Robbins Heating & Air Conditioning Blog : Archive for May, 2021

How High-Efficiency ACs Achieve High Efficiency

Monday, May 17th, 2021

air-conditioner-on-leavesHigh efficiency is a phrase tossed around plenty in the world of home services. People are often laser-focused on getting appliances labeled as “high-efficiency.” Thankfully, there are government regulations about efficiency that make it easier to identify when a product meets the criteria for improved energy consumption. For electrical products, this is the ENERGY STAR label, which is determined by the US Department of Energy.

But when we talk about high-efficiency air conditioners, we’re referring to appliances that go beyond the ENERGY STAR requirement. For a central AC to receive the ENERGY STAR label, it must have SEER (the standard efficiency rating for air conditioners and heat pumps) of 15 or more. But there are central ACs with SEER up to 25. In general, if an air conditioner has SEER greater than 18, it’s considered “high efficiency.” A standard for many high-efficiency systems is 20–22 SEER.

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Achoo! Allergy Season Is Here—We Can Help

Monday, May 3rd, 2021

blowing-noseThe arrival of warm weather in spring is a cause for celebration. But spring also brings with it a problem that can make life much less enjoyable for people in your household—allergies.

Spring is allergy season because the plant bloom that occurs during the first warm weather of the year releases large amounts of pollen into the air. The increased pollen count triggers seasonal allergies, known as hay fever (allergic rhinitis). Hay fever isn’t a viral infection, but its symptoms are similar to those of flus and colds, and can be just as unpleasant: runny nose, sneezing, itchy eyes, congestion, and sinus pain. And unlike fevers and colds, hay fever’s symptoms start immediately after a person is exposed to the allergens that trigger it.

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