AFUE – Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency, a rating that reflects the efficiency of a gas furnace in converting fuel to energy. A rating of 80 means that approximately 80 percent of the fuel is utilized to provide warmth to the home, while the remaining 20 percent escapes as exhaust.
Air Balance – The ability for distribute air through a system to precisely match the required amount heating or cooling which provides proper comfort.
Air Duct Distribution System – See duct work
Air Handler – The mechanical fan portion of your heating and cooling system that forces air through your home’s air duct distribution system.
Blower – The same as an air handler. It is the fan that pushes air through the air ducting in the home or building.
BTU – British Thermal Unit. In scientific terms, it represents the amount of energy required to raise one pound of water one degree Fahrenheit. One BTU is the equivalent of the heat given off by a single wooden kitchen match. In a home, it represents the measure of heat given off when fuel is burned for heating and the measure of heat extracted from the home for cooling purposes.
Capacity – The capability of the mechanical equipment to heat or cool. Cooling and heating capacity are normally referred to in BTUs.
Carbon Monoxide – A colorless, odorless, poisonous gas produced when carbon or carbonaceous (oil and natural gas) fuels are incorrectly burnt. Often called the “Senseless Killer” because as humans, we can not sense it with our five senses”.
CFM (Cubic Feet Per Minute) – A unit of measurement critical to the overcall performance of a heating cooling system. Design is 400 CFM per ton of cooling. (Varies with heating) A typical 4 ton air conditioning system requires approximately 1600 CFM to deliver the required cooling requirements. Only a system that has been designed, installed and verified through proper testing and measurng after installation can truly have its true efficiency confirmed. Several studies show that more that half of air conditioning do not attain their performance capabilty.
Compressor – The heart of an air conditioning or heat pump system. It is part of the outdoor unit that pumps refrigerant. The compressor maintains adequate pressure to cause refrigerant to flow in sufficient quantities in order to meet the cooling requirements of the system.
Condenser Coil or Outdoor Coil – Located in the outdoor unit, the coil dissipates heat from the refrigerant, changing the refrigerant from vapor to liquid.
Condenser Fan – A fan used to move air through air-cooled condenser coil of the outdoor unit.
Condensing unit – The outdoor portion of a heat pump or air conditioning unit which includes the condenser coil, compressor, condenser fan motor and so forth. It is a refrigerating mechanism which pumps vaporized refrigerant from the evaporator, compresses it, liquefies it in the condenser, and returns it to the metering device.
Damper – Found in ductwork, this movable (manual or automatic) plate opens and closes to control airflow. Dampers are used effectively regulate airflow to certain rooms, thus giving a more even temperture throughtour the home or building. Automatic dampers are used by zoning systems.
Dehumidify – the process of removing moisture from the air to provide proper comfort.
Downflow Furnace – A furnace that pulls in return air from the top and expels warm air at the bottom
Duct Work – Pipes or channels that carry air throughout your home or office. Can be made of several types of material. Many homes and buildings approved before 1978 contained asbestos ducting, insulation and insulators.
Effective Efficiency – The actual performance of a system compared to it potential or design, given as a percentage. A typical 3 ton air conditioning system rated at 36,000 Btu’s (of cooling) performing at 25,200 Btu’s has an effective efficiency of 70%. In other words, it is performing at a 70% efficiency level. What does that mean to its S.E.E.R.? Basically, a 13 S.E.E.R. system (what its efficiency can be) performing at a 70% Effective Efficiency would have only be have a true SEER of 9.1
Evaporator Coil – The coil that is inside your house in a split system. In the evaporator, refrigerant evaporates and absorbs heat from air passed over the coil
Expansion Valve – Is one type of metering device in refrigerating system, which reduces the pressure from the high side to the low side and is operated by pressure
Heat Exchanger – A device for the transfer of heat energy from the source to the conveying medium. The most common here in California is in gas furances.
Horizontal Furnace – A furnace that lies on its side, pulling in return air from one side and expelling warm air from the other.
Humidifier – A device that injects water vapor into heated air as the air is expelled from the furnace. Humidifiers help provide comfort to our homes or businesses by keeping indoor air relative humidity at 40-50%. This prevents our skin and household furnishings from drying out and cracking. It also reduces static electricty.
Humidity – The amount of moisture in the air. Air conditioners remove excess moisture for added comfort.
HVAC – Means heating, ventilation and air conditioning.
Packaged System – A piece of air conditioning and heating equipment in which all components are located in one cabinet. Used occasionally in residential applications, the packaged unit is installed either beside or on top of the home. Very common in lighte commercial buildings.
Refrigerant – A substance that produces a refrigerating effect while expanding or vaporizing. Refrigerant 22 (Freon) and Refrigerant 410 (Puron) are the two most common. Government regulations will start phasing out the use of R-22 in 2010.
Refrigerant Lines – Set of two copper lines connecting the outdoor unit and the indoor unit.
SEER – Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio, a rating that measures the cooling efficiency of a heat pump or air conditioner. The higher the number, the more efficient the unit. Similiar to MPG ratings for cars.
Split System – Refers to a comfort system configuration consisting of components in two locations. Common examples include an outside unit, such as an air conditioner (the outdoor unit), and an indoor unit, such as a furnace and coil.
Reversing Valve – A device in a heat pump that reverses the flow of refrigerant as the system is switched from cooling to heating.
Thermostat – A temperature control device, typically found on a wall inside homes. It consists of a series of sensors and relays that monitor and control the functions of a heating and cooling system. Programmable thermostats allow you to program different levels of comfort for different times of the day.
Ton – A unit of measurement used for determining cooling capacity. One ton is the equivalent of 12,000 BTUs per hour.
Upflow Furnace – A furnace that pulls return air in from the bottom and expels warm air from the top.
Zoning – A method of dividing a home or office into zones, which enables you to control the amount of comfort provided to each. A zone could be a room, the upstairs or downstairs area. Zonning is very popular and will increase system efficiency, more even temperture and comfort.