HVAC is an acronym for heating, ventilation and air conditioning. By learning what HVAC means, you’ll have a better understanding of how your system works, and how all its parts contribute to the comfort of your home.
Heating
The typical American home has forced-air heating, powered by a furnace with burners that heat air, which is then distributed through ductwork and vents. Other types of heating include a heat pump, which moves heat from outdoors to the interior of the home by means of refrigerant; radiant heating, which uses either a system of electric coils or a boiler to heat water that runs through tubing in the ceiling or floor; or geothermal heating, another type of heat pump, which uses refrigerant to move heat from the earth into the home. Ductless mini splits are another kind of heat pump, but they employ air handlers rather than ductwork to distribute heat.
Ventilation
Ventilation systems are mostly devoted to improving air quality, although some may boost cooling efforts by removing humidity. Some typical systems:
- Mechanical – Forced-air systems draw in return air through a filter. If the filter is of good quality, it will catch airborne particulates and improve the quality of the air moving through the ducts.
- Ventilation systems – Dedicated ventilation systems basically bring in fresh air and exhaust stale air. The basic types are supply, exhaust, balanced and heat recovery or energy recovery.
- Air cleaners – These can be portable or installed in the HVAC system. They remove different kinds of particles or chemicals from the home’s air.
Air Conditioning
Most American homes have central air conditioners. These systems use refrigerant to remove heat from the home’s interior, exhausting it outside through the condenser, and with an indoor air handler, move the cooler air through the home’s ductwork. Other types of A/Cs are heat pumps, ductless mini splits and geothermal systems. As mentioned above, these systems also heat the home, but when a switch is reversed, they can remove indoor heat to provide cooling.
For more on what HVAC means, contact Energy 1 Heating and Air Conditioning. We’ve served the Lorain region for more than 35 years.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Lorain, Ohio about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about HVAC systems and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
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Energy 1 Heating & Air Conditioning
1 (440) 246-5440
Serving the Lorain, OH Area