Use SEER to find the Most Efficient Air Conditioner

SEER – Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio

When purchasing a new air conditioning unit, one of the most common desires is to have a system that operates efficiently. To find the most efficient air conditioner, you need only look at one number, the SEER or Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio.

SEER is measured by dividing the total cooling energy required for the cooling season by the total electrical energy required for that season. This means that the SEER is the ratio of cooling capacity in an air conditioning unit to how much power is inputted. This is calculated to inform you on how efficiently your air conditioning unit will run throughout the season.

Essentially, you are looking for a higher number – the higher the number, the more efficient your unit. The more efficient your unit, the less energy it will use. Therefore, you save money on your energy bills and leave a smaller carbon footprint on the environment. You’ll find that if you currently have an air conditioning unit that is more than ten years old, its SEER number is much lower than a lot of units on the market today.

Similarly, in regards to your furnace, the Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency (or AFUE) is used to measure the efficiency of your unit. It is calculated by comparing the annual heat output to the annual fossil fuel energy consumed by the furnace. Upgrading to a furnace with DC motor and a higher (AFUE) will decrease not only your natural gas costs but your hydro costs as well.  A DC motor will also raise the SEER rating of your air conditioner as well.

It comes down to understanding the efficiency of your air conditioning unit and your furnace through SEER and AFUE, and determining the most efficient unit that fits your needs.

The highest SEER isn’t always the best fit for any particular home. We recommend you speak to an HVAC professional regarding the best fit for your home, because a system that it is not sized correctly can cause short-cycling or non-stop operation. Both of those can make your system vulnerable to breakdowns and overall less efficient. With hydro costs increasing daily improving your equipment is a way to minimize costs and improve performance.

Click here to contact us with any questions about SEER or AFUE, a quote on a new system or for service on your current air conditioner or heating unit.

