Cooling is one of the most important concepts of home ownership. In fact, heating and cooling systems are major factors for those looking to purchase homes, and are a critical part of living comfortably in a home. Most Greensboro homeowners, however, don't fully understand their air conditioning system. Here are a few questions we are frequently asked on air conditioning service jobs:
What does HVAC mean?
The term "HVAC" is frequently used to describe home heating and cooling systems. The acronym stands for Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning, which are the 3 primary functions of heating and cooling systems. HVAC systems control air temperature and humidity and maintain the quality of air in the home.
What's the difference between between a central and a local cooling system?
Cooling systems may be classified as either central or local. Central cooling is the most standard method of air conditioning, and is defined by a system that produces cool air in one central area and then distributes it throughout the home. Traditional split systems to packaged product systems are just a couple of the types of systems that work as central air conditioning systems.
Local cooling, however, produces cool air in the room where it is needed and serves small spaces. Room Air Conditioners and Packaged Terminal Air Conditioners (PTAC) are two types of local air conditioning systems.
How does an air conditioning system work?
Whole-home air conditioning systems are central systems that rely on ducts to deliver cooled air throughout the home. An air-conditioning system provides cooling, ventilation, humidity control and even heating (if using a Heat Pump) for a home. Air conditioning units cool refrigerants like Puron Refrigerant and Freon and deliver them to evaporator coils, which dissipate the refrigerant and blow cool air into ducts for delivery throughout the home.
Products such as room air conditioners are local cooling options for smaller areas within homes. Instead of delivering cooled refrigerant to a coil and then to ductwork, a room air conditioner contains all the components in a single unit and blows air directly into a room.
Air-conditioned homes often have sealed windows, because open windows would disrupt the attempts of the control system to maintain constant temperature.
Typical air conditioning products include:
- Heat Pumps
- Central Air Conditioners
- Evaporator Coils
- Room Air Conditioners
- Single Packaged Products
How does a thermostat work?
The term "thermostat" commonly refers to a device that controls the temperature of a home by operating both the home cooling and heating systems. Programmable thermostats can also be used to manage the timing of the system's functions, which can control overall energy use and costs.