Definition: SEER stands for seasonal energy-efficiency rating. This rating measures how well an air conditioner uses energy throughout the cooling season. SEER Ratings & Units; The SEER is equal to Btus of cooling supplied during the year divided by kilowatt-hours of electricity consumed in a year. The higher the SEER rating, the more efficient the [...]
Image by Scott Burbidge via FlickrWe all know that we can pay our auto mechanics a little now for routine service, or pay them a lot later for a major repair. The same idea holds true for your air conditioner or heat pump. If you don’t service your air conditioner or heat pump regularly, you’ll [...]
To save maximum energy you must learn where to insulate to minimize cost .Perform a tour of your home to determine where it may need insulation. A good rule of thumb is that all heated or cooled areas should be separated from un-conditioned areas with insulation. Regardless of your home’s layout, you can use this [...]
Vermiculite is a mica-like laminar material; Perlite, a naturally occurring volcanic glass. Both are heat-expanded materials familiar to gardeners as planting media. Because they are inexpensive insulators, they are useful as home insulation. Besides their relatively low cost, other advantages include being easy to install because they pour to fill irregular spaces, they are also [...]
Properly sizing an air conditioner is important, especially on whole-house systems. An improperly sized unit can cost you more to operate, and worse, leave you either uncomfortably warm, or cold and clammy depending on whether it is under or over sized. To shop knowledgeably, you should know that air conditioners are rated by how many [...]
The refrigeration cycle uses a fluid, called a refrigerant, to move heat from one place another. We usually think of the cycle being used to create cooling, but if you have ever felt the back-side of a refrigerator or air conditioner, you know the cycle also produces heat. This is especially true of a heat [...]