner use? Air conditioner wattage is not the easiest information to come by. Not knowing how … Read more
The No. 1 expense of every air conditioner is electricity. There are several ways to reduce how much does it cost to run an air conditioner. The two main ones are: Buying an air conditioner with a high energy efficiency rating (EER, SEER, CEER ratings are valid specifications). Reducing the number of hours per day … Read more
SEER is a metric for the general energy efficiency of air conditioners. If you don’t already know what it means, don’t worry. You’ll find out here – keep in mind that you need to understand what SEER means and what is a good SEER before you go shopping for air conditioners. What does SEER mean? … Read more