Energy Star Appliances Save You Money All Year Round
Energy efficiency should be a homeowner priority. When you need to replace your home’s heating or cooling equipment, or its water heater, windows or insulation, choosing the most efficient option will keep energy costs down. Energy Star rated equipment makes efficiency easier to achieve.
Your Options
The federal Energy Star program certifies an array of energy-using equipment, systems and upgrades to give homeowners an easy way to compare one product against another. The Energy Star certification is especially valuable when you’re talking about big-ticket home HVAC systems, such as:
- Furnaces – Most furnaces use natural gas, but some may use oil, propane or electricity. The furnace sends heated air through a duct network to distribute the heat. To earn the Energy Start rating, these furnaces must have AFUE (Annual Fuel Usage Efficiency) ratings of 90 percent or above. AFUE measures the furnace’s ability to convert fuel energy into heat for your home, so an AFUE 90 percent furnace would convert 90 percent of its fuel into heat. The lowest available AFUE on the market today is 78 percent.
- Heat Pumps – Heat pumps offer heating and cooling in one system. The system uses the heat-exchange properties of refrigerant to transfer heat between the inside and outside or your home, creating efficient heating and cooling. For cooling efficiency, a heat pump must have a SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio) number of at least 14 to win the Energy Star. For its heating function, it needs an HSPF (Heating Seasonal Performance Factor) of 8 or more.
- Central Air Conditioners – Central air conditioning units cool the home in the same way that heat pumps to, but don’t have the ability to reverse the process and provide heating. To direct air through the house’s duct system, these units usually use a home’s furnace blower. Like the heat pump, they need a SEER number of at least 14 to get Energy Star recognition.
To ensure the best efficiency levels, professional installation is critical. Each installation is different, and a professional touch is necessary to maintain efficiency, comfort and longevity.
If you have any further questions about efficiently cooling or heating your Treasure Coast home, please contact us here at NisAir Air Conditioning and Heating. We have been proudly serving our neighbors in St. Lucie and Martin counties since 1973. Give us a call today.
