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Supply
Company, Inc.
HVACR Specialists
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HVAC & R Terminology
HVAC and R
: Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration
Air Handler
: The portion of a central air conditioning or heat pump system that
moves heated or cooled air throughout a home's ductwork. In some systems, a furnace
handles this function.
AFUE%
: Furnace Efficiency. "AFUE" is a measure of a furnace's
heating efficiency. It stands for Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency.
The higher the AFUE%, the more efficient the product. The government's established
minimum rating for furnaces is 78%.
Balance Point
: An outdoor temperature - ususally between 30°F to 45°F - at
which a heat pump's output exactly equals the heating needs of the house. Below the
balance point, supplementary electric resistance heat is needed to maintain indoor comfort.
British Thermal Unit (BTU)
: The amount of heat required to raise the temperature of one pound of
water (about one pint) by one degree Fahrenheit.
Coefficient of Performance (COP)
: A ratio calculated by dividing the total heating capacity provided
by the heat pump, including circulating fan heat but excluding supplementary resistance heat
(BTU's per hour), by the total electric input (watts) x 3.412. (See Heating Seasonal
Performance Factor, below.)
Defrost Mode
: During the heating cycle of a heat pump, frost may build up on the
outdoor coil. To remove the frost and maintain efficiency, the system will
automatically defrost itself. This usually only takes a few minutes, then the
system automatically switches back to heating. It is normal to see steam rising
form the outdoor unit when this happens.
DOE
: The Department of Energy is a federal agency in charge of setting industry
efficiency standards and monitoring the consumption of energy sources.
Energy Efficiency Ratio (EER)
: A ratio calculated by dividing the cooling capacity in BTU's per hour
(BTUH) by the power input in watts at a given set of rating conditions, expressed in BTUH per
watt (BTUH/watt). (See Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio, below.)
HSPF
: Heat Pump Heating Efficiency. It stands for Heating Seasonal
Performance Factor. The higher the HSPF rating, the more efficient a heat pump is at
heating your home. There is no legislated minimum rating.
Heat Source
: A body of air or liquid from which heat is collected. In an
air source heat pump, the air outside the house is used at the heat source during the heating
cycle.
Indoor Coil
: The portion of a heat pump or central air conditioning system that is
located in the house and functions as the heat transfer point for warming or cooling indoor
air.
Outdoor Coil/Condensing Unit
: The portion of a heat pump of central air conditioning system that is
located outside the home and functions as a heat transfer point for collecting heat from or
dispelling heat to the outside air.
SEER: Cooling Efficiency
: "SEER" is a measure of cooling efficiency for air conditioning products.
SEER stands for Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ration. The higher the SEER
rating number, the more energy efficient the unit. The government's established
minimum rating for air conditioning is 10.
Single Package
: A year-round heating and air conditioning system that has all the
components completely encased in one unit outside the home.
Split System
: A heat pump or central air conditioning system with components located both
inside and outside of a building - the most common types installed in homes.
Supplementary Heat
: The auxiliary or emergency heat provided at temperatures below a heat pump's
balance point. It is usually electrical resistance heat. Also known as the
heater package. But supplemental heat can also be gas or oil-fired equipment.
Ton
: Heat pumps and air conditioners are generally sized in tons.
Typical sizes for single-family residences are between two and five tons. Each ton equals
12,000 BTU. It is important to note that actual capacity is not constant and will change
based on outdoor or indoor temperatures. The published capacity rating of air conditioners
and heat pumps is based on performance at the ARI standard temperature levels of 95°F outside,
80°F inside.
Watt (W)
: A Watt is a unit of electricity.
Kilowatt (kW)
: A kilowatt equals 1,000 Watts. A kilowatt hour (kWh) is the
amount of kilowatts of electricity used in one hour of operation of any equipment.
Zone
: A zone is the area that one thermostat is controlling. For
example, a two story house with thermostat on each floor has two zones, one for each floor.
Definitions - Webster's American Dictionary
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