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Common HVAC terms everyone should know

Posted on: August 2nd, 2019 by admin

HVAC unit, heating, air conditioning, Toms River NJ

First things first, let’s cover HVAC.  This stands for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning.  It covers all the equipment, technologies, and systems that allows you as a homeowner to have control over the temperature and quality of your indoor air.

Air filtration system – Helps to remove allergens, dust, bacteria, and mold from the air.  A filter should be changed on average every 3 months.  Different things will affect how often you need to change your filter such as the presence of pets, occupants with allergies or asthma, and how much your system is in use.

Air flow – Self explanatory to a degree, but this measures the amount of air moving through your system.  It’s important for you to know because reduced air flow can be a major red flag that something may be wrong somewhere within your HVAC system.

BTU – British Thermal Unit; a traditional unit of heat.  It is used in terms of calculating the capacity of an air conditioner and is the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of one pound of water one degree Fahrenheit.

Compressor – This is a part  of the outdoor unit that powers the heat transfer by compressing the refrigerant and pumping it through the system.

Duct – Insulated pipes that run throughout a building that transfer the air from one place to another.

Furnace – This is what generates heat and distributes it through your home using a fan.

SEER – Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio.  This rates an HVAC systems competence similar to a miles per gallon rating of a car.  It is calculated using the cooling output for an average cooling season divided by the total electric energy input for the same time period.  The more efficient a system is, the higher the SEER rating.

Thermostat – An indoor portion of an HVAC system that allows you to control the temperature.  By setting the temperature and indicating whether you want the temperature to increase or decrease at that degree, you are controlling when your HVAC system turns on.

Zone – Individual sections that can be controlled independently of one another.  Having different zones set up allows you to make your system run more efficiently by reducing the systems use in unoccupied areas.

This is just a basic list of terms, but if you ever have any questions about your HVAC unit, it’s parts, or it’s repair feel free to give us a call and we’ll be happy to help!

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