Making the right choices for your home needs.
When evaluating your home heating and cooling options, efficiency and cost savings are important variables in your decision. Plus, if you prefer to be environmentally conscious, efficient heating and cooling products can help by using fewer resources. Carrier® has engineered products with a wide range of efficiency ratings—from minimum industry requirements to the world's most efficient — to provide you a wide variety of sophisticated options to meet your specific needs.
Heating and Cooling Efficiency Ratings Explained
In your quest to find the ideal Carrier system, you will encounter several important industry-standard efficiency ratings. The higher efficiency your product, the lower your long-term energy costs will be. And as always, your expert Carrier dealer can also help you choose the heating and cooling products that are right for you.
SEER
SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio) is the measure of efficiency by which the cooling process of air conditioners and heat pumps is rated. The higher the SEER number, the greater the efficiency—and therefore greater energy savings. Today, U.S. regulatory agencies require all new products to have a 13.0 SEER rating or better. Carrier's full line of air conditioners offers SEER ratings of 13.0 to 21.
AFUE
AFUE (Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency) is the standard measurement of efficiency for gas and oil-fired furnaces. Given in percentages, this number tells you how much of your fuel is used to heat your home and how much fuel is wasted. The higher the AFUE rating, the greater the efficiency. Carrier offers a full line of furnaces with AFUE ratings ranging from the minimum industry requirement of 78% to more than 96%.
Cost Savings: If you have an older furnace (with an AFUE of approximately 60%), you could save up to 40% on your heating bills by replacing it with a new high efficiency furnace! The cost to replace your old, inefficient furnace is paid back through lower utility bills.
HSPF
HSPF (Heating Seasonal Performance Factor) is the efficiency measurement used to gauge the efficiency of the heating mode of heat pumps. The higher the number, the greater the efficiency and cost-savings. Today's models are required to have a 6.8 HSPF. Carrier offers heat pumps with HSPF ratings ranging from 6.8 to 9.5.
Cost Savings. Higher efficiency in heat pumps and air conditioners usually means higher equipment cost but lower utility bills. If you live in a warm and/or humid climate, you will probably see the higher cost of a high efficiency air conditioner or heat pump paid back (through lower utility bills) in a few short years. Ask your expert Carrier dealer to help you determine about how long it would take you to recover the additional cost in energy savings. Of course, after the payback, you continue to save on your energy bills.
Matching Your System for Optimum Efficiency
One additional factor that affects the efficiency of your air conditioning or heat pump system is your indoor coil. If your condensing unit is not matched with the proper indoor coil, it may not give you the stated SEER and/or HSPF ratings and could even develop performance problems. When you replace an existing system, make sure you replace both units so your new condensing unit will give you optimal performance, efficiency and comfort.
Meeting Goverment Standards
As government standards and requirements continue evolving to require heating and cooling manufacturers to improve product efficiency and use environmentally friendly materials, the experts at Carrier® lead the way. From engineering high efficiency heat pumps and air conditioners to introducing Puron® refrigerant, Carrier puts innovation to work to create the sophisticated heating and cooling products of tomorrow.
High SEER Requirements for 2006
Like many consumer products that use energy, air conditioners and heat pumps are manufactured to meet or exceed minimum efficiency standards set by the U.S. Department of Energy. After nearly a decade with 10 SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio) as the minimum efficiency, January 23, 2006 marks the mandated increase to 13 SEER.
Who will this affect?
The 13 SEER minimum applies to all new equipment manufactured on or after January 23, 2006. You may continue to use your current system indefinitely, even if it operates below 13 SEER, but when it's time to replace your system, only 13 SEER or higher models will be available.
Higher SEER means cost-saving energy efficiency
For many homeowners, a 13 SEER air conditioner or heat pump will save money on each month's electric bill. Exactly how much you can save will depend on the efficiency of your current system. For example, a 13 SEER product:
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Delivers about 23% energy savings compared to 10 SEER models |
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Delivers about 8% energy savings compared to 12 SEER models |
Actual savings will depend on the age, efficiency and condition of the unit being replaced, but if you are currently considering a new air conditioner or heat pump, it makes sense to start saving now with a 13 SEER product. Carrier offers several heat pumps and air conditioners that meet and exceed the 13 SEER requirement—even up to 21 SEER.
To learn more about the 2006 13 SEER efficiency mandate, visit http://www.energy.gov.
Refrigerant Upgrades
Another change you need to be aware of is the phase out of R-22, the refrigerant most commonly used in today's air conditioners and heat pumps. By 2010, all new air conditioners and heat pumps will be required to use non-ozone-depleting environmentally sound refrigerant, such as Puron refrigerant. This phase out has been mandated in an effort to help protect the Earth's ozone layer. By making the change to Puron refrigerant now, you can protect yourself from the potentially higher future costs of servicing an air conditioner or heat pump that uses R-22.
Carrier Innovation Leads the Way
Whether it's engineering tomorrow's efficient and cost-saving 13 SEER and higher air conditioners and heat pumps, or offering a wide range of products with environmentally sound Puron refrigerant, Carrier is putting innovation to work to develop the heating and cooling products that will keep your home healthy and comfortable tomorrow.
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