Glossary

What is a B.T.U.?

Air conditioner sizes (or capacities) are rated in BTUs per hour. The abbreviation BTU stands for British Thermal Unit. It measures the quantity of heat required to raise the temperature of one pound of water one degree Fahrenheit at sea level. BTUs are the primary measurement used to match your cooling needs with an air conditioner.

What is an Energy Efficiency Ratio (EER)?

Energy Efficiency ratings measure the amount of electricity required by an air conditioning unit to provide the desired cooling level in BTUs. The higher an EER, the more energy efficient a unit is. Federal law requires that all manufacturers display the EERs of each of their units on yellow tags so that consumers can easily compare the energy efficiency of the models they are considering. Friedrich models have some of the highest EERs in the industry.

What is the difference between EER and SEER?

While EER and SEER are both measurements of energy consumed by an air conditioner there are some significant differences.

EER (energy efficiency ratio) is a measure of how efficiently a cooling system will operate when the indoor and outdoor temperatures are at a specific level (usually 80° F and 95° F respectively). A higher EER means the system is more energy efficient, i.e. drawing less watts to operate at a given cooling capacity.

EER is associated with demand (or peak) operating conditions.

EER = BTU/HR of Cooling Capacity / System Input Watts.

All air conditioning units are tested under the above specified levels in a controlled laboratory condition to determine the systems EER rating. Use of EER as an industry standard is an attempt to monitor continued improvement in demand performance. EER is also recognized by the DOE (U.S. Department of Energy) as the preferred certified measurement for room air conditioners, PTAC units, TTW units, portable ACs and VPAK units. These products are governed under EPAct. EPAct rates efficiencies in EER and COP (coefficient of performance) as opposed to SEER and HSPF.

What is the ENERGY STAR® program?

ENERGY STAR is a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy helping us all save money and protect the environment through energy efficient products and practices. Air conditioners can earn the ENERGY STAR label by meeting the energy efficiency requirements set forth in ENERGY STAR specifications, which requires that a unit be at least 10% more efficient than non-qualified models. Friedrich is proud to offer more than 30 ENERGY STAR qualified models.

How do you pronounce Friedrich?

The German name "Friedrich" is pronounced free-dreech, but the "ch" doesn't make a "k" sound, it sounds more like the hiss of a cat. Some folks used to pronounce the name just like you were saying "Fredrick" or "Frederick," and others used the correct German pronunciation. For the record, we're going with a customized version that's pronounced free-drick.