Air conditioning efficiency standards in the USA are set to undergo more changes in the coming years. On May 26, 2017, the Department of Energy (DOE) published a notice confirming an effective date of January 1, 2023 for the next set of energy conservation standards. All this being said, it is still possible to own an air conditioner with less than the minimum SEER rating. DLSC Series, Heat Pump, 2.5 Ton, 18 SEER, 1 Stage, R-410A, SL18XP1-030-230. Cat #: 12U08 Model/Part #: SL18XP1-030-230A01. This item has replacements. Click here to view replacements. Sign in to view pricing. Standard Shipping For availability, please enter your. IThoughtsX 5.18 macOS xyzu 9 Jan 2020 13:37 SOFTWARE » MAC Software. Language: Multilingual File size: 33 MB - Summarising. IThoughtsX enables you to. The 16 SEER saves $747.50 - $632.50 = $115.00 over the 14 SEER each year. Multiply these annual savings times your expected years of occupancy and you have a grand total over our 5-year assumption that equals $575.00 (5 X $115.00=$575.00. Seer rating can and will enhance Utility Rebates.
Pure efficiency, that’s what this post is about. Here arethe highest SEER central air conditioners in three groups – variable capacity,two-stage (2-stage) and one-stage (1-stage or single-stage).
How Efficient Should My AC Be?
Which is right for you? The hotter your climate, and/orthe more humid it is, the more efficient your AC should be in order to keepyour energy costs low.
Also, if the cost/climate equation isn’t as important to youas premium indoor comfort, then go with a variable capacity air conditioner or2-stage air conditioner based on your budget.
2020 Highest SEER ACs
Ithoughtsx 5 18 Seer Mini Split
The Highest SEER Rated Central Air Conditioners of 2020:
- Carrier Infinity 26 Greenspeed 24VNA6 – 26 SEER
- Bryant Evolution Extreme 186C – 26 SEER
- Lennox Signature Series XC25 – 26 SEER
- Daikin DX20VC – 24.5 SEER
- Trane XV20i TruComfort – 22 SEER
- York YXV 21 Variable Capacity – 21 SEER
- Lennox XC21 – 21 SEER
- Lennox SL18SC1 – 18.5 SEER
Highest SEER Rated Air Conditioners 2020
These air conditioners will keep your energy use lower than itsever been. We’ll talk about climate below, but you’re here to see the most efficientcentral air conditioners of 2020, so here they are.
Carrier Infinity 26 Greenspeed 24VNA6 Air Conditioner – 26 SEER
This variable capacity AC is new this year. However, in our opinion, Carrier is among the top handful of brands in terms of quality. Consumer Reports surveys of thousands of homeowners about AC reliability back that up.
This unit removes, according to Carrier, 4 times more humidity than a single-stage AC. We think that sounds about right. 3-4 times more. That makes it ideal for humid climates.
This unit gives you:
- 26 SEER efficiency
- Variable capacity cooling that keepstemperatures evenly balanced.
- Superior dehumidification produced bylonger, slower cycles allowing more moisture to be condensed out of the air asit passes over the cold indoor coil.
- A 10-year parts warranty. That’s averagefor the industry. What’s new is that Carrier has added a 10-year unit replacementwarranty. If the compressor or coil fails while under warranty, Carrier will giveyou a new condensing unit – the AC, in other words, not just the replacement part.
Bryant Evolution Extreme 186CAir Conditioner – 26 SEER
Did you know that Bryant andCarrier are identical brands? Carrier has owned the Bryant brand for decades.
In short, this unit is the same,all but the cabinet and logo badge, as the Carrier AC above.
Lennox Signature Series XC25 – 26 SEER
Lennox, top to bottom, has the most efficient lineup of air conditioners. Until the Carrier/Bryant models were introduced this year, this Lennox AC was the most efficient central air conditioner. In fact, it has topped our Most Efficient AC list going back to 2014.
Given this, it is odd that the Lennox models aren't on the list of Energy Star 2020 Most Efficient ACs. Perhaps Lennox did not submit the data? Who knows.
Now it is tied with the Carrier/Bryant model.
- 26 SEER Efficiency
- Variable capacity compressor performance forbetter temperature balance and dehumidification.
- Runs quieter than a 2-stage and 1-stagemodel because the compressor often runs at just 40-50%.
- 10-year parts warranty.
Daikin DX20VC Air Conditioner –24.5 SEER
Not familiar with Daikin? It’s aglobal HVAC giant, but it has only had a foot in the North American residentialHVAC market since 2012.
That’s the year that Daikin boughtGoodman and the Goodman-owned Amana brand. At first, Daikin just slapped aDaikin badge on Goodman equipment. However, in recent years, Daikin has uppedthe quality (and the cost) of its equipment.
Daikin was an original developer of variable speed/variable capacity compressors. It's explained briefly in this video.
