WHAT
DO ALL THOSE HEAT PUMP AND AIR CONDITIONER RATINGS AND TERMS
MEAN?
EFFICIENCY
RATINGS
SEER
- SEASONAL ENERGY EFFICIENCY RATIO This is a system
for rating the efficiency of cooling equipment. It is calculated
by dividing the cooling capacity of a continuously operating
air conditioner by the electric power input. The higher
the SEER, the less your unit will cost to operate.
HSPF - HEATING SEASONAL PERFORMANCE FACTOR
This measurement is similar to SEER, but it measures the
efficiency of the heating portion of your heat pump. Like
the SEER, HSPF industry minimums have risen in recent years.
The current industry minimum is 6.80 HSPF.
SOUND
RATINGS
In
recent years, HVAC equipment has not only gotten more energy
efficient, it has gotten quieter. Although sound does not
affect the efficiency of a unit, it can certainly affect
your comfort. If your unit has a low sound level, you (and
your neighbors) will hardly notice when it is operating.
db
- DECIBEL A term to describe the relative loudness
of a sound. Typically, heat pumps and air conditioners are
between the sound of a human voice (70 db) and a blender
(88 db).
SRN
- SOUND RATING NUMBER A unit based on ARI tests.
Average sound ratings range from 74 to 80 db. The lower
the SRN rating, the quieter the unit.
GENERAL
INDUSTRY TERMS
HVAC - HEATING, VENTILATION & AIR CONDITIONING
This term applies both to the heating and cooling industry
and to the products they manufacture.
ARI - AIR CONDITIONING & REFRIGERATION INSTITUTE
A non-profit, voluntary organization comprised of HVAC manufacturers.
ARI publishes standards for testing and rating heat pumps
and air conditioners and ensures a level of quality within
the industry.
DOE
- THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY This is the federal
agency that sets the HVAC industry efficiency standards.
Btu
- BRITISH THERMAL UNIT This is the amount of heat
that will raise or lower the temperature of one pound of
water by one degree Fahrenheit.
Btuh
- BRITISH THERMAL UNITS PER HOUR A measure of heat
transfer rate.
COP
- COEFFICIENT OF PERFORMANCE This is a measurement
of comparison of a heat pump’s heating capacity to
the amount of electricity required to operate it. Since
a heat pump is less efficient at lower outside temperatures,
the COP falls as the temperature drops. To aid you in comparing
efficiency, ARI provides the COP for two temperatures, 47°
F and 17° F.
TON
- 12,000 Btuh A typical single family residence
uses air conditioning or heat pumps ranging between two
and five tons of capacity.
(W)
- WATT A unit of electrical power.
(kW)
- KILOWATT One thousand watts.
KWh - KILOWATT-HOUR A unit of electrical
energy equal to the work done by one kilowatt acting for
one hour.
COMFORT
SYSTEMS
Heat
pumps and air conditioner systems have an outdoor unit and
an indoor unit. The outdoor unit is the actual heat pump
or air conditioner. The indoor unit includes the coil or
blower coil. Combinations of various units result in vastly
different efficiency ratings.
MOST
POPULAR COIL A term meaning the highest sales volume
indoor unit matched with the given outdoor unit. Sometimes,
there are attempts to combine unrealistic indoor and outdoor
equipment combinations to obtain a higher SEER. Ratings
made in such a way may be simulated or unrealistic. Ratings
obtained using the most popular coil, however, are attainable
and closer to reality.
THE
PRICE OF QUALITY
There
is more to buying a heat pump or air conditioner than ratings.
The quality of construction and materials used as well as
the reliability of the manufacturer and installing contractor
can all affect your long-term satisfaction and comfort.Top
quality, high-efficiency equipment will cost more initially,
but it will save you money on utility bills and service
calls for years to come. Be sure to weigh all the factors
before choosing your new system.
