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Fast, Expert Training for Air Conditioning and
Energy Efficiency Ratio (EER) Ratings - Know What You are Buying!
(FAQ)
Questions Answered Here! Please read through the Q&A below to
learn more air conditioning and energy efficient ratio (EER)
ratings. Learn how these numbers are calculated and what to
watch out for! For more questions, please e-mail us at
sales@air-n-water.com or call Monday through Friday (800)
734-0405.
Click Here to View our Full Selection of Portable Air
Conditioners!
1.
What is EER?
Each air conditioner has an energy efficiency rating
that lists how many BTU's per hour are used for each
watt of power it draws. For room air conditioners,
this rating is the Energy Efficiency Ratio, or EER.
For central air conditioners, it is the Seasonal
Energy Efficiency Ratio, or SEER. These ratings are
posted on an Energy Guide Label, which must be
attached in a visible place on all new air
conditioners. Many air conditioner manufacturers are
voluntary participants in the EnergyStar® labeling
program. EnergyStar-labeled appliances indicate that
high EER and SEER ratings.
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2.
How is EER calculated?
The EER
of an air conditioner is its British thermal units (BTU)
rating over its wattage. For example, if a 10,000-BTU
air conditioner consumes 1,200 watts, its EER is 8.3
(10,000 BTU/1,200 watts). The higher the EER is, the
more efficient the air conditioning unit is. However, a
higher EER is usually accompanied by a higher price.
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3.
Would the higher portable air conditioner EER rating be
worth the extra cost?
Let's say that you are given a choice between two 10,000 BTU air
conditioning units. One has an EER of 8.3 and consumes
1,200 watts, and the other has an EER of 10 and consumes
1,000 watts. Let's also say that the price difference is
$100. To calculate what the payback period is on the
more expensive unit, you need to know:
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Approximately how many hours per year the unit
will be operating
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What the rate of a kilowatt-hour (kWh) is in
your area
Let's also say that you plan to use the air conditioner in
the summer (approximately five months a year, depending
on where you live) and it will be operating around eight
hours a day. Say that the cost of a kilowatt-hour in
your area is approximately $0.10. The difference in
energy consumption between the two units is 200 watts,
which means that every five hours, the less expensive
unit will consume 1 additional kWh (and therefore $0.10
more) than the more expensive unit.
Assuming that there are 30 days in a month, you find
that during the summer you are operating the air
conditioner:
5 mo. x 30 days/mo. x 8 hr/day = 1200 hours
[(1200 hrs x 200 watts) / (1000 watts/kW)] x $0.10/kWh =
$24.00
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Since
the more expensive unit costs approximately $100 more,
this means that it will take about four years for the
more expensive unit to break even.
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4.
Can I trust BTU ratings?
Buyer
Beware! Not all BTU ratings can be trusted. Just because the
BTU's are stated to be high on specific air conditioning
units, this does not mean it is necessarily true. Some
manufacturers will exaggerate the BTU's on units to
raise the possibility of selling them and others will be
more conservative to cause lower EER ratings, so keep in
mind that a low portable air conditioner EER may be
misleading. It is best not to allow the EER energy
rating to be your only criteria for choosing an air
conditioning unit. Research the unit you are considering
for your home and you will be happier with your
purchase. If you have any further questions,
please go ahead and give us a call. |
Click Here to View our Full Selection of Portable Air
Conditioners!
Click Here to Return to Our Main FAQ Page
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For more information on Energy Star room air
conditioners or central air conditioners, look for the
government information pages. |
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