By the way, Goodman is the brandthat first offered unit replacement warranties. Daikin kept the practicegoing. Today, many brands offer a replacement warranty of some length. Theseinclude Goodman, Amana, Daikin, Carrier, Bryant, Heil, Comfortmaker, Day &Night, Rheem, Ruud and others.
- 24.5 SEER Efficiency
- Variable capacity compressor – runs likeyour vehicle’s cruise control. The compressor speeds up or slows down in tinyincrements to keep temperature evenly balanced.
- 12-year parts warranty that includes a 12-yearreplacement warranty on the compressor. If it fails in the first dozenyears, Daikin will replace the whole unit, not just the compressor.
Trane XV20i TruComfort Air Conditioner – 22 SEER
Trane has never sought top spot on efficiency, but 22 SEERisn’t bad. This is a newer unit, and the reviews and ratings from independent homeownersto this point are excellent.
Trane ranks near the top in consumer satisfaction. It makesquality HVAC equipment built with proven parts like Copeland Scrollcompressors.
Ithoughtsx 5 18 Seer Air Conditioner
- 22 SEER efficiency
- Variable capacity performance, like allthose above.
- 10 year warranty on all parts – No unit replacementwarranty.
American Standard AccuComfort Platinum 20 Air Conditioner– 22 SEER
Ingersoll-Rand is a huge corporation that owns Trane and AmericanStandard. The American Standard Platinum 20 is identical to the Trane XV20i.Pricing is about the same too.
Why two identical brands?
Consolidation in the HVAC industry has gone on for decades.There are fewer independent brands with each merger. Brands buy other brands toown another “piece of the.”
Who is who? These brands are identical or nearly so,owned by the same parent company.
- Carrier and Bryant (Payne too, but Paynehas a limited lineup of air conditioners)
- Heil, Day & Night, Arcoaire,Comfortmaker, Keeprite and Tempstar (International Comfort Products, whichis owned by United Technologies Corporation. Until March 2020, UTC was also theparent company of Carrier)
- Trane and American Standard (Ingersoll-Rand)
- York, Luxaire, Coleman, Champion and Gibson(Johnson Controls)
- Maytag, Nu-Tone and Broan (Nortek/Nordyne)
- Rheem and Ruud (Pamona Industries)
- Lennox and Ducane (Lennox Int’l.)
- Armstrong Air, AirEase and Concord (AlliedAir Enterprises, a Lennox company but with a different product lineup)
That’s about it.
York YXV 21 Variable Capacity Air Conditioner – 21 SEER
York and the other Johnson Controls brands have improvedquality in recent years along with efficiency. It’s still rated in the middle,at best, and lower in many surveys such as Consumer Reports’ most recent surveyof homeowners.
In short, there are better options. But this one is quite efficient,and that’s the point.
- 21 SEER
- Variable capacity
- Lifetime compressor warranty, 10-year parts warrantyand 1-year labor warranty.
York is trying to overcome its poor reputation with theLifetime warranty. However, did you know that if the compressor fails, thelabor to replace it is only covered the first year? If it fails in year 2 andbeyond, the homeowner pays the labor charge – at that will be $600+.
That’s true of all HVAC warranties – labor is covered for0-3 years, depending on the brand and model. After that, the own pays. Forexample, York/Luxaire/Coleman offer Lifetime warranties on the compressor, butif the part fails when the unit is 10+ years old, you’d be better off, in ouropinion, of putting the money you’d pay for labor to replace the compressorinto a new unit (from another brand!)
Lennox XC21 Air Conditioner – 21 SEER
This unit made the list because of its high SEER rating but also because it is the highest SEER 2-stage air conditioner.
21 SEER
2-stage compressor that runs most of the time on thelower stage, which is 65% of capacity. This means quieter, longer cycles that doa better job removing humidity from the air.
10-year warranty on all parts.
Lennox SL18SC1 Air Conditioner – 18.5 SEER
This is the most efficient 1-stage air conditioner availabletoday.
- 18.5 SEER
- Single-stage: It runs “full-blast”whenever on. The upside is a lower cost. The downside is that it is noisierthan a unit running between 25% and 65% and that it doesn’t remove as muchhumidity.
- 10-year parts warranty.
Ithoughtsx 5 18 Seer Heat Pump
We’d choose this unit in a dry, hot climate like the Plainsand Southwest. It’s a great choice for those conditions.
More Resources on the Most Efficient Air Conditioners
We completed a similar guide called Most Energy Efficient Air Conditioners for 2020. It’s quite similar with some different information. We do both because some people search “highest SEER ACs” while others search “Most efficient ACs” for 2020.
We've also prepared a Central Air Conditioner Buying Guide. If you’d like more detail on how to choose the best unit for your home, the guide has comprehensive buying advice.