Equipment & Efficiency

SEER2, HSPF2 and the difference between rated and installed performance.

6 articles

• 400 CFM Per Ton — The Number That Decides Whether the Tonnage Arrives

  A three-ton system moving air like a two-ton system is a two-ton system, whatever the label says.

• Commissioning — Three Measurements That Decide What You Actually Got

  The equipment is only as good as the day it was set up, and the setup is the part nobody documents.

• SEER2, EER2, HSPF2 — The Ratings Changed in 2023

  A unit that was 16 SEER is roughly 15.2 SEER2. Nothing about the machine changed; the test did.

• Single-Stage, Two-Stage, Variable — What the Difference Buys

  The upgrade is usually sold on efficiency. Its real value is that it runs longer at lower output, and that is what makes a house comfortable.

• Heat Pump or Straight AC — What Changes When the Condenser Is Replaced

  If the outdoor unit is being replaced anyway, the question of whether it should also heat is worth ten minutes.

• Is 16 SEER Worth It Over 14? — The Payback, Worked Through

  SEER is a ratio, so the saving is a percentage of a bill you may not have. In Minnesota that percentage is small money; in Phoenix it is not.