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!

During the cold days in the winter season here in CT, you may be inclined to spend a lot of your time in your home. Winters in Connecticut are commonly considered very cold and with COVID still in full swing you may be interested in learning how to lower your heating bill. It snows pretty often in Connecticut. Staying at your home will require you to turn on your heating system.
 
The home heating system is one of the most significant utility costs that you will have as a homeowner. The heating system usually costs more than 40% of the total utility bill in your home. Therefore, you need to learn how you can improve the efficiency of the heating system in your home, so you can save money.

You may have some extra rooms that are unused in your home. Typically, there is no use in heating these areas of your home. If you want to save money on your heating bill, you can close the door of these unused rooms. You may also want to close all vents in these rooms, so the warm air from your duct system will travel to these rooms less frequently. By closing off unused areas in your home, the money you do spend on heating will get put to use more efficiently.

This is another simple tip that you can follow to reduce the heating bill in the winter effectively. Adjusting your thermostat level will lead to a significant drop in heating bills. It is recommended for you to lower down the thermostat by 5 about degrees. This action will help you reduce up to 10% of the annual heating cost in your home. You can set the thermostat to maintain the temperature around 66 degrees Fahrenheit or lower. When you leave for work, you can even lower the thermostat to a lower temperature.

Your home may lose heat through some doors and windows, especially if they are opened. Some doors and windows are not sealed tightly during the winter season. Therefore, you need to check all windows and doors at the beginning of the winter. This procedure will help you test for drafts, so you can detect any air leaks immediately. Some insulation from a local hardware store should do the trick.

If you want to reduce your heating bills during the winter season significantly, you can consider using alternative heat sources. You can buy a good wood-burning stove for heating the inside your home. It is a good idea for you to get a stove with a big heat output if you have a chimney that runs central to your home. A good way to reduce the overall cost for operating this stove is by using free wood resources, for example, scrap wood or salvaged wood. These wood types can be found for cheap or even free without adding additional costs to your heating system in your home.

​This is another useful tip that you can follow during this winter season. If you have some ceiling fans in the rooms inside your home, you can use them in this cold season. These ceiling fans are very effective to distribute the warm air in your home, so you can lower your heating bill. When the ceiling fans work, they are going to distribute the warm air trapped near the ceiling. The warm air will be distributed to all parts of your home evenly, so you can increase the efficiency of your heating system.
 
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Those are some useful tips on how you can reduce the heating cost in your Connecticut home significantly. It is also a good idea for you to check up on the energy efficiency of all of your systems to see if an upgrade is in order. If some of your units are older in age, calling an HVAC expert like Highwood Mechanical Contractors can save you time and money, Reach out today!