WHAT
IS A HEAT PUMP
A
heat pump is an efficient method of cooling your home in
summer and warming it in winter. Although heat pumps are
new to many people, they’ve been around for over three
decades, and are found in schools, offices, motels, stores
and industrial plants as well as homes.
WHY
CHOOSE A NEW HEAT PUMP
A
new energy efficient heat pump is a good investment, providing
years of worry-free heating and cooling and significant
savings on your electric bill.
HOW
A HEAT PUMP WORKS
A
heat pump works by moving heat. In the summer, a heat pump
operates like a standard electronically driven air conditioner,
collecting heat from the air in your home and expelling
it outside. In winter, the process is reversed, and the
heat pump collects heat from outdoor air to warm the air
inside your home.
HOW
DOES IT WORK IN WINTER?
“You’re
saying that when it’s thirty-eight degrees outside,
my heat pump can still take enough heat out of the air to
warm my home?” Right. Even the coldest winter air
contains some heat. However, heat pumps work best at temperatures
above 35 degrees Fahrenheit. Below this temperature, an
electrical resistance heater switches on, if required, to
supplement heat brought in from outside.
HOW
WELL DOES IT WORK?
While
many people find the winter operation of a heat pump the
most difficult understand, it is during the heating cycle
that the heat pump produces the most significant savings.
Unlike a furnace, that turns fossil fuel or electricity
into heat, the heat pump collects heat that already exists
in the outdoor air by means of its refrigeration cycle.
Consequently, your heat pump will produce 2 to 3 times more
heat than the energy it uses!
HOW
MUCH MONEY CAN I SAVE?
Savings
depend upon three factors:
•The efficiency of your old equipment
•The efficiency of your new heat pump
•Your climate
•Your electric rate
SAVE
ON COOLING!
Cooling
efficiency is rated by SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency
Ratio). The higher the SEER, the higher the savings. If
your home is over eight years old, your current air conditioner
or heat pump probably has a SEER of 7.0. A new, higher efficiency
heat pump can be as much as 56% more efficient.
SAVE
ON HEATING!
Heat
pumps are rated for heating efficiency by HSPF (Heating
Seasonal Performance Factor). Heat pumps are available with
HSPF ratings up to 9.0. Since a heat pump combines the heat
it produces with the heat from outside, the coefficient
of performance (COP) of a heat pump is more than one. This
means, you may pay for a dollar’s worth of electricity,
but a heat pump can deliver as much as $3.45 worth of heating.
That’s quite a bargain!
GIVE
ME MY SAVINGS IN DOLLARS!
If
you lived in a three bedroom home in Chattanooga and had
an older heat pump or air conditioner with a SEER of 7.0,
replacing it with a high-efficiency heat pump with a SEER
of 12.0 could save you $668 over a three-year period.
DUAL
FUEL
If
you’re looking for a new cooling system, but your
old non-electric furnace is still working, consider buying
an add-on heat pump. With a dual fuel system, the two systems
share the heating load, but never at the same time. Each
system operates when it is the most cost effective.
In
a dual fuel system, the heat pump will be your cooling system
in the summer and your primary heat source in winter. But
when the temperature drops below the heat pump’s set
point, your furnace will take over until the outside temperature
rises enough for the heat pump to operate more efficiently
than your old furnace.
WHEN
REPLACING THE OUTDOOR UNIT OF AN AIR CONDITIONER OR HEAT
PUMP, SHOULD THE INDOOR UNIT ALSO BE REPLACED?
The answer
to that question is, most likely, YES! And here's why...
MATCHED
SYSTEM DESIGN
All
air conditioning and heat pump outdoor units are specifically
designed to work with matched indoor units for optimum efficiency
and performance. The result of this matched system is a
coordinated, top-performance team that ensures the dependability
and high-efficiency today’s applications require.
Air conditioner and heat pump outdoor units may “work”
with indoor units other than those for which they have been
specifically designed…however, the result is a definite
compromise in system performance. |
