How/where to check Air Conditioner for SEER and if it's 1 ton or....

HU-38356143

last year

How/where to check Air Conditioner unit for SEER and if it's 1 ton or 1/2 ton?

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Comments (6)

mike_home
last year
Get the model number off the name plate attached to the unit. This can be found on the outdoor condenser. The model number usually has a two digits within the model number to indicate the size. The two digits represents the number of BTUs (12,000 BTU = 1 ton) in thousands. Therefor 12 = 1 ton, 18 = 1.5 ton, etc. If you search brand name and model number you should be able to determine the approximate SEER rating.
sktn77a
last year
If it's a split system , I'm not aware of any 1 ton units. The smallest I know of is 1.5 ton. They typically are lower SEER units also.
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"He had the same conclusion as yours says it is short cycling due to leaking of freon." I did not say the short cycling could be due to a freon leak. I did say it could be due the condenser being increased in size. I don't understand how a loss of freon could cause a condenser to short cycle. Perhaps you misunderstood what the contractor said. But if he made that statement then my confidence in his ability continues to go down. What exactly was replaced? So far I know it was the condenser. I hope he replaced the coil in the attic. Was the furnace also replaced? What about the line set (the copper tubing running from the attic to the condenser outside}? Normally on an attic installation that is not replaced since it is running inside walls. The old line set can be reused but it must be flushed out properly. You can't mix the old and new refrigerants. But, if the condenser was increased in size, the line set may be too small (diameter) to work properly. This is another reason not to be increasing the size of the condenser. Has the contractor returned yet? If there were air flow problems while running the AC, then there will be air flow problems with the furnace. Those have to be fixed. Make sure the air flow works well in the spare bedroom. Just because you rarely use it does not mean it should not heat and cool properly. All bedroom vents should have approximately equal air flow. This should not be too difficult with the furnace installed in the attic.
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Comments (8)
I am confused as to what you currently have. You mentioned you an electric furnace and a heat pump. Then you talk about moving to propane instead of a heat pump. In your first post you said your current heat pump is 2 tons, but in a latter post you said it is 2.5 tons. It is hard to believe that you can increase your heat pump to 4 tons without increasing the main supply and return. Perhaps your duct work was originally the proper size, but someone install an undersized heat pump. If you want some advice, then please describe the size of your house, and exactly how you heat your house now. Heat pumps are sized by cooling loads and not heating. The winter design temperature for Columbus is 6F degrees, but it can drop to much lower temperatures. You need a properly sized heat pump with a back up heat source. That heat source could be electric heat strips or a propane furnace. If you post your electric rate and the price you pay for propane, a calculation can be done to compare the heating costs.
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Elmer J Fudd
last year
Mike's suggestion will get you there. Why do you have an interest in knowing?
HU-38356143
Original Author
last year
Thanks for the replies. I have an old unit (propane). I guess if part of it is outside and part is in the attic, I have a split-system?

The brand is Coleman Evcon Model No. BRCS018B, so I have a 1.5 ton unit? I couldn't find the SEER via search.

I am wondering how I can lower my energy bill N. Calif (PGE) that runs high in the summer. Trying to determine how efficient the unit is, and if it's feasible to run it off solar possibly. I search and see the tonnage size helps determine the number of solar panels? So, my 1.5 ton will need how many panels? And how much per panel, is what I'm ultimately trying to determine if it's worth changing... I look forward to any helpful replies/coments
mike_home
last year
I found this Coleman Data sheet. If I read this correctly the BRCS018B was rated for 10 SEER. The size is 1.5 tons. The condenser is old and not efficient. The size of the unit does determine the number of solar panels. If you are interested in solar energy you should talk to a company that would size the panel to power the house and understand how solar credits work with your utility company.

If you are planning to live in this house several more years you should start planning for a replacement. I suggest looking at AC systems which have a minimum of 15-16 SEER rating.
Elmer J Fudd
last year
last modified: last year
Are you located in an inland valley area? If propane is your heating source, and if you're not too high in the mountains, maybe you should think about getting a heat pump to replace the old AC system?

14 Seer is the minimum allowed in California. The cost savings in power usage between that and 16 SEER isn't going to make a big difference and may not warrant the additional purchase cost. As humidity is rarely a factor, a one stage unit is also usually quite satisfactory.

For solar panel sizing, the installing company will do that based on your past electricity bills (PG+E?) for the past few years.

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How/where to check Air Conditioner for SEER and if it's 1 ton or....

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mike_home

sktn77a

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How/where to check Air Conditioner for SEER and if it's 1 ton or....

Comments (6)

mike_home

sktn77a

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Elmer J Fudd

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mike_home

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