“14 SEER vs. 17 SEER: Is the Difference in Price Worth the Extra Efficiency?” We’ll cut straight to the point: No, the energy savings alone most likely won’t make purchasing the 17-SEER air conditioner over a 14-SEER worth it. All other things being equal, a 3-ton, 17-SEER air conditioner will likely save you just $66/year in cooling costs over the same size 14-SEER air conditioner (see our calculations below). So even with the $300 federal tax credit, the 17-SEER air conditioner is unlikely to pay for the price difference over its lifespan. So why do we think you should you still consider the more expensive 17-SEER unit? Higher SEER often means better comfort A higher efficiency 17-SEER air conditioner usually comes with 2-stage cooling and a variable-speed fan. These features not only improve the energy efficiency of the unit, but provide better cooling than the 14-SEER AC can provide. You see, a standard air conditioner has only 2 modes: on and off.

But a 2-stage air conditioner with a variable-speed fan can meet your cooling needs about 80% of the time with its lower setting, meaning it will run more often, but at a lower setting and without as many starts and stops. This has 2 benefits:The longer run times help the air in your home mix better and provides more even temperature control throughout your home.Running longer helps the air conditioner remove twice as much moisture/humidity from your air. And that’s a big deal in Atlanta! “But won’t longer run times actually mean higher cooling costs?” Good question, but no. Like a car, an air conditioner costs less to operate when it stops and starts less often. Each time the AC starts up, it costs more because of the greater energy needed to start up. Plus, when it does run, it’s using only a fraction of the energy a standard AC would. Read more in our article: Single vs. Two-Stage Air Conditioners You may also find these articles helpful:

Replacing an Air Conditioning System? 3 Things You Ought to Know How Much Does a New Central Air Conditioner Cost? Now, here’s how we calculated the energy savings of the 17-SEER air conditioner vs. the 14-SEER... Estimating the annual savings between 14 and 17 SEER 1. Calculate the estimated amount of energy each air conditioner will use annually using this equation: [(Size of AC system x 12,000) / SEER] x 1500 = amount of Watt-hours used annually So with 14-SEER and 17-SEER options, we get: 14-SEER= 3,857,000 Watts/hour (rounded to nearest thousand) 17-SEER= 3,176,000 Watts/hour (rounded to nearest thousand) 2. Subtract the 17-SEER AC’s annual energy use from the 14-SEER’s. 3. Convert step 2’s number to kWh by dividing by 1000. 4. Multiply step 3’s number by your electricity rate. In Atlanta, the average electricity rate is around 9.4 cents/kWh. 699 x $.094= $65.71 So, for a 3-ton air conditioner in Atlanta, a 17-SEER unit can save you around $66/year when compared to a 14-SEER unit.

Every energy-saving estimation has some built-in assumptions. You’re replacing both the outside unit and indoor air handler/blower. This is called a matched system and it’s the only way to get the advertised SEER ratings.what is dry mode on an ac unit Your home doesn’t have any major duct issues. hvac unit in carsThe air conditioner is only part of a system that includes your ductwork. how to service a split ac unitIf your current ducts are undersized or leaking, you won’t see a lot of actual savings from a more efficient AC. The air conditioners being quoted are the correct size for your home. If the air conditioners are too large or too small for your home, you won’t get the stated efficiency of the AC units. The air conditioners will be installed correctly.

If not installed correctly, the air conditioning system will lose efficiency. You will run your air conditioner about 1500 hours/year. This is pulled from the average for the Atlanta area given in the Department of Energy’s calculator. Contact Coolray for your AC needs Need a quote or second opinion on a new air conditioner in the Atlanta area, contact Coolray today. Join our email newsletter Get up-to-date current news, promotions and industry tips. Didn't find what you're looking for?Getting a new A/C and looking at different air conditioners? You already know that a higher SEER air conditioner is more efficient. But by how much? And is the difference worth it in the Phoenix area?In this article, we’ll show you how to estimate the energy savings between any 2 air conditioners with different SEER ratings (assuming all else is equal). And, for example purposes, we’ll be using 3-ton, 16-SEER and 14-SEER air conditioners because they are popular sizes and choices in the Phoenix area.

Determine each air conditioner’s estimated annual energy use with this equation: [(Size of A/C system x 12,000) / SEER] x 2100 = amount of Watt-hours used annually To better understand what’s happening here, let’s breakdown each step of this equation: Size of A/C system x 12,000 The first part of the equation is calculating the amount of cooling your air conditioner provides. 1 ton of cooling = 12,000 BTUs. (There’s a lot of history here if you’re curious). This is the capacity of your A/C system, much the same way the horsepower of a car tells you the capacity of the engine. Next, we need to calculate how efficiently your A/C system provides that capacity... Dividing the capacity by the air conditioner’s SEER gives you the approximate number of Watts the air conditioner uses per hour. You’ll now have the amount of energy your A/C uses per hour, which is similar to how the MPG of your car tells you how many miles you can go on one gallon of gas.

Now we simply multiply by the number of hours you’ll use your A/C... According to Energy.gov’s calculator the average Phoenix-area home uses their air conditioner for about 2100 hours per year. = amount of Watt-hours used annually You’ll now have the estimated amount of energy (measured in Watt-hours) that the A/C will use in a year. So for our 3-ton example air conditioners, we get: [(3x12,000)/14]x2100=5,400,000 Watt-hours (rounded to nearest thousand) Now that we know approximately how much energy each of our air conditioners will use, we need to find the difference between them. This is simple subtraction: Energy use of 14-SEER - Energy use of 16-SEER = Energy savings of higher unit In our example, the difference is 675,000 Watt-hours, annually. Now we simply need to calculate the actual amount of money this number equates to. Your electric company (either APS or SRP) charges you per kWh, or kilowatt-hour. To convert the Watt-hours to kWh, you divide by 1000.

So our example is 675,000 Watts/hour / 1000 = 675 kWh. Now to get the estimated annual energy savings, you just multiply by the rate your utility company charges. The average electrical rate in the Phoenix area is around 12 cents per kWh. So a 3-ton, 16-SEER unit in Phoenix saves you about $81/year (675 x $0.12) in electricity costs over a 14-SEER unit. Well, it will depend on 2 things: So, if in our example the 16-SEER air conditioner was going to cost $900 more and you only planned on being in your home 5 more years, you likely won’t see the payoff ($81 x 5 years = $405). But if you plan on living in your home for the full 15 years of the air conditioner’s life, you will see some overall savings ($81 x 15 = $1215). And don’t forget: when calculating the difference between the 2 systems, a 16-SEER+ air conditioner can qualify for the $300 energy efficient tax credit. Get a free quote on a new air conditioner for your Phoenix-area home from George Brazil.