AFUE
Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency. The AFUE percentage tells you
how much energy is being converted to heat. The higher the number
the greater the efficiency.
Air
Handler
The portion of your heating and cooling system that forces air through
your home's ductwork.
BTU
British Thermal Units. The amount of heat it takes to raise one pound
of water one degree Fahrenheit. The higher the BTU rating, the larger
the heating capacity of the furnace or air conditioner.
Capacity
The ability of a heating or cooling system to heat or cool a given
amount of space. Heating is usually expressed in BTUs, cooling is
expressed in tons.
Compressor
The motor/pump that drives the air conditioning unit. It is responsible
for pumping refrigerant throughout the system.
Condenser
Coil
Part of the outdoor portion of a heating or cooling system, that releases
or collects heat from the outside air.
Damper
A valve or moveable plate used in ductwork that opens and closes to
control airflow. They are used to direct air to specific areas of
the home.
Downflow
A type of furnace that takes cool air from the top and blows warm
air to the bottom.
Ductwork
Hollow metal pipes used to transfer air throughout your house.
Electronic Air Cleaner
An electronic device that filters out particles and contaminants in
indoor air.
Evaporator Coil
Part of the heating or cooling system located indoors, that cools
and dehumidifies the air by converting liquid refrigerant into gas.
Also referred to as an indoor coil.
Gas/Electric
Package System
An outdoor unit that houses both the blower and coil components to
provide whole-home electric cooling and gas heating in one single
system.
Heat Exchanger
The major part of the furnace that transfers heat into your home.
Heat Pump
A unit that handles both heating and cooling. In some climates, a
heat pump may handle your heating and cooling needs more efficiently
than a furnace and air conditioner.
Horizontal Flow
A type of furnace, installed on its side, which draws air from one
side, heats the air and then sends it out the other side.
HSPF
Heating Seasonal Performance Factor. Measures the heating efficiency
of a heat pump. The higher the number the more efficient the heat
pump heats your home.
Humidifier
A piece of equipment that adds moisture to the air as it comes out
of the furnace.
HVAC
Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning.
Indoor
Coil
Indoor coils are the indoor section requried in a split system application.
Together the outdoor section and indoor section combine to meet efficiency
ratings. Homeowners should replace this if replacing the outdoor section,
otherwise they could damage their new equipment, get poor effiency,
and void the system warranty. The coil maybe a cased or uncased, depending
on the application need. Typically, you will find the coil on top
of the furnace, but not always.
Package
Air Conditioner
An outdoor unit that houses both the blower and coil components to
provide whole-home electric cooling. Heating strips can be added to
the system to take of the chill during cooler evenings.
Packaged Heat Pump
An outdoor unit that houses both the blower and coil components to
provide whole-home electric cooling and electric heating in one single
system.
Package System
An outdoor unit that houses both the blower and coil components to
provide whole-home heating and/or cooling. The three main types of
packaged products all provide electric cooling, but heating could
be electric or gas.
Refrigerant
A chemical that cools air as it evaporates.
SEER
Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating. SEER measures a unit's cooling
efficiency. The higher the number, the greater the efficiency.
Split System
Refers to an air conditioner or heat pump that is combined with indoor
components, such as an evaporator coil inside and a condenser coil
outside your home.
Thermostat
A device that monitors and controls your temperature inside your home.
Upflow
A type of furnace that draws cool air from the bottom and blows the
warmed air out the top.
Ventilator
A ventilator captures heating or cooling energy from stale indoor
air and transfers it to fresh incoming air.
Zone
Zoning allows you to control the heating and cooling delivered to
specific areas of your house for a custom solution. Zoning can increase
efficiency and comfort in the areas of the house you use most often. |
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