What is a SEER Rating? Air Conditioner Efficiency Explained

Chances are if you’re looking into a new air conditioning system you may be asking yourself, “What on earth is SEER?” Don’t worry, it’s not too complicated!  SEER stands for Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio. This ratio is the cooling output of an air conditioner over a typical AC season, divided by the energy it uses in Watt-Hours. It may also be referred to as a Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating.

A SEER ratio is calculated over an entire AC-cooling season using a constant indoor temperature and a variety of outdoor temperatures ranging from 60 degrees to 100+. This is how it emulates a typical cooling season. Keep in mind that SEER ratio is a maximum efficiency rating, such as the miles per gallon for your vehicle. For example, your car could reach 32 miles per gallon on the highway, but if you’re stuck in city traffic, you may only get 24 miles per gallon. The same concept applies to your air conditioner. If your SEER ratio is 16, that’s the maximum possible efficiency. Depending on weather conditions, this could be lower. In a nut shell, the less energy used, the higher the SEER rating. The higher the rating, the greater the efficiency of your AC unit. 

Want to cut costs on your electric bill? We currently offer a variety of systems ranging from 14 SEER – 21 SEER. Call us today and we’ll help you select your perfect home system. (443) 249-3277