Understanding A Few Air Conditioner Terms

If your air conditioner has recently died or if you want to finally upgrade to a central AC system, then you need to pick the unit that is right for your home. This can be a confusing task, especially if you are unfamiliar with air conditioners. When you go to choose your AC system, there are a few terms that you definitely should know. Keep reading to learn a little about them.

Tons

Some people think that the term ton refers to the weight of the AC unit. This is not the case. Ton is actually used as a measurement of cooling power when it comes to air conditioners. Specifically, a ton is equal to the number of Btus it takes to melt a one ton piece of ice in 24 hours. This measurement is 288,000 Btus. However, the Btu or ton measurement is defined as Btu energy within an hour. This is why you may see the ton per hour distinction listed when you go to look at air conditioning units. 

To convert to tons per hour, the 24 hour Btu measurement of 288,000 is divided by 24. This works out to be about 12,000 Btus, so a one ton unit would have the cooling capacity of 12,000 Btus. While this may not make a lot of sense in terms of cooling power, you need to remember that the measurement tells you how much cooling capacity to expect and there are a number of online guides that can help you figure out how much capacity you need for the size of your home. A two ton capacity unit will obviously be more powerful than a one ton AC unit. It will also be larger, heavier, and more expensive, so keep this in mind. 

Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER)

The SEER value for the AC system is something that you are likely to see buying an air conditioner, and this value can help you to determine how efficient the unit is. The SEER value tells you how the cooling system works over the course of an entire cooling season. Basically, it takes into account the system's ability to cool in both cooler and hotter parts of the year. This allows you to get a more practical picture of how the unit should work instead of merely how it functions when it is well over 90 degrees.

The SEER value is typically one that is specific to the climate zone that you live in. This means that the same unit may have a different SEER rating if you live in New York or in Florida. For more information, visit websites like http://calldoctorfixit.com.

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