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HAMCO Heating & Cooling
4.8
Based on 536 reviews
Nelo Chuka
Nelo Chuka
19:28 11 Apr 25
Christian, very pleasant young man, very professional. Job well done. Knows his job well.
Bob M
Bob M
15:29 08 Apr 25
The best service experience we strongly recommend them for Heating and Cooling services. The service person was professional, efficient, arrived on time and completed our... boiler service perfectly at the quoted cost. We are new customers and HAMCO will always be our first choice!read more
Subhas Ganguli
Subhas Ganguli
16:29 24 Mar 25
They did a lovely job servicing our furnace in March 2025. Ainslea was very neat and left the place spick and span. Our dog also thought she was a blast.
Alicia New
Alicia New
15:25 18 Mar 25
We can't say enough good things about our experience with Hamco. Andrew was so great to deal with and checked in about our satisfaction regularly. Najim and his team worked... so hard and efficiently to get our gas fireplace installed and also to put a new vent in our chimney. He communicated well and checked in regularly to make sure we were happy with his work. Varonika was also very helpful in problem solving and coming up with solutions for us to make our fireplace looked way better. Her attention to detail was very impressive.We experienced a massive flood last July and have had many workers into our home. Hamco has been the most professional, efficient and kind. Our fire place looks and works great. Thank you Hamco!read more
Mike Johnston
Mike Johnston
16:51 17 Mar 25
Fast, efficient, and friendly ! Many thanks to Josh and Shemar for a great job this morning installing the new water heater.
Shannon Knutson
Shannon Knutson
12:56 15 Mar 25
Ainslie is knowledgeable and patient and we loved having her here to service our furnace and humidifier. She answered our questions and made the process super easy and... comfortable.read more
Joni Beintema
Joni Beintema
16:17 03 Mar 25
Thanks HAMCO for servicing my furnace for its regular maintenance check up. Ainsley the technician was professional and friendly. She did a thorough job in a timely manner.
Ron Mellish
Ron Mellish
00:01 28 Feb 25
I called Hamco to learn more about a humidifier for my furnace. Hamco installed two HVAC systems in my home over the past many years...great service and price...no need to... shop around. Tech Najim installed the humidifier this afternoon. Enjoyed speaking with him as he worked. He explained what he was doing, answered my questions professionally. Neat work and cleanup. I highly recommend Hamco staff who responded to my questions and Tech Najim who installed the product. Thank you.read more
Sarah E
Sarah E
17:50 20 Feb 25
After a bad experience with another HVAC company can’t sing the praises enough of HAMCO. Will be continuing to use there services moving forward. Thanks to the HAMCO team for... the advice and excellent work!read more
Janette Thompson
Janette Thompson
14:37 27 Jan 25
We were recently faced with our 17-year-old furnace breaking down and beyond repair. Despite the extremely cold weather that resulted in a larger number of service needs for... Hamco, Najim met with us in just over 24 hours, spent time accessing and explaining the situation and offering the best options for the needed replacement. He worked to get us up and running quickly with a Saturday install and left us with a space heater to ease discomfort overnight. He was personable, knowledgeable and took time to ensure we were happy with the decision we made. It wasn't an expense we had planned for but Najim eased the situation with his excellent customer service. He was happy to answer any questions we had and worked to ensure we got the best price and service possible. Veronika and Shemar arrived early the next day to replace our furnace with a new Daikin. They were also personable, professional and efficient. We feel fortunate to have Hamco to count on with HVAC needs. They have a great team of people who also seem to greatly appreciate how they are respected and treated by the company. It's wonderful to have a local family-owned business providing excellent service. We've been with Hamco (initial installs and service plans) for 17 years and plan to continue with them as needs arise.read more
dolly visockis-bruyn
dolly visockis-bruyn
19:58 24 Jan 25
great staff Christian and Ainslea I give them a10++++ very informative polite and knowledgeable answered all questions and did a great repair job
Luke L
Luke L
14:27 24 Jan 25
I had some fernace issues during the cold snap. Christian from Hamco showed up the same day to service. He was super informative and helpful. Would definitely use Hamco and... Christian again for any HVAC needs.read more
bruce hoyle
bruce hoyle
20:26 22 Jan 25
I called Hamco and Christian showed up the same afternoon. Took care of everything and recommended protection plan, which I bought. I have been relying on Hamco for many... years because of expert technicians like Christian who work quickly, competently and who explain what is going on.read more
K Hartford
K Hartford
20:57 09 Jan 25
HAMCO does my furnace/AC annual maintenance. Also diagnosed and replaced our furnace humidifier, which had begun leaking. Karim is knowledgeable , friendly, and professional.... Great service, very pleased!read more
Joel Sandink
Joel Sandink
13:41 03 Jan 25
Our furnace died on us on one of the coldest nights of the year at the start of the christmas holidays. We immediately started looking around for a new furnace and settled on... Hamco for a few reasons. First off the original furnace which had lasted 50 years was installed by them and with that track record they seemed like a good choice. 2nd Jim the sales person was great at understanding what we needed, helping us figure out what furnace was the best fit for our needs and even provided us with an extra heater till the new furnace was installed. 3rd The install team of Josh and Nick got the job done efficiently and explained everything to us. The furnace was working that day and was much more efficient then our old furnace.read more
Bonnie King
Bonnie King
22:48 21 Dec 24
Najim was very knowledgable and he quickly diagnosed a serious problem with our furnace. He reinstalled the venting, put in a new motor and thermostat. He was very... efficient, polite and our furnace is working perfectly again! I highly recommend HAMCO and technician Najim and will definitely call them for future service needs. Thanks!read more
N Al
N Al
22:00 12 Dec 24
Today I received maintenance service form Najim. Next time when I need service definitely I'll ask for Najim. Najim is an expert in his field, his work was excellent, he... answered and explained everything thoroughly. On top of all he was very friendly with a great personality.read more
Ronald Castellani
Ronald Castellani
21:26 12 Dec 24
The repair by Najim for Hamco was timely, and worked perfectly. Thanx.
Aurelia Shaw
Aurelia Shaw
21:14 22 Nov 24
