When you upgrade your cooling equipment, it’s good to have at least some idea of what the HVAC contractor is talking about. If you feel like the world of A/C-speak is a foreign language, we can help translate for you.

Below are some of the HVAC concepts that are important for you to know when you upgrade:

  • Air Handler – The part of an A/C system located indoors.
  • Compressor/Condenser – The part of the A/C system located outdoors.
  • Refrigerant – A liquid with a low boiling point (usually sub-zero) that enables an A/C to cool the air.
  • Coil – A radiator-like mesh of tubes through which the refrigerant flows. There are usually two coils in an A/C system: the indoor evaporator coil, which removes heat from the air, and the outdoor condenser coil, which releases that heat back into the outdoor air.
  • British Thermal Unit (BTU) – A measure of cooling or heating output. One BTU is enough to heat or cool one pound of water by one degree.
  • Ton – 12,000 BTUs per hour equal one ton of cooling capacity. The size of central A/C systems are often measured in tons.
  • Heat Gain – The amount of heat that enters your home from its surroundings. Used to determine how large your home’s A/C system needs to be.
  • Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER) – A measure of how energy-efficient an A/C is over the course of an entire cooling season. SEER is the number of cooling BTU’s produced for each watt of electricity consumed.
  • Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value (MERV) – A measure of how effective an air filter is at removing pollutants from the air.
  • North American Technician Excellence (NATE) – A certification program for HVAC professionals.
  • Heat Pump – A system that can both cool and heat the air by pumping heat to or from the outdoor air or the ground.
  • Ductless Mini-Splits – An A/C upgrade that requires no ducts, because it has a different mini air handler for each room.

When it is time to upgrade the cooling equipment in your Cleveland-area home, contact the professionals at Stack Heating & Cooling. We would be happy to answer whatever questions you may have, so give us a call today.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about upgrades and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Stack Heating services Cleveland, Ohio and the surrounding areas. Visit our website to see our special offers and get started today!      

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