| Determining Your Needs Through Terminology |
Sometimes understanding the “lingo” or terminology is a tremendous help in
determining what your Heating and Cooling needs are. Although there is no
substitute for having a qualified, licensed Heating and Air contractor evaluate
your specific application, the whole process doesn't seem so overwhelming
when you can understand the basics of the terms.
determining what your Heating and Cooling needs are. Although there is no
substitute for having a qualified, licensed Heating and Air contractor evaluate
your specific application, the whole process doesn't seem so overwhelming
when you can understand the basics of the terms.
Terminology:
Furnace: A heating unit that uses natural gas, propane or oil for
heating. The fan/blower portion of the furnace is utilized when
the system is in the cooling mode, but may be used as a heat
only application. A furnace may be placed in the attic, in a
furnace room or suspended under a home or structure. The
furnace runs on a small amount of electricity and burns fuel for
the heat.
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Condensing Unit: This is the outdoor component of an air
conditioning “split” system that provides the cooling along with
the evaporator coil that is attached to the supply or output end
of the furnace and connected to the condensing unit by copper
tubes that contain the flow of Freon. Essentially the heating and
cooling are two separate systems that are controlled by the
thermostat that share the fan/blower. The condensing unit runs
on electricity.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Packaged Unit: these heating/cooling units utilize either
propane or natural gas for heat and contain in the same housing
the condenser and evaporator sections for cooling, thus all the
components are in one unit for both heating and cooling. These
units may be placed on roofs or on a concrete slab at the
foundation of a home or structure.
Furnace: A heating unit that uses natural gas, propane or oil for
heating. The fan/blower portion of the furnace is utilized when
the system is in the cooling mode, but may be used as a heat
only application. A furnace may be placed in the attic, in a
furnace room or suspended under a home or structure. The
furnace runs on a small amount of electricity and burns fuel for
the heat.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Condensing Unit: This is the outdoor component of an air
conditioning “split” system that provides the cooling along with
the evaporator coil that is attached to the supply or output end
of the furnace and connected to the condensing unit by copper
tubes that contain the flow of Freon. Essentially the heating and
cooling are two separate systems that are controlled by the
thermostat that share the fan/blower. The condensing unit runs
on electricity.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Packaged Unit: these heating/cooling units utilize either
propane or natural gas for heat and contain in the same housing
the condenser and evaporator sections for cooling, thus all the
components are in one unit for both heating and cooling. These
units may be placed on roofs or on a concrete slab at the
foundation of a home or structure.
Heat Pump: This type of heating/cooling appliance works like a
normal air conditioning system and uses the reverse flow of
Freon to produce heat. Heat pumps are available in both
packaged and split systems and run solely on electricity and
designed to be electrically efficient, however, your contractor
should advise you as to the proper application of a heat pump.
Heat pumps are not recommended for colder climates.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Evaporative Coolers: Maybe better known as “swamp “or “water”
coolers, use water for cooling purposes. With today’s
technology, evaporative coolers have come a long way and, are
very cost effective. Even though it may not be appropriate for
your application, it may be worth asking about. They may be
mounted on the roof or in a window, directly installed through a
wall or be placed on a concrete slab at or under your foundation.
These units run on a nominal amount of electricity, and of
course, water.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AFUE Rating: this is a rating that denotes the efficiency of a gas
heating equipment. It is the amount of heating the equipment
delivers for every dollar spent on fuel. A higher rating indicates
more efficient equipment. The usual rating on standard furnaces
is 80% and goes as high as 98%.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SEER Rating: Rates the cooling efficiency for air conditioners
and heat pumps which tells you how efficiently the unit uses
electricity, the higher the number the greater the efficiency. At
present the minimum standard is 13 SEER. Today’s Air
conditioning equipment can obtain at or near 17 SEER.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
BTU Rating: BTU stands for “British Thermal Unit”. This is the
amount of energy needed to raise the temperature of one pound
of water (one pint) one degree Fahrenheit.
normal air conditioning system and uses the reverse flow of
Freon to produce heat. Heat pumps are available in both
packaged and split systems and run solely on electricity and
designed to be electrically efficient, however, your contractor
should advise you as to the proper application of a heat pump.
Heat pumps are not recommended for colder climates.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Evaporative Coolers: Maybe better known as “swamp “or “water”
coolers, use water for cooling purposes. With today’s
technology, evaporative coolers have come a long way and, are
very cost effective. Even though it may not be appropriate for
your application, it may be worth asking about. They may be
mounted on the roof or in a window, directly installed through a
wall or be placed on a concrete slab at or under your foundation.
These units run on a nominal amount of electricity, and of
course, water.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AFUE Rating: this is a rating that denotes the efficiency of a gas
heating equipment. It is the amount of heating the equipment
delivers for every dollar spent on fuel. A higher rating indicates
more efficient equipment. The usual rating on standard furnaces
is 80% and goes as high as 98%.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SEER Rating: Rates the cooling efficiency for air conditioners
and heat pumps which tells you how efficiently the unit uses
electricity, the higher the number the greater the efficiency. At
present the minimum standard is 13 SEER. Today’s Air
conditioning equipment can obtain at or near 17 SEER.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
BTU Rating: BTU stands for “British Thermal Unit”. This is the
amount of energy needed to raise the temperature of one pound
of water (one pint) one degree Fahrenheit.
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| TempSol Heating & Cooling |
