 
HVAC Glossary of Terms
The following is a glossary of terms you may hear or see when reviewing
specifications on HVAC equipment.
AFUE
Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency. A measure of a gas furnace's efficiency
in converting fuel to energy - the higher the rating, the more efficient the
unit. For example: A rating of 90 means that approximately 90 percent of the
fuel is used to provide warmth to your home, while the remaining 10 percent
escapes as exhaust.
BTU
British Thermal Unit. This is the amount of heat it takes to raise one pound
of water one degree Fahrenheit. For your home, it represents the measure of
heat given off when fuel is burned for heating or the measure of heat
extracted from your home for cooling.
CFM
Cubic Feet Per Minute. A standard measurement of airflow. A typical system
requires 400 CFM per ton of air conditioning.
Capacity
The output or producing ability of a piece of cooling or heating equipment.
Cooling and heating capacities are referred to as BTUs.
Comfort-R Airflow System
An exclusive feature of a high efficiency home comfort system from American
Standard. This method of ramping airflow gives you greater humidity control
in cooling and provides warmer air during heating start up.
Compressor
The heart of an air conditioning or heat pump system. It is part of the
outdoor unit and pumps refrigerant in order to meet the cooling requirements
of the system.
Condensor Coil or Outdoor Coil
In an air conditioner, the coil dissipates heat from the refrigerant,
changing the refrigerant from vapor to liquid. In a heat pump system, it
absorbs heat from the outdoors.
Damper
Found in ductwork, this movable plate opens and closes to control airflow.
Dampers can be used to balance airflow in a duct system. They are also used
in zoning to regulate airflow to certain rooms.
Ductwork
Pipes or channels that carry air throughout your home. In a home comfort
system, ductwork is critical to performance - in fact, it's as critical as
the equipment.
Evaporator Coil or Indoor Coil
The other half of your air conditioning system located inside your home in
the indoor unit. This is where the refrigerant evaporates as it absorbs heat
from the air that passes over the coil.
Gas Furnace Heat Exchanger
Located in the furnace, the heat exchanger transfers heat to the surrounding
air, which is then pumped throughout your home.
HSPF
Heating Seasonal Performance Factor. This rating is used in measuring the
heating efficiency of a heat pump. The higher the number, the more efficient
the unit.
Package Unit
A heating and cooling system contained in one outdoor unit. A package unit
is typically installed either beside, on top of the home, or sometimes in
the attic.
Refrigerant
A chemical that produces a refrigerating effect while expanding and
vaporizing. Most residential air conditioning systems contain R-22
refrigerant. R-22 is regulated by international controls under the
Montreal Protocol and in the United States by the Environmental Protection
Agency. It is scheduled to be in production until the year 2020. It's used
in approximately 95 percent of air conditioning equipment manufactured in
the U.S. today.
SEER
Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio. A measure of cooling efficiency for air
conditioners and heat pumps. The higher the seer, the more energy efficient
the unit. The government's minimum SEER rating is 10. (It's similar to
comparing miles per gallon in automobiles.)
SEET
Seasonal Extreme Environmental Test Lab. This is American Standard's torture
chamber for heating and air conditioning systems, where five years of
service are condensed into 16 torturous weeks. If a product doesn't make
it through our SEET lab, it's not manufactured. We push our equipment to
extremes because we'd rather test them in our lab than in your home.
Split System
The combination of an outdoor unit (air conditioner or heat pump) with an
indoor unit (furnace or air handler). Split systems must be matched for
optimum efficiency.
Thermostat
A thermostat consists of a series of sensors and relays that monitor and
control the functions of a heating and cooling system.
Ton
A unit of measurement used for determining cooling capacity. One ton is the
equivalent of 12,000 BTUs per hour.
Zoning
A method of dividing a home into different comfort zones so each zone can be
independently controlled depending on use and need.
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