5 Must-Know Terms From the HVAC Industry

by Kevin Smith Author

Any homeowner who has requested the services of a local HVAC company will know the struggle of intense, intelligent vocabulary that may not make much sense to everyday people. Experts in heating, ventilation and air conditioning often use specialized vocabulary that others find hard to understand. To help you out, and give you a better chance of actually comprehending what these HVAC contractors are doing to heating and air conditioning in Douglasville, GA, here are five essential terms to remember!

Air Flow

This refers to the capacity of your duct system and how much air it can move. Typical air conditioning units are designed to carry around 400 cubic feet per minute (cfm) of air for each ton of the system's capacity. Of course, air flow depends on the climate in which you live. For example, humid locations may generally have lower air flow figures around 350 cfm/ton, while drier regions may be higher around 500 cfm/ton.

Compressor

If you've got any noise coming from your HVAC unit, the compressor is to blame. This part rests within the exterior of the AC system and is referred to as the condensing unit. The compressor is used to increase the temperature and pressure of the refrigerant, so this is a pretty crucial part of your HVAC setup!

Air Handler

If you're one of the many Americans with a split system air conditioner, the box that holds all the important interior pieces is the air handler. As the name suggests, this essential box contains not only the blower, but also heating and cooling parts like the evaporator coil and furnace. Without an air handler, your air conditioning unit won't function properly.

EER

This acronym stands for ‘energy efficiency ratio’, which is the formula for calculating how efficient a ground source heat pump or a window AC unit is. In other words, the EER is the ratio of the cooling capacity to the watts of power input. The higher your EER rating, the more efficient HVAC unit you have in place! Many of the state of the art systems that are so popular nowadays feature exceptional ERR values.

Heat Pump

This is another necessary part of many HVAC systems. Heat pumps allow air conditioning systems to run in reverse depending on the season. This pump moves heat from inside to outside in the blistering summer months, and does the opposite in the chilly winter by moving heat from outside to inside. Heat pumps present a great solution for moderate climates that need reliable heating and cooling, especially if you want a more energy-efficient form of heating and air conditioning in Douglasville, GA.