We've received good service from Hamco for many years. Today a new service person named Najim arrived to do the regular maintenance on our furnace. He was thorough, friendly,... answered our questions clearly and made sure we understood how everything had been updated. I have no difficulty recommending this company.read more
Danielle Drake
Danielle Drake
14:08 13 Nov 24
When our AC stopped working this summer, we were so thankful to receive professional and friendly service from Hamco. Mike was quickly able to identify the issue and had... parts on hand to get it fixed the same day!read more
A Marini
A Marini
01:19 08 Nov 24
Thanks to Nolan T. for doing such a great job on our annual furnace maintenance! See you soon!
Omar Atiyeh
Omar Atiyeh
18:59 31 Oct 24
Hamco is an amazing family run business that have all the expertise you'll need!! If you're looking to upgrade, repair or maintain your residential and/or commercial HVAC... equipment, they're your top choice in Hamilton and surrounding area!read more
Karin Griffin
Karin Griffin
01:22 24 Oct 24
Nolan is our usual tech for anything AC/furnace! Very professional, always able to answer any questions/concerns and quick to come and help when we need him!
Taylor Who
Taylor Who
21:28 22 Oct 24
I recently had my furnace serviced and the technician, Mike K. was incredibly polite, informative and efficient. I will definitely be using Hamco again when needed in the... future because of the great service and will definitely be suggesting Hamco to my friends and family needing service!read more
Kyle Maloney
Kyle Maloney
20:27 22 Oct 24
Had Nolan come and install my new AC unit. Did a great job, showed me how everything works.
James Jennings
James Jennings
20:05 22 Oct 24
Mike the Hamco Boiler & HVAC technician was excellent: effective in reolving our issue, and did it very efficiently, politely, and professionally.
Evan Stott
Evan Stott
18:18 22 Oct 24
Mike Kawa is the best technician I have ever had the pleasure of working with
E C
E C
17:12 22 Oct 24
Just had my houses heating repaired, it was timely, extremely well managed and very thorough, the serviceman Mike Kawa even went through the trouble of explaining what went... wrong with it and how to avoid it in the future. 100% will be recommending Hamco to my friends and family and even coworkers. Very impressed!read more
Brittany Provenzano
Brittany Provenzano
14:42 22 Oct 24
We had a couple issues with our air conditioning unit this summer as it's getting old. Our technician Mike was so helpful and got it working fast! My family was so happy we... didn't have to go long without it. Friendly and efficient service.read more
Madison Rogers
Madison Rogers
14:29 22 Oct 24
I had a speedy and fantastic experience with hamco. Mike k helped with my furnace and gave me honest, unbiased advice. Highly recommend I won’t go anywhere else!
rolfe baltzer
rolfe baltzer
15:42 21 Oct 24
Najim serviced my furnace professionally and was friendly. They cleaned and did a safety check at good value! I will use them again.
Knollis Johnson
Knollis Johnson
18:56 19 Oct 24
The agent from HAMCO arrived with the suggested window. Najim, the technician, quickly diagnosed and resolved the issue. He also provided useful information about the state... of my furnace and air-conditioner.read more
Peter Billings
Peter Billings
20:03 18 Oct 24
Najim, from Hamco provided great service , was on time and able to complete the gas valve replacement on my 16 yr old furnace within 3 days of initial visit. I highly... recommend Hamco for Heating and cooling services in the greater Hamilton area.read more
Tara Smith
Tara Smith
18:40 16 Oct 24
We had Hamco come for a service check for our boiler, and Mike K. Our technician was great. He explained what the issues were and what needed to be done to fix them.
EBJ
EBJ
00:14 16 Oct 24
Recently called Hamco for an emergency with our heating system. Our tech Mike was there in record time and had us up and running in no time. He was polite and efficient and... we will definitely be calling again!read more
Dahyabhai Patel
Dahyabhai Patel
00:14 10 Oct 24
Great to work with - thank you!
Alexandra Porter
Alexandra Porter
17:19 04 Oct 24
We had Nolan as our technician and we were very pleased. Very kind and knowledgeable! We highly recommend him and Hamco
Melissa Jones
Melissa Jones
17:06 04 Oct 24
Nolan was our service person and he was very polite and prompt. I hope we always have him as our service person. He was such a pleasure to deal with and so knowledgeable!
kim jones
kim jones
16:51 04 Oct 24
I recently needed some help and the technician who came was great. He explained everything that he was doing, even gave me some tips to be more efficient. These kinds of... calls always make me anxious, worrying about how much the bill will be? Will I get a good technician who is honest and knows what he/she is doing? All went well and I want to thank Nolan T. for his professionalism and easy-going manner. Thanks Nolan and thanks Hamco!read more
P B
P B
01:51 04 Oct 24
I recently had Mike from Hamco perform my annual maintenance and I’m extremely satisfied with the experience. From the moment he arrived, he was friendly, professional, and... clearly very knowledgeable about heating systems. Mike took the time to explain everything he was doing and offered useful tips to help me maintain the furnace through the colder months. His thorough work gave me confidence that my furnace is in great shape for the winter. Mike is definitely a valuable member of the Hamco team, and I’ll be requesting him for future service! Thank you Hamcoread more
Bri Chernesky
Bri Chernesky
18:54 03 Oct 24
Had maintenance done on my ac and furnace and mike was very helpful and informative. Very pleased with the service and will use hamco again in the future.
joel dixon
joel dixon
18:33 03 Oct 24
Had our annual maintenance done, quick, affordable, and mike was a great technician for them to send, highly reccommend hamco!
Jacob Bakalar
Jacob Bakalar
15:58 03 Oct 24
Hamco is great !!I had mike come out for a service call and he was super helpful
carmella dorsay
carmella dorsay
15:35 03 Oct 24
We had Mike Kawa from Hamco service our furnace and air conditioner. We were more than pleased. Well spoken, polite, courteous young man. He was very informative and... knowledgeable! We will definitely be recommending and using your company again!!Marco and Carm Tesolinread more
Daniel
Daniel
15:08 03 Oct 24
We had Hamco come in and service my father's furnace. The technician that showed up, Mike, was extremely professional, knowledgable and talked through the issue with myself... and my father. He showed up on time and aware of the work needed to be completed. The price was very reasonable compared to quotes we had received from other places. I have already recommended Hamco to all my friends and family.read more
Ritchie Taylor
Ritchie Taylor
15:02 03 Oct 24
Mike serviced my system some time ago and gave fantastic service. Will be requesting him every time!
Justine Jones
Justine Jones
19:29 01 Oct 24
Great service. Nolan is a wonderful technician. Highly recommend
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