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Change to Air Conditioner Coil Ratings
OEM vs. ICM Coil Ratings
The Air-Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Institute recently announced that, effective July 15, 2009, coil-only ratings in the AHRI Directory of Certified Product Performance will be limited to coil-only ratings developed from system manufacturers' highest sales volume tested combinations (HSVTC) and cannot be more than six percent greater than the HSVTC.
Air conditioners maid of two main parts: the condenser located outside of the house and the evaporator located above the furnace inside the ductwork. The evaporator is often called the coil. SEER rating of an air conditioning unit is determined by the combination of the condenser and the coil.
Condensers are usually produced by OEMs. Coils can be made but OEMs and by ICMs - independent coil manufacturers. Up to July 15 the rules of the game were very different for OEMs and ICMs. While OEMs were required to do real life testing of the evaporator coils, ICMs could get away with computer simulation.
Since July 15 it no longer works. From no on computer simulations
Air conditioners maid of two main parts: the condenser located outside of the house and the evaporator located above the furnace inside the ductwork. The evaporator is often called the coil. SEER rating of an air conditioning unit is determined by the combination of the condenser and the coil.
Condensers are usually produced by OEMs. Coils can be made but OEMs and by ICMs - independent coil manufacturers. Up to July 15 the rules of the game were very different for OEMs and ICMs. While OEMs were required to do real life testing of the evaporator coils, ICMs could get away with computer simulation.
Since July 15 it no longer works. From no on computer simulations
can not get more than 6% above OEM's coils rating. This decision along with the ruling by NRC allowing to use matching combinations of the air conditioner and the furnace shift e
To Sum Up.
On one hand, we can no longer use ICM's coils to bring efficiency of an ordinary 13 SEER condensers to the Energy Star level. Getting rebates for an air conditioner based on its own merits has become more expensive since more expensive condensers has to be used to achieve Energy Star rating.
On the other hand, an air conditioner installed on the top of the furnace with ECM (DC, variable speed) motor can get a performance boost by 1 SEER. For example, a 14 SEER air conditioner may become a 15 SEER unit eligible for maximum rebates.
Ballance has shifted back toward replacing both the furnace and the air conditioner together which was the original goal of all rebate programs.
To Sum Up.
On one hand, we can no longer use ICM's coils to bring efficiency of an ordinary 13 SEER condensers to the Energy Star level. Getting rebates for an air conditioner based on its own merits has become more expensive since more expensive condensers has to be used to achieve Energy Star rating.
On the other hand, an air conditioner installed on the top of the furnace with ECM (DC, variable speed) motor can get a performance boost by 1 SEER. For example, a 14 SEER air conditioner may become a 15 SEER unit eligible for maximum rebates.
Ballance has shifted back toward replacing both the furnace and the air conditioner together which was the original goal of all rebate programs.
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