Mark sold his 22 SEER unit on Facebook Marketplace at a loss. He replaced it with an 18 SEER / 12.5 HSPF cold-climate model. His summer bills rose $15/month. His winter bills dropped $400/month.
is a measure of cooling output divided by electric input over a typical summer. Higher SEER (16–20+) is great for hot climates like Florida or Texas. seer ratings for heat pumps
He called Dave. “You said 22 SEER! This thing is a fraud!” Mark sold his 22 SEER unit on Facebook Marketplace at a loss
The Martin’s 22 SEER unit had a terrible (Heating Seasonal Performance Factor)—only 8.2. It was a cooling machine that could sort-of heat. For Vermont winters, they needed a cold-climate heat pump with an HSPF above 10 and a low-temperature rating. SEER had nothing to do with it. Act III: The Neighbor’s Counter-Story Across the street lived the Chens. They’d installed a heat pump the same week. Their unit was only 18 SEER —four points lower than Mark’s. His winter bills dropped $400/month
The comment section was a graveyard of warnings they ignored. One friend wrote: “Wait til January.” January arrived with a polar vortex. The thermostat read 28°F outside. The heat pump, which worked so beautifully in summer, began to struggle.