Saturday, January 07, 2006
New rules for ACs kick in midwinter
A new standard for energy efficiency kicks in Jan. 23, but that's not a deadline for home units to be replaced.
The latest from The Ticker blog
On steamy summer nights without a tease of breeze, many residents of Southwest Virginia, if forced to choose between their central air conditioning and the family dog, would send the pooch packing.
But it's a safe bet many of these same slaves to coolant and coils have nary a clue about a new energy efficiency standard and a looming deadline. The standard could eventually affect both their air conditioning systems and their pocketbooks. The standard is 13 SEER, where SEER refers to "seasonal energy efficiency rating," and the deadline is Jan. 23.
But homeowners need not panic. The key phrase in the preceding paragraph is "could eventually affect." Although manufacturers of central air conditioning and heat pump systems, their dealers and many builders and contractors have already reacted to the standard and the approaching deadline, most homeowners have not. And most won't need to, either, probably, for the near future.
But Chris Kielich, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Department of Energy, said it's important for homeowners to educate themselves about 13 SEER, especially if they are on the cusp of having to replace an air conditioning system anyway. She emphasized that the new standard does not require homeowners to immediately upgrade or replace existing central air conditioners or heat pumps.
"Apparently, in some Southern states, unscrupulous contractors are telling homeowners they have to do something because of the Jan. 23 deadline, and it's just not true," she said.
That deadline is tied to manufacturing. All central air conditioning systems and heat pumps manufactured on or after Jan. 23 must have an energy efficiency rating of at least 13 SEER. The new standard will offer a 30 percent gain in energy efficiency from the previous 10 SEER standard.
The good news for homeowners and the planet is that the 13 SEER standard should cut energy consumption and costs, with the potential for significant savings over time.
The bad news might include extra initial expense for the 13 SEER units and an increase in size of the units that could challenge both new installations and replacements and thereby increase labor costs. And both outdoor and indoor units will need replacing at the same time to achieve the required efficiency rating.
Mark Skaer, senior editor for Air Conditioning, Heating & Refrigeration News, has written that heating, ventilation and air conditioning contractors should "start thinking two-man crews" for installing the larger and heavier outdoor units.
In a column written Sept. 5, Skaer noted he'd heard of at least one contractor who needed a crane to lift a 13 SEER unit over a homeowner's fence.
Ron Revia is manager for Virginia Air Distributors' Roanoke branch, which is a wholesale distributor for York air conditioning and heat pump products in Roanoke.
Revia said one York 10 SEER model weighs 157 pounds and that a 13 SEER unit with comparable cooling capacity weighs 208 pounds.
The 13 SEER units are larger and heavier because to achieve greater efficiency most manufacturers have added surface area to the condensing coil in the outdoor unit.
Revia said some HVAC contractors have discovered the 13 SEER units won't fit into their service vans.
Builders, dealers and contractors in the know have been buying up the 10 SEER and 12 SEER units still on the market. These systems can be sold until they're sold out, but no more can be manufactured after Jan. 23.
Brandon Evans is product manager for Southern Refrigeration, a wholesale distributor of Heil brand heating and air conditioning products. He said Southern Refrigeration has felt the impact of the new standard and Jan. 23 deadline.
"The request for 10 SEER equipment, as well as 12 SEER equipment, has definitely spiked due to the upcoming deadline," Evans said. "This spike has happened on all levels of our industry from wholesalers like Southern Refrigeration to commercial and residential contractors. We have purchased and stockpiled many, many, many 10 and 12 SEER units to meet the continuing demand before the changes are in place."
Revia said an anxious builder recently phoned and asked whether Virginia Air Distributors could save a 10 SEER system for him.
The builder was constructing a home whose design featured an alcove sized for a 10 SEER unit, said Revia, and a 13 SEER unit would not fit.
Evans attributed the spike in demand to the difference in price for the newer, higher-efficiency equipment.
But neither wholesale distributors nor contractors interviewed for this story wanted to cite specific price comparisons -- primarily because contractors range in prices charged and competency and, as one said, "there is no typical installation."
Revia suggested the price difference might mirror the efficiency difference.
In other words, units that promise a 30 percent gain in efficiency might cost about 30 percent more. But installation challenges could increase labor costs, he said, for the 13 SEER units.
One person familiar with the industry and local pricing suggested the following estimate for an uncomplicated, new construction installation: 10 SEER system, about $4,000; 13 SEER system, $4,800 to $5,000.
But Revia, Evans, Kielich and many others emphasize homeowners will save money over time with a more energy-efficient system, one that requires less energy to achieve similar cooling results.
Ralph Meador of Meador Plumbing, Heating and Air Conditioning said he's hungry for more information about the 13 SEER units and is pretty sure many homeowners know a lot less.
"Most of them don't know anything about it," said Meador, who has some concerns the 13 SEER units might not control humidity as well as 10 SEER units.
In an e-mail Friday, Skaer wrote, "I venture to guess that the majority of U.S. homeowners do not have a clue as to this new standard."
