AFUE
Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency. Used to
express the efficiency of gas furnaces. The higher the AFUE rating, the
more efficient the unit.
Federal law has required that all new
residential furnaces built after January 1992 operate with an AFUE of
78% or higher. Our furnaces are manufactured to exceed these
requirements with a minimum AFUE of 80%.
If your furnace was built before 1992,
chances are it is operating with an average efficiency of around 60%.
Most of the heat is lost up the chimney or out the exhaust vent -
devices used by older furnaces to expel dangerous fumes created by the
furnace, such as carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, aldehydes, and even
soot.
Modern furnaces use more technologically
advanced venting techniques to achieve greater energy efficiency. An
important note: Be sure to ask your installing contractor if your
chimney or exhaust vent is suitable for use with your new equipment.
ARI
The Air Conditioning and Refrigeration
Institute is an organization created by HVAC manufacturers to ensure an
acceptable level of quality within the industry.
ARI is a voluntary, nonprofit organization
which publishes ratings standards and benchmarks for testing cooling and
heating products. Our Manufacturers is an active member of ARI.
BTU
Short for British Thermal Unit. The amount
of heat required to raise or lower the temperature of one pound of water
by one degree Fahrenheit.
BTUH
The heat transfer rate of HVAC equipment is
measured in British Thermal Units per Hour.
CAPACITY
Usually measured in BTUs or tons, capacity
refers to an air conditioning or heating unit's ability to cool or heat
a space. For instance, a 20-ton air conditioning unit has twice the
capacity of a 10-ton unit.
CFM
A unit to express movement of volume,
including air, in Cubic Feet per Minute. A 400 CFM air handler moves 400
cubic feet in one minute.
COMPRESSOR
The compressor plays an integral role in
cooling your home. It is the device responsible for pumping refrigerant
through the refrigerant lines and the coil, making the transfer of heat
from inside your house to the outdoors possible.
CONDENSER
The coil responsible for dissipating heat
to the surrounding, outside air. Also called the condenser coil, or
outdoor coil, its role is reversed when a heat pump is used in heating
mode.
COP
The Coefficient of Performance rates a heat
pump's ability to efficiently use electricity in its operation. The Air
Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute provides the Coefficient of
Performance at 47 degrees Fahrenheit and 17 degrees Fahrenheit. This is
because a heat pump is more efficient at higher, outside-air
temperatures.
dB
The relative loudness of a sound is
expressed in dB, short for decibel. As an example, the sound of a human
voice talking is around 70 dB. (See also SRN.)
DOE
A federal agency, the Department of Energy,
sets the standards for efficiency throughout the HVAC industry and
monitors consumption of energy sources.
DOWNFLOW
A term used to describe the direction of
airflow through a furnace. A downflow furnace takes return air from the
top, heats it, and then delivers the warm air from the bottom.
DUCT/DUCTWORK/DUCTING
A central heating and air conditioning
system uses many components to heat or cool air. This warm or cool air
is then transferred to different registers throughout the house via
special, flexible, large-diameter pipes or ducts. The system of ducts
throughout your house is often referred to as ductwork or ducting.
EER
Energy Efficiency Ratio. The ratio of the
cooling capacity of the air conditioner in BTUs per hour to the total
electrical input in watts. This measure is determined by comparing test
units to the Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute
specifications.
EFFICIENCY
A general term used to describe how
effectively a heat pump, air conditioning system, or furnace converts
incoming energy to outgoing energy. The higher the number, the more
efficient the unit, and the lower the operating costs.
EVAPORATOR
COIL/EVAPORATOR
An integral part of the indoor unit of a
heat pump or air conditioning system. So called because when warm air
passes over a coil filled with liquid refrigerant, the refrigerant
itself evaporates and absorbs some of the heat. This gas refrigerant is
then pumped to the outdoor coil, where it releases heat into the
surrounding air and returns to its liquid state.
HEAT EXCHANGER
Responsible for transferring heat from
furnace burners to the blower. Our Manufacturers use some of the finest
heat exchangers in the industry with limited lifetime warranties on some
models.
