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Confused by the many terms and acronyms surrounding your cooling and heating comfort system?
This handy dictionary of terms will help you with what you need to know.
13 SEER
This is the minimum efficiency standard (effective January 2006) for an air conditioner or heat pump.
All new units must now meet this standard. Previously manufactured equipment may be used, sold, and installed.
Air Handling Unit
Equipment with a heating element and/or cooling coil and other components in a cabinet or casing.
Balancing or Air Balancing
Adjusting an air conditioning system so that the right amount of air is delivered to the right places in your
home in order to achieve the right heating or cooling effect.
BTU
British Thermal Unit, the measurement of heating and air conditioning capacity.
A BTU is the amount of heat that must be added to one pound of water to raise its temperature one degree Fahrenheit.
CFC
Chlorofluorocarbons, used as a refrigerant in air conditioners and heat pumps, linked to the depletion of the ozone layer.
Condenser (Heat Exchanger)
The outside unit of a heating or air conditioning system.
Here the refrigerant condenses from a gas to a liquid and hot or cold air from the building is released to the outside.
Dehumidifier
A device that removes excess moisture from the air.
Duct
Conduits used to carry air. They can be round or rectangular, sheet metal or fiberglass or vinyl tubes.
In air conditioning systems they carry air from the home to the air conditioning system or furnace and back to the home.
ENERGY STAR®
A government supported branding used to identify energy efficient products.
The branding was developed by the US Department of Energy and the US Environmental Protection Agency.
Fan Coil
A heating or cooling element made of pipe or tubing, usually with plates or fins.
Furnace
A self-contained heating unit that is designed to deliver heated air to a home.
HCFC
Hydrochlorofluorocarbons, used as a refrigerant in air conditioners and heat pumps.
Heat Pump
A single refrigeration system designed to provide both heating and cooling. Compare to a furnace and an air conditioner, separate units that only heat or cool.
HFC
Hydroflorocarbon, used as a refrigerant in air conditioners and heat pumps.
HSPF
Heating Seasonal Performance Factor, an equipment efficiency rating.
The higher the rating the more fuel efficient the equipment is.
Humidifier
A device that adds moisture to warm air for your home.
HVAC
Heating, ventilating, and air conditioning
IAQ
Indoor air quality
Latent Heat
The energy that suspends moisture vapor in the air.
Load Calculation
A mathematical determination of how much cooling and heating (BTUs) an HVAC system must deliver for occupant safety and comfort.
It is based on a variety of factors: square footage, building orientation, number of occupants, size and placement of rooms,
number and size of windows and doors, amount of insulation, number of floors, and climate.
Mold
A natural byproduct of the fungi family that thrives when organic substances and water combine under certain circumstances.
Mold reproduces via spores that can remain dormant, yet viable, for years. Some molds can cause health problems.
NATE
North American Technician Excellence, the nonprofit organization that tests and certifies HVACR technicians.
PMA or MA
Planned maintenance agreement, which provides regular maintenance of your HVAC system.
Many contractors offer PMAs, although they may use different names for them such as Planned Service Agreement, Energy Service Plan, etc.
R-22
A refrigerant containing chlorine used in air conditioning systems. The EPA has mandated that R-22 cannot be
manufactured after 2010 because it has been linked to the depletion of the ozone layer and global warming.
Most commonly referred to by its trademarked name, Freon.
R-410A
The refrigerant that replaces R-22. It does not contain chlorine and is not hazardous to the environment.
Refrigerant or Coolant
A fluid that absorbs heat at low temperatures and rejects heat at higher temperatures.
Refrigerant Charge (or, "charging the refrigerant")
The procedure an HVAC technician performs to ensure that the system has enough of the right kind refrigerant for peak operating performance.
Relative Humidity (RH)
The percent of moisture actually in the air compared to the maximum amount of moisture the air can hold at that temperature.
Return, Return Air, Return Side
The path the air takes to get to an air-handling unit or furnace so it can be cooled or heated. It is the "return" path.
The return side should be "balanced" with the supply side to ensure proper air flow and comfort.
SEER
Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio, an equipment efficiency rating that measures how much energy it takes to cool the air.
The higher the number the more efficient the unit.
Split System
A two-component heating and cooling (heat pump) or cooling only (air conditioner) system.
The condensing unit is installed outside, the air handling unit is installed inside (preferably in conditioned space).
Refrigerant lines and wiring connect them together.
Supply or Supply Side
The part of an HVAC system that takes (supplies) the conditioned air from the air-handling unit or furnace to your home.
The supply side should be "balanced" with the return side to ensure proper air flow and comfort.
Zones, Zoned System, Zoning
A single HVAC system that can meet different heating and cooling needs in different areas (zones).
Each zone of a home has its own thermostat with which it can regulate the temperature and humidity in its area.
One "zoned air conditioner" could be set for a high temperature in one zone and for a lower temperature in the other zone.
Zone systems have two or more zones.
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