[Energy Department Will Enforce 13 SEER Air Conditioner Standard - Press Release / DOE 2apr04]
This is a question about the SEER rating of a home central A/C unit that was recently installed.
The contract specified--and we paid $400 for the option--a Carrier Unit identified as model number 38TRA030 with a SEER rating of 13. This was a separate A/C unit in a house already efficiently heated with gas warmed water pipes.
But when the outside unit was unpacked to be installed, the label affixed to the packing box read, "Energy Guide: Based on standard U.S. Government tests, [this model has] 12 SEER."
On the manufacturer's Web site (www.residential.carrier.com/products/airconditioners/set_aircond.htm), the SEER rating for this model is also specified as 12 SEER.
I asked the installer how they could list the 12-SEER rated model 38TRA030 as a 13 SEER when the label on the package read "12 SEER," and the manufacturer's Web site listed the model as a 12 SEER.
There is a blurb oil the manufacturer's Web site that states, in part:
"This top design also allows us to use an energy-saving low-speed fan motor and fan to draw air across the unit's outdoor coil ... Enjoy the quiet comfort of your home knowing that your air conditioner is saving you money, too. The Silencer System does more than just keep sound to a minimum. It also helps the 38TRA work more efficiently to conserve electricity. Combine that performance with Carrier's economical scroll compressor, and you can cool your home at up to a remarkable 14 SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio) efficiency. Keep in mind that most older models are rated at about 8 SEER, and government minimum models are rated at 10 SEER, making the 38TRA an excellent choice at 12 SEER, earning it the EPA's Energy Star seal for high efficiency."
And indeed a PDF file on the web site indicates that when combined with the indoor unit 40FKA/FK4CNF002, the SEER's standard rating is 13.4.
But the language above suggests that you "can" or, to my reading, "may" reach a SEER up to 13.4, perhaps under the most optimal conditions.
Unless that peak of 13 SEER is absolutely consistent when the A/C function is in use, it is my understanding that the outdoor unit cannot be a SEER 13--i.e., it cannot be transmogrified into a 13 SEER unit unless it operates habitually with 13 SEER efficiency.
A unit that may reach a level of SEER efficiency often or frequently or sometimes is not the 13 SEER my wife paid for.
What is your opinion about the correctness of specifying as a 13 SEER A/C unit one that is rated as a 12 SEER, but that can perhaps reach an "effective" 13 level when coupled with a variable-speed indoor unit?
John Shepard
Herndon, Virginia
Senior Executive Editor Alan Meier replies:
FTC rules specifically allow manufacturers to label condensers with the rating of the most commonly sold coil/condenser combination OR the rating of the actual combination. It is possible in this case, that the label (12 SEER) reflects the most common combination but the 13 SEER information provided by the contractor reflects the actual combination installed.
Technical Editor Steve Greenberg adds:
SEER is determined from a standard test with standard conditions, and is a function of both the outdoor (condensing) unit and the size of the indoor coil. Furthermore, the type of Fan (variable or fixed speed) will affect the results. According to the Carrier Web site, this unit is rated at 13 SEER or above (meeting Energy Star efficiency specifications) only with a variable speed indoor fan. The DOE standard test procedure is listed in 10CFR430 Subpart B, Appendix M.
source: http://www.findarticles.com/cf_dls/m0KXA/6_20/110734073/p1/article.jhtml 4apr04
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source: http://hem.dis.anl.gov/eehem/ 4apr04
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