HVAC systems are designed to move air, providing heating and/or cooling for interior spaces. The three main components of these systems are typically ducts to transfer air, a heating unit, and a cooling unit. Ventilation is the first step in an HVAC system as it allows fresh air to enter a building.
Air from open windows, doors, or crevices is drawn into buildings by natural ventilation, which employs pressure differences to propel the air in. Fans, blowers, filters, and ducts are needed for today’s securely sealed houses and businesses. Air conditioning and HVAC are often used synonymously. Still, the phrases have two distinct meanings.
What Are Air Conditioning Systems?
AC units are often found in HVAC systems together with a cooling unit. The fan of air conditioners made by Frigidaire, Coleman, and other HVAC manufacturers pulls air in and pushes it over the coils of the evaporator to chill it. These coils, which are filled with refrigerant, take heat from the air, and cool it. The air then passes via an air handler and is directed into the ducts by a blower. Any harmful gases created during the process are released via the flue when the cold air passes through the ducts.
The refrigerant vaporizes when heat is absorbed by an air conditioner. The refrigerant passes via the compressor, which pressurizes it, and onto the condenser, where it condenses from a vapor back into a liquid, returning it to its original condition. As it does so, heat expelled by a fan is released.
A more affordable solution in some places when the temperature drops too far for a furnace is a heat pump that has dual heating and cooling capabilities. Either way, the ductwork distributes the cold air these units create throughout the home, and their cooling performance is determined by their Seasonal Energy performance Ratio (SEER). You want to look for a unit with a high SEER rating if you desire energy efficiency. The lowest SEER rating is 13, while the highest efficiency units will have ratings of 20 or more. A minimum SEER of 14 is required for an air conditioner to be certified Energy Star by the US government.
What Are Heat Pumps?
Heat pumps and central air conditioners operate on the same principle—that heat is always drawn to cold—and function similarly. Heat is taken up by the refrigerant and released from the building to cool the air. A heat pump transfers cold outside air over much colder refrigerant to create warm air. The coils heat up as a result of heat being pulled into the refrigerant. After passing over the heated coils, the air is pulled in and blown into the house at the proper temperature.
What Are Furnaces?
According to HVAC supplier Ingram’s Water & Air Equipment, an HVAC system pulls air through the ducts and pushes it into the boiler to heat a building using a gas boiler. The heat exchanger is heated to the required temperature by the combustion chamber while the furnace is operating. The motor forces hot air through the exchanger, blows it through the ducts, and returns it to the home.
The operation of an oil furnace is similar. Oil is pumped into an oil furnace from a reserve tank, via a filter, and into a chamber where it is misted and sprayed onto a burner. The heat exchanger is heated by the flame that ignites the burner. The air is then driven into the exchanger, heated, and blasted back into the home, just as it would be with a gas furnace. Furnaces that burn oil are uncommon. They are used in around 5% of all HVAC systems.
It is possible to convert certain gas furnaces so that liquid propane burns in place of oil or natural gas. In isolated locations where alternative fuel sources may not be as dependable, propane furnaces are a smart choice. Furthermore, when square footage is limited, propane furnaces may fit in mechanical closets and other compact locations.
The furnace’s efficiency is determined by its Annual Fuel Usage Efficiency (AFUE) rating, which shows the percentage of fuel that is converted to heat, regardless of whether it is powered by electricity, propane, or natural gas. 95% of the fuel fed into a furnace with an AFUE rating of 95% is converted into heat. The minimum allowable AFUE rating as of right now is 80%. Models with ratings of 95% to 98% are specifically high-efficiency models, such as those made by Carrier, Bryant, and Goodman.
Every HVAC system is different, based on a home’s requirements for heating and cooling, location, age, and pre-existing ductwork, among other considerations.
Airflow and Thermostats
In addition, some systems could contain air purifiers that remove germs, viruses, and other microscopic particles from the air, humidifiers (or dehumidifiers) that change the humidity in the air, and ventilation systems that push air out of the home. Should you need assistance deciding which of these extra parts are necessary for your requirements, an HVAC technician may provide it.
A traditional or smart thermostat, such as those made by Rheem, Trane, and Lennox, controls all of these. The required parts start to function when the temperature or other parameters reach a certain degree. Certain intelligent systems have the ability to notify you of issues, prompt you to replace your filters, and exchange diagnostic data with your HVAC specialist.
