One of the most popular brands that we carry and install here at Highwood Mechanical Contractors, Inc. is Navien. Navien is famous for tankless water heaters, wall-hung boilers, and combi-boilers. This company can be considered as one of the best boiler and water heater providers in North America.
 
Since 2006, Navien has already become one of the fastest-growing HVAC companies in North America. They are the leader in condensing technology.

This brand has already achieved international recognition for its sophisticated engineering and also robust design. They are backed by their parent company, KD Navien and have more than 35 years of experience with the latest industry technology.
 
All products come with high efficiency and reliable quality which is why we recommend them. You can use these products in your residential properties. Navien commits to continue its mission to offer high-quality products for all users. Here are some popular categories that fall within their residential-based products.

Navien offers both condensing and non-condensing tankless water heaters for all users. These devices can be used to deliver continuous hot water at any time you need it. You don’t need to wait for the tank to reheat the water as this process wastes time and energy. Products in this category include the NPE-A Series and NPE-S Series (for their condensing products); and the NPN-U Series and NPN-E Series (for their non-condensing products).
 
These tankless water heaters are equipped with NaviTech stainless steel heat exchanger system and also stainless steel burners. Both features are very useful to offer eco-friendly and durable performance. The non-condensing tankless water heaters will be 80% smaller than the regular tank water heaters. Navien tankless water heaters are also famous for their low noise level. You can install these devices close to the living room, or other rooms in your home and they will never cause a ruckus.

Combi-boilers by Navien include the NFC and NCB-E units. They are high-efficient condensing combination boilers that you can use in your home. You can use them for fulfilling your needs because they have full capacities to supply hot water and heating system for large homes. You can even run up to 3 showers and a dishwasher at the same time.
 
The NFC unit can reach up to 5.4 gallons per minute, while the NCB-E will reach up to 4.5 gallons per minute. You can control the system of these boilers from your smartphone too. Their NaviLink WiFi control system will provide good access for these boilers. All combi boilers from Navien are protected by 10 years warranty. These devices have up to 95% AFUE rating which shows the efficiency of these units.

​This company has both NHB and NFB series as our favorite high efficiency condensing boilers. These boilers are more energy-efficient than the other old-fashioned boilers. Both NHB and NFB series is Energy Star certified, so you will never have to worry about an inefficient system.
 
It is very easy for you to have the Navien experts at Highwood install these boilers for your home. They take about 80% less space than the traditional floor-standing boilers. You can even connect these devices with your smartphone via WiFi control. Contact us today!

You may come across the term SEER when reading up on HVAC equipment and wonder what it means. This rating stands for Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio. This ratio will reflect the cooling output of the air conditioner during the typical cooling season which will be divided by the energy in watt-hours.
 
This ratio is calculated by using a constant indoor temperature and outdoor temperatures which are ranging from 60 to 100 degrees. This outdoor temperature will simulate a typical season. You can keep in mind that the SEER ratio will be the maximum efficiency rating. It can be lower depending on many different conditions.

You can take a look at the SEER ratio for finding the efficiency of the HVAC system in your home. The minimum standard SEER rating will be around 13 for the air conditioners. Most modern air conditioners will have a SEER rating which can range from 13 to 21. For being qualified as the Energy Star air conditioners, these devices should have a SEER rating of 14.5 or more. The efficiency of your HVAC system will also depend on your home size, the current ductwork, and any other variables.
 
Some people are asking for the ideal SEER rating for their HVAC systems. This is a hard question to answer because a good rating will depend on many factors that are unique to each home, for example, home size, location, and also what you are looking for in the cooling and heating system. However, the US Department of Energy has minimum SEER requirements for several regions in the US.
 
The minimum rating in the Southeast and Southwest area will be 14. The north region, where we operate, will have a minimum SEER rating of 13. It is recommended for you to buy any HVAC units that have a SEER rating that is higher than this minimum requirement. High-rated SEER units will save a lot of your money because they have a more efficient system. Therefore, they can be used to save energy from your HVAC system.

1. High energy efficiency
 
High SEER rated devices will be more efficient than the other low-rated units. You can boost the performance of your HVAC units when you use any devices with a high SEER rating. You can reduce the overall monthly costs in your home, especially when you use these devices.
 
2. Feel comfortable in your room
 
Installing a good air conditioning system with a higher SEER rating will make you feel financially and sustainably comfortable in the summer months. You can get this benefit, especially if you live in any hot regions, such as Southwest or Southeast areas. High SEER units usually have 2 main components that can provide great indoor comfort, including a variable-speed blower, and also 2-stage compressor.
 
3. Save the environment
 
This is another good reason why you may want to use any devices with a high SEER rating. These devices usually have a good system that will cause significantly less of a negative impact on the environment. If you care about the environment, you may want to take a look at some HVAC units with a high SEER rating. Most high SEER rated devices will have fewer gas emissions than regular devices.

When we are talking about SEER rating, we can expect to have this rating to become more important in the next couple of years. The new standards which are effective in 2023 will require every device to have a high seasonal energy efficiency ratio or SEER. All devices with SEER rating lower than 14 will be banned in the northern part of the United States or lower than 16 will be banned in the southern part of the United States. 
 
There are a lot of SEER rating calculators that are available on the Internet today. You can use any of these calculators when you want to calculate the total SEER rating for any of your devices in your home. If you want to have efficient HVAC units, you can always buy the best heating and cooling units with a high SEER rating for being placed in your residential or commercial properties. Contact us today!