HORIZONTAL FLOW
A term used to describe the direction of
airflow through a furnace. A horizontal flow furnace takes return air
from one side, heats it, and then delivers the warm air from the other
side.
HSPF
Heating Seasonal Performance Factor. It
measures the efficiency of the heating portion of your heat pump. The
Department of Energy minimum is 6.8. (Similar to SEER.)
HUMIDIFIER
Usually available as an optional accessory,
a humidifier is used to inject water vapor into the dry, heated air
expelled from a furnace/air handler. The benefits can be improved
efficiency and a more comfortable living environment.
HVAC
Heating, Ventilating and Air Conditioning.
Used to refer to the industry at large, particularly dealers of heating
and air conditioning equipment.
INDOOR COILS
Split-system home comfort systems use two
main components to deliver air for a comfortable living environment. The
indoor coil is the device responsible for transferring heat from indoors
to the outdoors (or the reverse in the case of a heat pump in heating
mode). Most modern systems are designed to achieve maximum efficiency
when the indoor unit (coils and blower) is properly matched with the
outdoor unit (air conditioner or heat pump). For best results, be sure
to replace both the indoor and outdoor units at the same time.
KILOWATT
A unit used to express 1,000 Watts. Denoted
as "kW." Note that the "W" in "kW" is always capitalized because the
Watt unit was named after a person.
KWH
If a unit uses 1,000 Watts in 1 hour, it is
said to have an energy rating of 1kWh.
MODULATING FURNACES
Furnaces are designed to deliver maximum
heat for comfort on the coldest of days. In most cases, those days
account for fewer than three percent of winter days. The rest of the
time, your furnace is providing more heat than necessary.
Because conventional furnaces are either
providing no heat, or at full capacity, the temperature in your house
goes up and down by several degrees, adversely affecting your comfort
and your energy bills.
Modulating furnaces solve this problem by
varying the amount and temperature of air delivered between different
capacities, so that the air flowing out of the registers is always at
the temperature you determine. This results in lower operating costs,
more comfortable temperatures throughout the house and quieter
operation.
PACKAGE UNIT
Equipment in which all heating and cooling
components are located in one cabinet. Installed either beside or on top
of a home or business.
REFRIGERANT
The liquid used to absorb and transfer heat
from one part of the home comfort system to another.
REFRIGERANT LINES
Copper lines used to transfer the
refrigerant between the outdoor unit and the indoor unit.
SEER
Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating. Used to
express the efficiency of an air conditioning unit, or a heat pump in
cooling mode. The higher the SEER rating, the more efficient the unit.
The Department of Energy minimum is 10 SEER.
SPLIT SYSTEM
A home comfort system that uses an indoor
and an outdoor component to deliver comfortable air to a living
environment.
SRN
The Air Conditioning and Refrigeration
Institute performs tests and assigns a Sound Rating Number (SRN) to
units. A lower SRN rating indicates a quieter unit with average SRNs of
between 74dB and 80dB..
THERMOSTAT
A temperature-measuring device used to
control the operation of home comfort systems to maintain a comfortable
temperature within the house. Programmable thermostats allow you to
program different temperatures for different times of the day.
TON
The ton ratings you see here have nothing
to do with the weight of the unit. In fact a ton is simply 12,000 BTUs
(see BTU definition on this page). A typical home cooling/heating system
uses heat pumps or air conditioners with a capacity of between 1.5 and 5
tons.
UPFLOW
A term used to describe the direction of
airflow through a furnace. An upflow furnace takes return air from the
bottom, heats it, and then delivers the warm air from the top.
WATT/WATTS
Electrical power, also expressed as 'W'.
For example, a 100W globe consumes 100 Watts of electrical power. The W
in Watt is always uppercased, because it is named after a person.
ZONE/ZONING
A home may be divided into several
different areas, or zones, to better control the temperatures throughout
the house. The process of dividing your home into different zones is
called zoning. |
