HVAC Phrases and Acronyms You Want To Know

The heating and cooling trade, or the HVAC trade, has a whole lot of phrases and acronyms. Once we say quite a bit, we aren’t exaggerating. Sadly, most of those phrases could be very complicated to anybody, not to mention a buyer making an attempt to buy an HVAC system.

The advanced terminology would possibly put you off from upgrading your system or trigger you to purchase a product that isn’t proper to your dwelling and wishes simply to “get it over with.” At Fireplace & Ice, we perceive these issues, and that’s the reason we now have created a information of generally used HVAC phrases and acronyms you’ll most likely encounter.

This information serves to coach you in addition to take the stress out of the shopping for course of. Most owners solely purchase one to 2 HVAC techniques of their lifetime, so even if you happen to’ve purchased a system earlier than, you possibly can make the most of this information as a refresher. Or if, like us, you’re obsessive about HVAC and you actually need to be educated in your system (belief us, we get it). Regardless of the case, this information is right here that can assist you determine it out and keep knowledgeable.

Heating Terminology

B – Boiler – Gas-burning container for heating water.

CUH – Cupboard Unit Heater – A sort of heater enclosed inside a cupboard. Generally the components are additionally detachable as one unit.

EH – Electrical Heater – Any machine that adjustments electrical energy into warmth.

EF – Exhaust Fan – Followers that pull odors, fumes, and moisture from an space, sending them open air for removing.

Furnace – An equipment fired by oil, fuel or electrical energy that circulates air all through a house or workplace. To study extra about selecting the best furnace to your area, go to our article. If you wish to know extra about how a furnace works, go to our interactive graphic.

Freon – An aerosol propellant cooling agent that’s utilized in most air-con techniques.

Flue – A duct for smoke and waste gasses.

Compelled Air System – Makes use of a warmth pump or furnace to warmth the air and disperses it all through the area utilizing air ducts and in-home vents.

Heating Load – The amount of heating vitality that must be extracted from an area with a purpose to hold the temperature inside a selected vary.

Heating Loss – Lack of heating from a constructing.

Warmth Pump – A heating and cooling machine that may switch cold and hot vitality into an area by taking air from the skin.

WH – Water heater – A tool that transfers warmth and makes use of an vitality supply to warmth water above its preliminary temperature.

RH – Reheat – Heating one thing that has cooled off.

PH – Pre-heat – Heating the air from someplace under the freezing level to someplace above.

UV – Extremely Violet – A type of electromagnetic radiation.

UV – Unit Ventilator – A fan cupboard with filters and modulating dampers. They’re incessantly utilized in lecture rooms and workplaces. Air from the skin is blended with return air and is both heated or cooled because it goes by way of the hydronic coil.

From heating phrases, we now swap over to cooling terminology. These are phrases that apply to your air conditioner and something having to do with cooling, chilly air, and the components and areas round your air conditioner.

Cooling Terminology

AC – Air Conditioner – The method of eradicating warmth from an area to attain a extra comfy indoor setting.  Learn the way an air conditioner works by utilizing our interactive graphic.

AC – Alternating Present – An electrical present that reverses its path many instances and adjustments its magnitude.

ACH – Air Adjustments Per Hour – Measure the air quantity added to or faraway from the area in an hour.

AHU – Air Dealing with Unit – Thought of the center of the air conditioner. It pushes the chilly air by way of your property.

CH – Chiller – Machines that take away warmth from a liquid.

C – Condensate Line – Made from PVC or plastic, they perform to funnel condensation away out of your unit and outdoors.

Condenser – The out of doors unit that’s a part of a break up HVAC system. Is often paired with both a coil and an air handler for an air conditioner or a furnace and coil.

Condensate Pump – A sort of pumped used to gather and disperse the new water and liquid produced by condensation from HVAC gear.

CF – Cubic Toes – Unit of measurement outlined as the quantity of a dice with sides of 1 foot in size.

