heating & Cooling 101
How to Keep Your Home Comfortable
When you think about the most important things that your home offers, one of them is certainly the ability to control your climate. That’s why your heating and cooling system, or HVAC system, is critical to the function of your home. HVAC is an acronym for heating, ventilation and air conditioning. These are the primary functions that a home heating or cooling system serves. A good system will successfully monitor and control the temperature of your air, the humidity and maintain the freshness of the air in your home.
CENTRAL HEATING AND COOLING SYSTEMS
A central heating and cooling system produces all of the temperature-controlled air in one central location and then sends it around your home for distribution. There are a variety of different central air systems, including split systems and packaged product systems. A split system has components on both the inside and outside of your home, while a packaged system is all in one location.
Below are a few of the common products and parts that are used in central air systems:
HEATING
In most central heating systems, the air is forced through the ductwork to be distributed. This will be felt as a stream of air blowing out of the ducts or vents. Within the ductwork there are parts or products that help to filter the air and keep it clean and fresh. The alternative is a radiant system, which takes heat throughout the home through radiators. The heat starts in a boiler, then travels through the home. It is essentially transferred into the air by contact. It will heat the air closest to it, and as all of the air moves around, the room is warmed up.
Some of the products and parts commonly used in heating systems are listed below:
An air conditioning system that serves an entire home will be a central air system. These systems can not only cool and ventilate
your home, but also control the humidity and sometimes heat your home when paired with a heat pump.
Some of the common products or parts found in an air conditioning system include:
You could think of the thermostat as the brains of your heating or cooling system. It will turn the system off or on depending upon the temperature in your home and the temperature that you have the system set to. You can also program most modern thermostats depending upon the time of day or whether or not you are in the home, which will help you save money by reducing the amount of energy used.
When you think about the most important things that your home offers, one of them is certainly the ability to control your climate. That’s why your heating and cooling system, or HVAC system, is critical to the function of your home. HVAC is an acronym for heating, ventilation and air conditioning. These are the primary functions that a home heating or cooling system serves. A good system will successfully monitor and control the temperature of your air, the humidity and maintain the freshness of the air in your home.
CENTRAL HEATING AND COOLING SYSTEMS
A central heating and cooling system produces all of the temperature-controlled air in one central location and then sends it around your home for distribution. There are a variety of different central air systems, including split systems and packaged product systems. A split system has components on both the inside and outside of your home, while a packaged system is all in one location.
Below are a few of the common products and parts that are used in central air systems:
- Heat pumps – This device takes heat energy and transfers it in the opposite direction of spontaneous heat movement.
- Air conditioners – There are a variety of types available with different efficiency ratings, but they can cool a room or an entire home.
- Gas and oil furnaces – Be sure to check the efficiency ratings and consider the cost of using the various furnaces available. These systems use a central furnace to heat up your home.
- Fan coils – These are among the most affordable systems to install based upon the simplicity of the design, but they are also noisier to use and sometimes more expensive to use depending upon the design.
- Evaporator coils – These coils work to cool off air by having refrigerant pumped through them so that they can cool the air by contact.
- Controls and thermostats – Depending upon your budget, you may be able to invest in a thermostat and control unit that will significantly improve your efficiency and limit the month-to-month cost of heating and cooling your home.
HEATING
In most central heating systems, the air is forced through the ductwork to be distributed. This will be felt as a stream of air blowing out of the ducts or vents. Within the ductwork there are parts or products that help to filter the air and keep it clean and fresh. The alternative is a radiant system, which takes heat throughout the home through radiators. The heat starts in a boiler, then travels through the home. It is essentially transferred into the air by contact. It will heat the air closest to it, and as all of the air moves around, the room is warmed up.
Some of the products and parts commonly used in heating systems are listed below:
- Heat pumps
- Gas and oil furnaces
- Fan coils
- Boilers
An air conditioning system that serves an entire home will be a central air system. These systems can not only cool and ventilate
your home, but also control the humidity and sometimes heat your home when paired with a heat pump.
Some of the common products or parts found in an air conditioning system include:
- Heat pumps
- Air conditioners
- Evaporator coils
- Fan Coils
You could think of the thermostat as the brains of your heating or cooling system. It will turn the system off or on depending upon the temperature in your home and the temperature that you have the system set to. You can also program most modern thermostats depending upon the time of day or whether or not you are in the home, which will help you save money by reducing the amount of energy used.
