HVAC Term Glossary

Ever wonder what some of those names and acronyms mean in your HVAC owners manual? You don’t need a secret decoder – Warner Service Heating Cooling and Plumbing has a guide just for you!

Common HVAC Terms

AFUE – Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency, a rating that reflects the efficiency of a gas furnace in converting fuel to energy. A rating of 90 means that approximately 90% of the fuel is utilized to provide warmth to your home, while the remaining 10% escapes as exhaust.

BTU – British Thermal Unit. In scientific terms, it represents the amount of energy required to raise one pound of water one degree Fahrenheit. One BTU is the equivalent of the heat given off by a single wooden kitchen match. 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 – A standard of airflow measurement. Cubic feet per minute. A typical system produces 400 CFM per ton of air conditioning.

Capacity – The output or producing ability of a piece of cooling or heating equipment. Cooling and heating capacity are normally referred to in BTUs.

Compressor – The heart of an air conditioning or heat pump system. It is part of the outdoor unit that pumps refrigerant. The compressor maintains adequate pressure to cause refrigerant to flow in sufficient quantities to meet the cooling requirements of the system.

Condenser Coil or Outdoor Coil – Located in the outdoor unit, the coil dissipates heat from the refrigerant, changing the refrigerant from vapor to liquid. In American Standard units, the coil is either Spine FinTM or Plate Fin.

Damper – Found in duct work, this movable plate opens and closes to control airflow. Dampers are used effectively in zoning to regulate airflow to certain rooms.

Downflow Furnace – A furnace that pulls in return air from the top and expels warm air at the bottom

Ductwork – Pipes or channels that carry air throughout your home.

Evaporator Coil – The coil that is inside your house in a split system. In the evaporator, refrigerant evaporates and absorbs heat from air passed over the coil.

Heat Exchanger – A device for the transfer of heat energy from the source to the conveying medium.

Humidifier – A device that produces water vapor into heated air as the air is expelled from the furnace.

Humidity – The amount of moisture in the air. Air conditioners remove moisture for added comfort.

HSPF – Heating Seasonal Performance Factor, a rating used in measuring the heating efficiency of a heat pump. The higher the number, the more efficient the unit.

HVAC – Heating, ventilation and air conditioning.

ICM – Integrally Controlled Motor. A specially engineered, variable-speed motor used in American Standard’s top-of-the-line indoor units. ICM motors are more than 90% efficient versus 60% efficiency for conventional motors. Continuous comfort, whisper-quiet operation and ultimate system efficiency are the benefits of the indoor products graced with the ICM motor.

Package System – A piece of air conditioning and heating equipment where all components are located in one cabinet. Used occasionally in residential applications, the package unit is installed either beside or on top of the home.

Refrigerant – A substance that produces a refrigerating effect while expanding or vaporizing.

Refrigerant Lines – Set of two copper lines connecting the outdoor unit and the indoor unit.

SEER – Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio, a rating that measures the cooling efficiency of a heat pump or air conditioner. The higher the number, the more efficient the unit.

Switchover Valve – A device in a heat pump that reverses the flow of refrigerant as the system is switched from cooling to heating. Also called a reversing valve or four-way valve.

Thermostat – A temperature control device, typically found on a wall inside the home, that consists of a series of sensors and relays that monitor and control the functions of a heating and cooling system. American Standard’s programmable thermostats allow you to program different levels of comfort for different times of the day.

Ton – A unit of measurement used for determining cooling capacity. One ton is the equivalent of 12,000 BTUs per hour.

Upflow Furnace – A furnace that pulls return air in from the bottom and expels warm air from the top.

Zoning – A method of dividing a home into zones and enabling you to control the amount of comfort provided to each.

Ever wonder what some of those names and acronyms mean in your HVAC owners manual? You don’t need a secret decoder – Warner Service Heating Cooling and Plumbing has a guide just for you!

Common HVAC Terms

AFUE – Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency, a rating that reflects the efficiency of a gas furnace in converting fuel to energy. A rating of 90 means that approximately 90% of the fuel is utilized to provide warmth to your home, while the remaining 10% escapes as exhaust.

BTU – British Thermal Unit. In scientific terms, it represents the amount of energy required to raise one pound of water one degree Fahrenheit. One BTU is the equivalent of the heat given off by a single wooden kitchen match. 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 – A standard of airflow measurement. Cubic feet per minute. A typical system produces 400 CFM per ton of air conditioning.

Capacity – The output or producing ability of a piece of cooling or heating equipment. Cooling and heating capacity are normally referred to in BTUs.

Compressor – The heart of an air conditioning or heat pump system. It is part of the outdoor unit that pumps refrigerant. The compressor maintains adequate pressure to cause refrigerant to flow in sufficient quantities to meet the cooling requirements of the system.

Condenser Coil or Outdoor Coil – Located in the outdoor unit, the coil dissipates heat from the refrigerant, changing the refrigerant from vapor to liquid. In American Standard units, the coil is either Spine Fin ^TM or Plate Fin.

Damper – Found in duct work, this movable plate opens and closes to control airflow. Dampers are used effectively in zoning to regulate airflow to certain rooms.

Downflow Furnace – A furnace that pulls in return air from the top and expels warm air at the bottom

Ductwork – Pipes or channels that carry air throughout your home.

Evaporator Coil – The coil that is inside your house in a split system. In the evaporator, refrigerant evaporates and absorbs heat from air passed over the coil.

Heat Exchanger – A device for the transfer of heat energy from the source to the conveying medium.

Humidifier – A device that produces water vapor into heated air as the air is expelled from the furnace.

Humidity – The amount of moisture in the air. Air conditioners remove moisture for added comfort.

HSPF – Heating Seasonal Performance Factor, a rating used in measuring the heating efficiency of a heat pump. The higher the number, the more efficient the unit.

HVAC – Heating, ventilation and air conditioning.

ICM – Integrally Controlled Motor. A specially engineered, variable-speed motor used in American Standard’s top-of-the-line indoor units. ICM motors are more than 90% efficient versus 60% efficiency for conventional motors. Continuous comfort, whisper-quiet operation and ultimate system efficiency are the benefits of the indoor products graced with the ICM motor.

Package System – A piece of air conditioning and heating equipment where all components are located in one cabinet. Used occasionally in residential applications, the package unit is installed either beside or on top of the home.

Refrigerant – A substance that produces a refrigerating effect while expanding or vaporizing.

Refrigerant Lines – Set of two copper lines connecting the outdoor unit and the indoor unit.

SEER – Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio, a rating that measures the cooling efficiency of a heat pump or air conditioner. The higher the number, the more efficient the unit.

Switchover Valve – A device in a heat pump that reverses the flow of refrigerant as the system is switched from cooling to heating. Also called a reversing valve or four-way valve.

Thermostat – A temperature control device, typically found on a wall inside the home, that consists of a series of sensors and relays that monitor and control the functions of a heating and cooling system. American Standard’s programmable thermostats allow you to program different levels of comfort for different times of the day.

Ton – A unit of measurement used for determining cooling capacity. One ton is the equivalent of 12,000 BTUs per hour.

Upflow Furnace – A furnace that pulls return air in from the bottom and expels warm air from the top.

Zoning – A method of dividing a home into zones and enabling you to control the amount of comfort provided to each.

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