CFH – Cubic Toes Per Hour – Unit for the volumetric stream of a liquid or fuel

CT – Cooling Tower – Specialised warmth exchangers that take away warmth from water primarily by latent warmth loss.

CTBD – Cooling Tower Blow Down – Technique of eradicating solids and chemical compounds from a cooling tower.

CV – Fixed Quantity – A hard and fast air quantity at a temperature decided by the area.

RH – Relative Humidity – The quantity of water vapor current within the air expressed as the quantity wanted for saturation.

TON – 12,000 BTUH {Cooling Capability} – Measurement that represents the cooling capability of an air conditioner.

TEV – Thermo Growth Valve – A valve that controls the quantity of refrigerant launched into your air conditioner.

We even have some effectivity and temperature-related phrases that assist outline what you’ll want to learn about your system’s efficiency and temperature.

HVAC Effectivity and Temperature Phrases

AFU-E-Annual Gas Utilization Effectivity – A measure of furnace effectivity. AFUE makes use of percentages (as much as 100%) that signify how a furnace produces a lot usable warmth.

BTU – British Thermal Unit – A measurement of thermal vitality.

DCV – Demand Management Air flow – Power saving technique that reduces the speed at which out of doors air is supplied to a zone.

DP – Dew Level – The temperature to which air have to be cooled to develop into saturated with water vapor.

Draft – A time period utilized in oil heating that refers back to the vacuum contained in the heating system. There are two sorts of drafts: pure drafts and currential drafts.

Pure draft is also called the thermal draft, and happens when heated gasses develop. Currential draft happens when excessive winds create suction from a chimney.

EER – Power Environment friendly Ratio – Cooling output of your air conditioner divided by the common electrical energy enter.

EMS – Power Administration System – A system organizations use to higher handle their vitality utilization.

Power Star – A program run by the U.S. Environmental Safety Company to advertise and supply info on vitality effectivity.

HFC – HydroFlouroCarbon – Man-made greenhouse gasses utilized in refrigerant and cooling techniques. They have been created to switch ozone-depleting chemical compounds which might be being phased out.

HSPF – Heating Seasonal Efficiency Issue – Used to calculate the effectivity of warmth pumps.

HVAC – Heating, Air flow, and Air Conditioning

Refrigerant – A working fluid used for the refrigeration cycle of the air conditioner and warmth pumps. They’re closely regulated on account of their toxicity. There are differing types reminiscent of HFC’s, as defined above, CFC’s, which have been phased out on account of ozone layer depletion. As expertise advances, new refrigerant has been developed, reminiscent of 454-B and

SEER – Seasonal Power Effectivity Ratio – The ratio of cooling produced by an air conditioner, divided by its vitality utilization in watt-hours. This ratio is calculated over the size of a typical cooling season.

SHGF – Photo voltaic Warmth Achieve Issue – Enhance in temperature of one thing because it absorbs warmth from the solar.

Surge Protector – An influence-strip-like machine that protects family home equipment from a

Temperature – The diploma of hotness or coldness of an object. Temperature is measured in Fahrenheit in the USA, and Celcius is used elsewhere.

Thermostat – A tool that routinely regulates temperature and prompts your HVAC system to warmth or cool. There are totally different thermostats, together with programmable thermostats, wifi thermostats, and speaking thermostats. Programmable thermostats mean you can create totally different schedules at which to routinely set the temperature, wifi thermostats hook up with your wifi to mean you can use totally different options and speaking thermostats “speak” to your hvac system.

Subsequent is a few basic HVAC terminology that doesn’t pertain to any explicit system or perform. It’s by no means a foul thought to be conversant in these phrases so you possibly can precisely describe repairs or different must a technician.

Normal HVAC Terminology

ACM – Asbestos Containing Supplies – Supplies that include asbestos, a poisonous chemical.

ACH – Air Adjustments Per Hour –  A measure of the air quantity added to or faraway from an space in a single hour, divided by the quantity of that exact area.

