When you talk with your HVAC technician about repairing or replacing parts of your one’s cooling and heating system, it’s important to have a basic understanding of some of the most common terms. Here’s what five of the most popular HVAC terms mean.
- Relative humidity (RH): At any given temperature, air can hold a certain amount of water vapor. RH is a percentage that tells you how much water vapor is in the air compared to the maximum amount possible. The RH levels of your home’s air are important for air quality and comfort.
- Boiling point (BP): In many parts of your HVAC system, there are phase changes, especially with the refrigerant in your air conditioner or heat pump. The BP is the temperature that causes a liquid to turn into a gas.
- Indoor air quality (IAQ): This term encompases many factors that determine how indoor air affects health. Things like mold, mildew and dust lower your IAQ as they can cause breathing issues and discomfort.
- Coils: Heat pumps and A/Cs have at least one coil depending on the type, though common split-system heat pumps and A/Cs have two, one inside and one outside. Refrigerant flows through the coils, which allows for the basic heat exchange that provides cooling and heating in these systems. HVAC coils have a large surface area and are made out of a material to help it transfer heat efficiently.
- Heat exchanger: Your furnace (and some other types of HVAC systems) contains an essential component called a heat exchanger. This is where air is heated before being distributed through your home.
It’s always good to understand HVAC terms if you want to keep your system running as smoothly as possible. If you want to learn more about your Greater Kansas City home’s cooling and heating systems, please contact our professionals at Overland Park Heating & Cooling.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Overland Park, Kansas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).
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