Department of energy now requires a minimum of 13 seer or 14 seer for central air conditioners depending on where you live.
Best rated 16 seer air conditioner.
What is the best rated air conditioner.
Thousands of reviews by consumers and hvac professionals that actually own and operate the units that they review.
While older ac units were typically rated around 8 to 9 seer the u s.
A higher seer rating provides greater energy efficiency in certain conditions.
14 or 16 seer is a good seer rating for most applications so be wary of some of the sales tactics that are out there.
Simply put it is the cooling output during a typical cooling season divided by the electrical input during the unit s functioning period.
Here s a closer look at the best central air conditioners for 2019.
Carrier offers the quietest range of central air conditioners on the market.
Our air conditioner ratings are based on data that no one else has.
But don t forget this rating is a maximum.
Of the 98 models we looked at only 39 rated below 16 seer the average of all the models we evaluated.
The ductless mini split ac units are known as the most energy efficient air conditioning type.
The minimum seer rating you can get is a 13 seer ac unit.
The highest energy efficient air conditioner can go.
If you re interested in variable capacity central air conditioners they dominate our 2019 most energy efficient central ac list guide.
The seasonal energy efficiency ratio or a unit s seer is a rating given to all hvac equipment i e air conditioners heaters and refrigerators based on their efficiency.
Single stage models are more affordable than two stage and variable capacity acs.
The bottom line is that for most people especially in southern california where it can swing from 32 degrees at night to the 90 s during the day it probably isn t worth the money for a high seer air conditioner.
There are more than 65 brands and more than 600 different series of air conditioners.
Air conditioning efficiency standards in the usa are set to undergo more changes in the coming years.
If you re looking for the top rated air conditioning system lennox s xc25 model tops the list in energy efficiency with a seer rating of 26 the highest rating on the market and double the minimum rating required of 13.
Higher seer ratings can mean a higher initial price for the air conditioner itself and total installation but you will save in the long run on energy bills.
On may 26 2017 the department of energy doe published a notice confirming an effective date of january 1 2023 for the next set of energy conservation standards.
All this being said it is still possible to own an air conditioner with less than the minimum seer rating.
Trane air conditioners range from 14 5 seer up to 22 seer.
Most of the best air conditioner brands will have a seer rating from 14 to 21.