DOE 2027 Efficiency Standards: What's Changing for HVAC and Water Heating
DOE 2027 Efficiency Standards: The 3 Changes That Affect Your Business
1. AC (California): SEER2 minimum moves from 14.3 to 15 for split systems. Equipment cost premium: ~12-18% over current minimum-efficiency units. Sell-through period for existing inventory — confirm timeline with your distributors.
2. Gas furnaces: AFUE 92% national minimum = condensing only. Requires PVC venting, condensate drain. Not a drop-in for existing AFUE 80% closet installations. Scope the job before you quote it.
3. Water heaters 51+ gallons: Heat pump water heaters effectively required. Space assessment (700-1,000 cu ft needed) is now part of the pre-sale process. Federal IRA credit (30%, up to $600) helps the customer economics.
Service and repair on existing equipment: completely unaffected. Full analysis: ServiceMag