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AFUE
AFUE- Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency
Indicated as a percentage, your furnace's AFUE tells you how much energy is being converted to heat. For example, an AFUE of 90 means 90% of the fuel is being used to warm your home, while the other 10% escapes as exhaust and combustion gases.
BTU
BTU- British Thermal Unit
Used for both heating and cooling, BTU is a measure of the heat given off when fuel is combusted. One BTU is equal to the heat given off by a wooden match
Capacity
The ability of a heating or cooling system to heat or cool a given amount of space. For heating, this is usually expressed in BTU's. For cooling, it is usually given in tons.
Compressor
Part of a split system heat pump or air conditioner's outdoor unit that keeps pressure applied to the refrigerant, necessary for taking in heat to warm your home or the removal of heat to keep your home cool.
Condenser Coil
Part of a split system heat pump or air conditioner. By converting refrigerant that is a gas form back to a liquit, the coil sends heat carried by the refrigerant to the outside.
Damper
A type of "valve" used in ductwork that opens or closes to control airflow. It is used in zoning to control the amount of warm or cold air entering certain areas of your home.
Downflow
A type of furnace that takes cool air from the top and blows warm air to the bottom- common when your furnace must be located in a second-floor closet or utility area.
Electronic Air Cleaner (EAC)
An electronic device that filters out large particles and contaminants in indoor air. It then electronically pulls out tiny particales that have been magnetized, such as viruses and bacteria, drawing them to a collector plate.
HSPF
HSPF- Heating Seasonal Performance Factor
This is a measure of the heating efficiency of a heat pump. The higher the HSPF number, the more efficiently the heat pump heats your home.
Humidifer
A piece of equipment that adds water vapor to heated air as it moves out of the furnace. This adds necessary moisture to protect your furnishings and reduce static electricity.
SEER
SEER- Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio
This is a measure of the cooling efficiency of the air conditioner or heat pump. The higher the SEER number, the more efficient is your system when it comes to converting electricity to cooling power.
Setback (or Programmable )Thermostat
A state of the art electronic thermostat with a built-in memory that can be programmed for different temperature settings at different times of the day.
Ton
A unit of measure for cooling capacity. One ton = 12,000 BTUs per hour.
Upflow
A type of furnace that draws cool air from the bottom and blows the warmed air out the top into the ductwork. This type of furnace is usually installed in a basement or an out of the way closet.
Zoning
A way to increase your home comfort and energy efficiency by controlling when and where heating and cooling occurs in a home. Programmable thermostats are used to contol the operating times of the equipment. Dammpers are used to direct airflow to certain parts of the home.
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