Home » The 4 HVAC Ratings Every Homeowner Needs To Know

The 4 HVAC Ratings Every Homeowner Needs To Know

Home comfort efficiency is incredibly valuable in saving you money and lowering your carbon footprint. Understanding how efficiency is rated in your HVAC (heating, ventilation air conditioning) system can be incredibly beneficial when upgrading your furnace or air conditioner for effective comparison. Martino HVAC believes in helping our customers make informed decisions about the products you purchase, so we’ve compiled a list of the 4 HVAC ratings every homeowner needs to know.

“AFUE” – Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency

This is how the fuel efficiency in furnaces is rated, but does not take into account the electrical energy needed to run the furnace’s fan, pump or the controls. The higher the AFUE rating, the more efficient the unit is, and this rating is displayed on your furnace’s EnerGuide label.

“MERV” – Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value

This is used to express an air filter’s efficiency at removing harmful pollutants and particles from the air. This rating measures the size of the particles the filter can remove (the smaller the better) compared to the amount of particles the filter can remove (the more the better). Essentially, the higher the MERV value, the more effective and efficient your air filter is.

“BTU” – British Thermal Unit

This is a popular way to measure heating and cooling equipment in regards to how much heat will be required to raise 1 pound of water by 1 degree in Fahrenheit. The higher your furnace’s BTU, the better heating capacity it will have.

“SEER” – Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating

Although summer has come and gone, this rating is invaluable for comparing air conditioner efficiency and definitely one of the 4 HVAC ratings homeowners must know. This rating is determined by the total cooling output in an average cooling season divided by the total electrical output in the same cooling season. SEER is also calculated in BTUs. The higher the SEER rating, the more efficient the unit.

Martino HVAC’s professionals are more than happy to guide you through our products and the installation services we offer. We carry a number of furnaces by Goodman, Daikin and Napoleon that can both fit your efficiency and budgeting needs. With our expertise and the 4 HVAC ratings you now know, we will help you find the most efficient models to help you save on expensive utilities in the coming months!