No matter what you’re planning to do with your home’s cooling and heating system, knowing some HVAC terms is helpful when exploring your options or talking with a professional. Here are a few of the most important terms to know:
- HVAC stands for “Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning” and refers to all of the heating and cooling e
quipment, ductwork and other ventilation equipment of fixtures installed in your home. - AFUE stands for “Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency.” The higher the percentage, the more fuel the furnace or boiler converts into heat for your home. The minimum AFUE for new furnaces is 78 percent.
- SEER stands for “Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio,” which shows the cooling efficiency of A/Cs and heat pumps. The minimum SEER for new cooling units is 13, and high-efficiency systems usually start at 16.
- HSPF means “Heating Seasonal Performance Factor” and is the heating efficiency rating for heat pumps. The minimum HSPF for new heat pumps is 7.7. This rating is more important if you’re operating your heat pump in a Northern climate, such as ours in the Twin Cities area.
- MERV stands for “Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value,” and rates how well an air filter catches particulates and contaminants during forced-air HVAC operation. The MERV scale for residential air filters runs from 1-16, with the higher-rated filters capturing smaller (and more) particulates. With the MERV scale, remember that the highest-rated filters may impede system airflow, which is something you should avoid. Look for a MERV rating in the 8-12 range for a good balance of air cleaning and airflow maintenance.
- Heat Pumps can both heat and cool your home by transferring heat inside and outside, respectively, using the heat-exchange capabilities of refrigerant. Most heat pumps extract heat from the air, though geothermal heat pumps use the heat underground to heat and cool your home.
- Air Handler refers to the fans or blowers in your system that move air through the ductwork and into your living spaces, and blow air across indoor coils to either remove heat energy from inside the house, or to expel it for home heating (in a heat pump system).
There are many more HVAC terms than we have room for to discuss in this article. For more information on HVAC terms, please contact us at Marsh Heating & Air Conditioning.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about HVAC terms and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
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