New HVAC Efficiency Requirement
 

If you are in the process of replacing your HVAC system this month, you should know that a new Federal law will go into effect in January in the southern states to increase the minimum efficiency requirement from an SEER of 13 to 14. So, if you have a contractor who wants to sell you an SEER 13 unit in December, I suggest that you either get a huge discount on the unit, or require the contractor to install an SEER 14 unit. Contractors who have SEER 13 units in stock will not be able to install them after December 31. Personally, I would buy the SEER 14 unit. This efficiency requirement applies to the condenser unit located on the outside of your house.

Most units are already SEER 14. The increased efficiency requirement was published a few years ago in the Federal Register, where new regulations are published. In other words the industry is not 'suprized' by the requirements.

BTW SEER stands for Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio. Or how many BTUs per watt. So SEER 10 to 11 was a 10% bump while 13 to 14 is a 7.7% bump.

This is a simplification of how it is measured to demonstrate the concept.

You mean there aren’t HVAC contractors with 13 SEER units, ready to give them away this month? Imagine that.

No, but there may be contractors who bought some SEER 13 units cheap, and will be happy to sell them at full price to homeowners who don't know the difference. Note that the SEER 13 units will still be legal in some northern states, but, they will be illegal in Florida.

My unit that came with the house is a SEER 15 it was installed in 2009. What is the typical install now?