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Glossary
Air Handler: The portion of your heating and cooling system that forces air through your home's ductwork. Ductless mini split systems have no ductwork, the air handler is most commonly called an Indoor Unit. The indoor unit return air is normally drawn through the top and front of the indoor unit, passed across the evaporator coil and is discharged through the bottom which has a motorized flap controlled by a remote control.
Allergens: Any substance, often a protein, that induces an allergy: common allergens include pollen, grasses, dust, and some medications.
Blower Fan: Part of an air handling device of a ductless mini split indoor unit for moving air in a distribution system
BTU: British Thermal Units. The amount of heat it takes to raise one pound of water one degree Fahrenheit. The higher the BTU rating, the larger the heating capacity of the furnace or air conditioner. BTU is also expressed in tons, there are 12,000 BTU to a ton. Example: 9,000 BTU = 3/4-Ton, 12,000 BTU = 1-Ton, 18,000 BTU = 1-1/2 Ton
Capacity: The ability of a heating or cooling system to heat or cool a given amount of space. Heating is usually expressed in BTUs, cooling is expressed in tons.
Central Air Conditioners:
System in which air is treated at a central location and carried to and
from the rooms by one or more fans and a system of ducts.
Compressor: The motor, pump that drives the air conditioning unit. It is responsible for pumping refrigerant throughout the system. The compressor is located in the outdoor unit, which is a huge factor keeping noise levels down.
Condenser Coil: Part of the outdoor portion of a heating or cooling system, that releases or collects heat from the outside air.
Control Panel: The portion of an indoor unit console that contains manual controls for regulating operations, and interaction with the remote controlled thermostat.
Conventional Units: A term used to refer to a standard central air conditioner type unit.
Coolant: A substance, usually a liquid or a gas, used to reduce the temperature of a system below a specified value by conducting away the heat.
Corrosion: The breaking down or destruction of a material, especially a metal, through chemical reactions. The most common form of corrosion is rusting, which occurs when iron combines with oxygen and water.
Dual-Zone: One system that employes two air handlers or indoor units that control the climate for two different areas
Ductwork: Hollow metal pipes used to transfer air throughout your house.
Dehumidification: The reduction of water vapor in air by cooling the air below the dew point; removal of water vapor from air by chemical means, refrigeration, etc.
Energy Consumption: The amount of energy consumed in the form in which it is acquired by the user. The amount of power needed to make something happen or work.
Evaporator Coil: Part of the heating or cooling system located indoors, that cools and dehumidifies the air by converting liquid refrigerant into gas.
Filter: A device used to remove dust and other particles from air for the purposes of reducing the load on the respiratory system and to protect the HVAC equipment. Filters vary greatly in particle arrestance; the higher the MERV rating, the better the filter.
Hazardous Materials: Any item or agent (biological, chemical, physical) which has the potential to cause harm to humans, animals, or the environment, either by itself or through interaction with other factors.
Heat Exchanger: The major part of the furnace that transfers heat into your home
Heat Pump: A unit that handles both heating and cooling. In some climates, a heat pump may handle your heating and cooling needs more efficiently than a furnace and air conditioner.
HSPF: Heating Seasonal Performance Factor. Measures the heating efficiency of a heat pump. The higher the number the more efficient the heat pump heats your home.
Humidity: The ratio of the actual amount of water vapor present in a volume of air at a given temperature to the maximum amount that the air could hold at that temperature, expressed as a percentage. Warm air can hold more water vapor than cool air, so a particular amount of water vapor will yield a lower relative humidity in warm air than it does in cool air. Air conditioners remove moisture for added comfort.
HVAC: Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning
HVAC Instruments: Components used by an HVAC technician to purge an HVAC system and test during initial startup, test and calibrate efficiency, and for maintenance tests and troubleshooting for repair.
Indoor Unit: Located inside the house and contains the indoor coil, fan, motor, and filtering device, sometimes called the air handler.
Licensed HVAC Technician: Certified and licensed with the state to perform the skilled journey-level work required to install, modify, inspect, troubleshoot, repair, and
maintain air-conditioning equipment and systems; and performs related duties as required.
Line Set: Consists of two semi-flexible copper pipes to connect the outdoor air conditioner or heat pump to the indoor evaporator coil. The smaller pipe is called the liquid line. The larger pipe is referred to as the suction line, and includes insulation.
Louvers: Any of a series of narrow openings framed at their longer edges with slanting, overlapping fins or slats, adjustable for directing air flow capacity.
Microprocessor: A control system that uses computer logic to operate and monitor an air conditioning system. Microprocessor controls are commonly used on modern precision air conditioning systems to maintain precise control of temperature and humidity and to monitor the units operation.
Outdoor Unit: The portion of a heat pump or central air conditioning system that is located outside the home and functions as a heat transfer point for collecting heat from and dispelling heat to the outside air.
Purge: Remove air and water vapor from the refrigerant inside the lines and system. A purge is a necessity in negative pressure designs, but is not necessary in positive pressure designs where air and water vapor are kept out of the system by the internal pressure.
Quad-Zone: One system that employes four air handlers or indoor units that control the climate for four different areas.
Real-Time: Of or relating to the actual time during which something occurs; that is, current as opposed to delayed; at once; instantaneously.
Reference Standard: A standardized object or substance which is used as a measurement base for similar objects or substances.
Refrigerant: A chemical that cools air as it evaporates
Return on Investment: A performance measurement used to evaluate the efficiency of an investment.
Reversing Valve: A device in a heat pump that reverses the flow of refrigerant as the system is switched from cooling to heating.
SEER: Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio. SEER measures a unit's cooling efficiency. The higher the number, the greater the efficiency. The SEER calculation is based as the result of the Btu's produced divided by the amount of watts consumed. An air conditioner is said to be 16 SEER if, for example, it produces 24,000 Btu's per hour (2 tons) and consumes 1500 watts in that one hour of operation. A 24,000 Btu air conditioner consuming 1846 watts per hour would be 13 SEER
Setoff: A separate space or enclosure developed from something else and used to juxtapose with something else.
Short-Cycling: Improper air circulation causing system to operate for brief periods.
Single Zone: Single zone models consist of 1 indoor unit and 1 outdoor unit. Single zone systems are sold as a set. Additional indoor units can Not be installed on a single zone system.
Soffits: Undersides of architectural features, as a beam, arch, ceiling, vault, or cornice.
Split System: Refers to an air conditioner or heat pump that is
combined with indoor components, such as an evaporator coil inside and
a condenser coil outside your home.
Spot-Cooling: A type of air conditioning system where individual system components have their own cooling components in place.
Supplemental Energy: As used in this context, the auxiliary or emergency heat, usually electrical resistance heat, provided at temperatures below a heat pump's balance point
Thermostat: A device that monitors and controls your temperature inside your home. The remote control is most commonly used as a thermostat on ductless split systems.
Tri-Zone: One system that employes three air handlers or indoor units that control the climate for three different areas.
Unqualified Service Technicians: Technicians who are not certified and not licensed with the state to perform the skilled journey-level work required to install, modify, inspect, troubleshoot, repair, and maintain air-conditioning equipment and systems; and perform related duties as required, and otherwise unqualified.
Zone: Zoning allows you to control the heating and cooling delivered to specific areas of your house for a custom solution. Zoning can increase efficiency and comfort in the areas of the house you use most often.
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