New Air Conditioner Standards

To increase the energy efficiency of residential air conditioners, the Department of Energy has issued new standards that go into effect January 23, 2006.

Products manufactured as of January 23 will have to meet the new standards. The standards, however, will not require homeowners to change their existing central air conditioning units, nor will it mean that replacement parts and services will no longer be available for their home’s systems.

It’s true that air conditioners manufactured after January 23 must meet a higher minimum standard, achieving a Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER) of 13 or higher; the current standard is 10. (A SEER rating of 13 is 30 percent more efficient than 10.) The standard applies only to appliances manufactured after January 23, 2006.

Equipment with a rating less than 13 SEER manufactured before this date may still be sold and installed.

The average homeowner will remain unaffected by this standard change for some time to come.

The "lifespan" of a central air conditioner is about 15 to 20 years. Manufacturers typically continue to support existing equipment by making replacement parts available and honoring maintenance contracts after the new standard goes into effect. A change in the standard does not require replacement of equipment. Nor does a change in the standard mean that an existing system will be obsolete or impossible to maintain.