Posted on: Feb 15, 2023
The odds are great that you’ve lived in a home with an HVAC system at one point in your life—they’re popular solutions for heating and cooling. Your comfort level right now may well be due to an HVAC.
HVAC systems warm and cool your home. A lot of people only associate HVAC with air conditioning and heating, but they also consist of ducts, vents, thermostats, and more. Read on to learn more about what HVAC systems are and how they work.
In some homes, the heating and cooling systems are controlled by separate machines, such as a boiler system, radiator, window air conditioner, or swamp cooler.
A home’s HVAC unit is a group of individual components that work together to heat and cool your home. Depending on the time of year, the same machine will either activate the furnace or the air conditioning to maintain a comfortable indoor temperature.
The term HVAC is an acronym that stands for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning. The entire system incorporates all the processes and technology that work to heat, cool, and ventilate your home.
A complete heating, cooling, and ventilation system includes not only the equipment that regulates the temperature of your home but also:
There are four main HVAC system types, each with its own advantages.
Split systems are divided into two units: a heating unit and a cooling unit. Split systems are the most common type of HVAC unit and have both indoor and outdoor counterparts. The cooling system exists outside, while the furnace is typically located in a basement or closet space.
When a heating and cooling system needs to operate without built-in ducts, it is called a duct-free or mini-split system. These systems are operated on a room-by-room basis, with individual units to control the temperature in a single area. Duct-free split systems are often used in home additions or multi-family buildings to allow individuals to heat and cool one space to their liking.
As the name suggests, a zoned HVAC unit can alter the temperature in just one zone or room at a time. The wider system will only release conditioned air to the desired zone, which boosts energy efficiency and allows individuals to customize temperatures in every room.
To get the best of both worlds and achieve HVAC efficiency, a hybrid system, like a hybrid car, has access to more than one energy source to power the system. These are popular for their ability to save energy without compromising the effectiveness of their heating and cooling capabilities.
Essentially, an HVAC system:
The components of an HVAC unit can be grouped into three categories.
The center of your home’s heating system is likely a furnace powered by electricity or a fuel source such as gas, propane, or oil. A furnace uses a pump to bring in air, which then absorbs heat from the unit and transports it through ducts and vents to generate indoor warmth.
Excess heat needs a place to go. Your home’s ventilation system uses ducts to send air through chimney flues or vent stacks to discharge heat energy away from the building. Ventilation also helps prevent condensation buildup that can damage the system or the home itself.
Though a heating system will condition the air by warming it up, a cooling or air conditioning system simply removes heat from the airflow rather than generating cold. This works by using a refrigerant, which absorbs heat to produce cooler air and move it through the airways.
Proper care and maintenance of your HVAC unit are crucial to its longevity. Keep your system in excellent condition by:
A qualified HVAC technician can ensure your system is up to date and in good working order. It is recommended that you schedule an annual HVAC service to ensure energy efficiency, proper ventilation, and adequate heating and cooling no matter the time of year.
Don’t wait until it’s too late to give your HVAC the care and maintenance it needs to keep you and your family comfortable at home year-round. Bring in a licensed Airco professional to keep your system working properly and maximize your energy usage.
Reach out to Airco Service to discover more about the HVAC services we can provide your home in Oklahoma or Arkansas.