What features to look out for if you’re interested in installing one in your home. In addition to the features we discussed in that post, one of the most important things you’ll want to consider is the heat pump’s efficiency rating. Heat pump efficiency ratings can get a little complicated, which is why we wanted to guide you through them and help you use the various ratings to choose a new unit.
Three important heat pump efficiency ratings
- SEER rating. A SEER rating is one of the two efficiency ratings that are given to heat pumps to describe their cooling efficiency. Sound familiar? That’s probably because a SEER rating is the same efficiency rating that’s given to central air conditioners. This number describes how efficiently a heat pump converts the energy it consumes into cool air for your home, measured over an average cooling season. When you’re choosing a heat pump, look for one with a SEER rating of at least 14.5 (the minimum required for the Energy Star label).
- EER rating. An EER rating is the second efficiency rating that’s used to describe the cooling efficiency of a heat pump. It is very similar to a SEER rating, except that it measures the performance of a heat pump in a controlled environment instead of over an average cooling season. When you’re choosing a heat pump, look for one with an EER rating of at least 12 (the minimum required for the Energy Star label).
- HSPF rating. Because heat pumps are used for both heating and cooling your home, they also come with an HSPF rating to describe their heating efficiency. Similar to a SEER rating, HSPF ratings measure how efficiently a heat pump converts the energy it consumes into heat for your home, measured over an average heating season. When you’re choosing a heat pump, look for one with an HSPF rating of at least 8.2 (the minimum required for the Energy Star label).
If you have any questions about heat pump efficiency ratings, or if you’d like a cooling system serviced or installed in your home, contact Jerry Kelly Heating & Air Conditioning, your St. Louis heat pump and air conditioning service company. We service the St. Louis area, including towns like Ladue, Lake St. Louis, and Manchester.