BI – Backward Incline

BOD – Backside Of Duct

BOP – Backside Of Pipe

BSMT – Basement

CA – Compressed Air – Air wherein the quantity has been decreased with a compressor.

CAP – Capability

CV – Verify valve

Soiled Sock Syndrome – Construct up of micro organism and mildew inside your system. To study extra about soiled sock syndrome, go to our article.

ELEC – Electrical

Filter – The filter that matches between the blower and return air duct in your central heating and cooling system. Filters are rated utilizing the MERV system, which charges the quantity and sorts of particles they seize. To study extra about filters, go to our article.

Exhausting Begin Package – Provides the beginning torque and a few technique of eradicating the capacitor from the beginning circuit as quickly because the compressor has began. To study extra about arduous begin kits and the way they perform, go to our article.

HEPA – Excessive-efficiency particulate air filter. To study extra about air filters, go to our article about selecting the best filter to your dwelling.

MECH – Mechanical

MERV – Minimal Effectivity Reporting Worth. A rating system that’s used to price furnace filters. For extra info, please go to our filter article right here.

MFR – Producer

MG – Milligram

Energy Surge – A voltage spike from both exterior the house or the house’s electrical system. It can be attributable to storms and pure disasters.

PSI – Kilos Per Sq. Inch – Used for measuring the stress of gasses or liquids.

RPM – Revolutions Per Minute

RTU – Roof High Unit – A sort of HVAC system put in on a roof to distribute air inside a constructing’s ductwork, reminiscent of an residence or workplace constructing.

TSP – Complete Static Stress – Complete stress mixed the place air enters and exits the gear.

VAV – Variable Air Quantity – An HVAC system with a steady air provide temperature and the airflow price varies to satisfy the necessities.

VSD – Variable Velocity Drive- A pace management system for electrical HVAC motors.

Guarantee – A written assure to the purchaser of the merchandise that it will likely be repaired or changed underneath sure situations by the producer. In HVAC, there are additionally labor warranties that assure the job carried out by a contractor. To study extra about warranties, go to our article.

WC – Water Column – An alternate means of expressing stress measurements.

Lastly, we now have certification phrases. These apply to certification varieties your HVAC technician, or contractor might have.

HVAC Technician Certifications and Phrases

BPI – Constructing Efficiency Institute – Certification and normal setting for constructing professionals.

NATE – North American Technician Excellence – One of the vital extensively accepted HVAC certifications and is taken into account the “gold normal.”

NCI – Nationwide Consolation Institute – A company that helps HVAC contractors supply targeted providers utilizing “performance-based contracting.”

IAQ – Indoor Air High quality – Refers to air high quality in a constructing setting reminiscent of an workplace or a faculty.

Use Our Contractor Guidelines to Assist Hold You Secure and Knowledgeable

Along with figuring out and understanding the terminology offered above, using our contractor guidelines may also help you at any stage of the HVAC course of. Though the checklist is for serving to you ask the proper inquiries to a possible contractor, you can too put it to use that can assist you study extra about HVAC.

The way it Works: Interactive Graphics to Assist You Be taught

Now we have a number of pages with interactive graphics that can assist you find out how your system works and higher perceive HVAC.

To make use of these, go to our web page on how an air conditioner works and how a furnace works.

Fireplace & Ice is Right here to Hold You Knowledgeable

In HVAC, a big quantity of terminology could be complicated, particularly for the on a regular basis client. At Fireplace & Ice, we pleasure ourselves on retaining our prospects knowledgeable and up-to-date on all HVAC info to make the perfect selections for them and their houses.

Should you really feel able to take the subsequent step in sustaining your property’s consolation, name us. Moreover, if you happen to reside within the Columbus, Ohio space and need to verify and see if you happen to reside in our service space, use the zip code map under.

To schedule your free estimate with considered one of our gross sales professionals, use the button under.