Nothing in your home affects your family’s comfort more than your cooling or heating systems. This is especially the case in our Southwest Ohio climate, where we experience both blazing summers and frigid winters, both of which can take a toll on heating and cooling equipment.
If you’re considering an upgrade or replacement for your furnace, hot water heater, air conditioning system or air cleaner, becoming versed in some common HVAC terms used by your heating and cooling professional will help you make a more informed decision.
- SEER: Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio is a cooling efficiency rating applied to air conditioners and heat pumps. The higher the SEER rating, the more cooling you’ll get for the same amount of electricity.
- BTU: British Thermal Unit describes the amount of heat used to add one degree of heat to one pound of water. Heating and cooling systems are both rated by the number of BTUs used.
- MERV: The Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value of an HVAC air filter is based on how well it removes particulates of varying sizes. Higher numbers remove smaller (and more) airborne particulates. As the ratings get closer to the top end of MERV 16 for residential tilters, the more airflow will be restricted, so it’s not simply a matter of finding the highest-rated filter.
- Heat exchanger: This furnace component transfers heat from burning fuel to the air that’s circulated throughout your home. Sometimes, your A/C or heat pump coils are also called heat exchangers.
- Heat pump: This system heats your home in winter by transferring heat energy extracted from outside air and bringing it inside. In the summer, it does the opposite, removing heat energy from your home.
- Air handling unit: This distributes heated or cooled air to your home and receives it after the air is circulated. It’s usually associated with A/Cs or heat pumps that don’t use the furnace blower for pushing air through the system.
- Condenser/compressor: Exterior unit of a split-system A/C or heat pump. It’s where heat energy is released during the cooling process.
- Coils: Pipes that circulate refrigerant. Every air conditioning system has a condenser coil and an evaporator coil.
- Zoning: Dividing a home into separately controlled comfort zones.
For more expert advice on HVAC terms and home comfort issues, please contact us at Ace Hardware Home Services, Inc. We’ve been serving the Dayton and Springfield areas for three generations.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Dayton, Ohio about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).
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