What the department of energy says.....Department of Energy Measurements and Standards
In 1992, the Department of Energy set up a system to measure efficiency and established efficiency standards for the heating and cooling industry. Any predated, inefficient units can be wasting your energy dollars. Remember, no product can be 100% energy efficient. D.O.E standards and Department of Energy Measurements and Standards, Measurements and Standards
Actual savings on a new Comfortmaker unit depend on several variables: the weather in your area, utility costs, the insulation of your home, the installation of your existing system, and your personal comfort preferences.
Generally, if you live in a hot climate, you may benefit from a higher SEER cooling unit. If the cold outlasts the warm weather and you have above average fuel costs, you may need a higher AFUE furnace.
The Department Of Energy is the driving force behind all the efficiency changes. The HVAC industry has just gone through one major update, for example, if a indoor unit is the only part that needs to be replaced then the entire system will have to be done. There is no more just changing a heat pump only or an indoor unit only. To act on efficiecy mismatching units will not be as efficient a a matched system would.
However, the loophole is this. If we can match a system to obtain a 13 S.E.E.R or higher then it can be done. An example of this is, lets say Mrs Jones has her heat pump replaced last year or two years ago. Now her indoor unit has a leak and she just wants to replace it. Well as long as we or the installing contractor can find the matching indoor or outdoor unit listed in the department of energies A.R.I. guide then it is ok to use. The system has to be a lited match.
So there is a way around being forced to update the whole system as long as we can find a match you can order just the one component. It is all about D.O.E standards and Measurements and Standards |
