Your American Fork Heating and Cooling Experts
The federal minimum efficiency standards for new AC equipment changed in 2023, and they vary by region. Utah falls in the southern efficiency region, meaning new AC installations in Utah County must meet the 15 SEER2 minimum — not the 14 SEER2 that applies in northern states. Higher-efficiency equipment costs more upfront but reduces operating costs over the system's life. In American Fork's climate with its extended cooling season, the payback on higher SEER2 equipment comes faster than it would in a market with a shorter AC season.
Utah County's climate divides cleanly between heating and cooling seasons — cold winters that load furnaces for 4 to 5 months, and warm summers that put real demand on AC systems. Both systems fail most often at the start of the season they haven't run since the prior year.
American Fork sees approximately 1,230 cooling degree days in summer and 4,450 heating degree days in winter, with real seasonal demand on both systems. Utah County homes built around 1984 — the local median — are at the age where original HVAC equipment is entering the replacement planning window.