Ratings and Terms

General Industry Terms

HVAC Heating, ventilating and air conditioning. This term applies both to the heating and cooling industry and to the products they manufacture.
ARI Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute. A non-profit, voluntary organization comprised of HVAC manufacturers. ARI publishes standards for testing and rating heat pumps and air conditioners and ensures a level of quality within the industry.
DOE The Department of Energy. This is the federal agency that sets the HVAC industry efficiency standards.
BTU British Thermal Unit. This is the amount of heat that will raise or lower the temperature of one pound of water by one degree Fahrenheit.
Btuh British Thermal Units per Hour. A measure of heat transfer rate.
COP Coefficient of Performance. This is a measurement of comparison of a heat pump's heating capacity to the amount of electricity required to operate it. Since a heat pump is less efficient at lower outside temperatures, the COP falls as the temperature drops. To aid you in comparing efficiency, ARI provides the COP for two temperatures: 470 F and 170 F.
Ton A ton is 12,000 btus. A typical single family residence uses air conditioning or heat pumps ranging between two and five tons of capacity.
Watt (W) A unit of electrical power.
Kilowatt (kW) One thousand watts.
Kwh Kilowatt hour. A unit of electrical energy equal to the work done by one kilowatt acting for one hour.

What do all of Those Ratings and Terms Mean Anyway?

There is more to buying a heat pump or air conditioner than ratings. The quality of construction and materials used as well as the reliability of the manufacturer and installing contractor can ill affect your long-term satisfaction and comfort. Top quality, high efficiency equipment will cost more initially, but it will save you money on utility bills and service calls for years to come. Be sure to weigh all the factors before choosing your new system.

Comfort Systems

Heat pumps and air conditioner systems have an outdoor unit and an indoor unit. The outdoor unit is the actual heat pump or air conditioner. The indoor unit includes the coil or blower coil. Combinations of various units result in vastly different efficiency ratings. Most Popular Coil - A term meaning the highest sales volume indoor unit matched with the given outdoor unit. Sometimes, there are attempts to combine unrealistic indoor and outdoor equipment combinations to obtain a higher SEER. Ratings made in such a way may be simulated and unrealistic. Ratings obtained using the most popular coil, however, are attainable and closer to reality.

Aloha Aire offers a full line of top quality, high efficiency heat pumps and air conditioners to meet any comfort needs. If you are in the market for home comfort, give us a call today.

Efficiency Ratings

When discussing the ratings of your HVAC system, one important thing to remember is that individual pieces may be marked with one rating. However, after installation the piece does not actually perform at the stated efficiency. This is because the rating value on any individual piece signifies its maximum potential. What this means for the consumer is that while a contractor might say a system is a 16 seer, unless properly matched with all the appropriate components, it usually falls short. That is why Aloha Aire offers a third party rating certificate, listing all of the installed component's actual operating ratings on every Paradise Comfort System we sell. The bottom line is that if Aloha Aire provides you with a rating value for a part, we can back it up!

SEER
Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio. This is a system for rating the efficiency of cooling equipment. It is calculated by dividing the cooling capacity of a continuously operating air conditioner by the electric power input. The higher the SEER, the less your unit will cost to operate.

HSPF
Heating Seasonal Performance Factor. This measurement is similar to SEER, but it measures the efficiency of the heating portion of your heat pump. Like the SEER, HSPF industry minimums have risen in recent years. The current industry minimum is 6.80 HSPF with higher ranking models going up to 9.75 HSPF.

Sound Ratings

In recent years, HVAC equipment has not only gotten more energy efficient, it has gotten quieter. Although sound does not affect the efficiency of a unit, it can certainly affect your comfort. If your unit has a low sound level, you (and your neighbors) will hardly notice when it is operating.

db
Decibel. A term to describe the relative loudness of a sound. Typically, heat pumps and air conditioners are between the sound of a human voice (70 db) and a blender (88 db).

SRN
Sound Rating Number. A unit based on ARI tests. Average sound ratings range from 74 to 80 db. The lower the SRN rating, the quieter the unit.