Understanding your home’s HVAC system, and terminology that relates to it, helps you create optimal temperature and air conditioning settings for greater comfort and energy efficiency around your Twin Cities area home. Secondarily, knowing terms such as AFUE, SEER, HSPF and Energy Star can help you when upgrading or repairing systems in your home. You’ll have a better idea of what to ask when hiring a contractor to do the work for you.
Let’s take a look at some of the more common terms and how they relate to your HVAC system.
AFUE, SEER, HSPF
Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency (AFUE): This rating assesses the thermal efficiency of furnaces, boilers and water heaters. AFUE measures the volume of heat that actually gets delivered to your home compared to the amount of fuel used to produce that heat. In the United States, combustion furnaces are required to have a minimum AFUE of 78 percent. Energy Star certified furnaces must have an AFUE of at least 95 percent in the Northern states (including Minnesota) and 90 percent in the South. High-efficiency condensing furnaces run from 90-98 percent AFUE.
Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER): This rating, as the name suggests, measures the seasonal cooling efficiency of A/Cs and heat pumps. The higher your cooling system’s SEER rating, the more efficiently it uses electricity. The minimum SEER for split-system A/Cs and heat pumps is 13, with Energy Star certified models starting at 14. For a high-efficiency cooling system, you’ll want at least SEER 16.
Heating Seasonal Performance Factor (HSPF): This rating system measures the heating efficiency of heat pumps over a season. The federal minimum is HSPF 6.8, while the Energy Star minimum is 8. In a cold-winter climate like ours in Minnesota, HSPF is a more important heat pump rating than SEER.
Energy Star: The federal Energy Star is awarded to HVAC appliances, electronics, home weatherization upgrades and a variety of other products that meet stringent energy-efficiency requirements without sacrificing performance.
For professional assistance calculating the energy efficiency of your in-home appliances and HVAC systems, please contact us at Marsh Heating & Air Conditioning.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about HVAC systems and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
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