A Beginner’s Guide to HVAC
When you own a house, heating and cooling are extremely important to living comfortably throughout the year. HVAC technology plays a vital role in keeping you cool in the summer and warm during winter. That’s why homeowners need to understand the essential elements of an HVAC unit. With this guide, you can stay informed about the system that keeps your home comfortable.
What Exactly Is HVAC?
This acronym stands for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning, and it is used to describe home heating and cooling systems. An HVAC system has three primary functions in your home. This system controls the air temperature and humidity in the room. Along with that, it maintains the indoor air quality. The different components of an HVAC system work together to create a comfortable home environment.
HVAC Can Work As a Central System
Many heating and cooling systems are classified as central or local. Central heating and cooling units are the most standard models in the country. This system produces cool or warm air in a centralized area and distributes it throughout the home. There are several types of systems that are considered centralized, such as packaged product systems or traditional split systems.
Central systems often use heat pumps to regulate temperatures. These devices use mechanical-compression cycle refrigeration to move cold and hot air from the outdoors into your home. These heat pumps often work in collaboration with supplemental cooling and heating methods throughout your home.
The air conditioner is another vital element for your HVAC. These units pump chilled air into your home by a series of air ducts. It works with the thermostat to produce cool air when the temperatures start to rise in the house.
For warm air, the furnace kicks in. Many central heating systems will either have an oil or gas furnace. These units are located in the garage or basement. The furnace’s purpose is to create combustible gases that warm the air and move it through the ducts.
The fan coils are also called condenser coils, and they work with the heat pump to provide heat during those cold winter months. An evaporator coil works in the same way as a fan coil. However, these components operate with the air conditioner to remove heat from the building.
Finally, an HVAC system also has several controls and a thermostat. The thermostat works by sensing the home’s indoor air temperature and switches it on or off to meet the desired setting. Many modern thermostats will use a thermistor to measure the air temperature.
The Heating System Component
The HVAC heating component is designed to keep your home warm in the winter. If you live in a colder climate, then the heating system is a high priority. Many heating and cooling systems are known as forced-air systems since they move air through a series of ducts. These air ducts often contain a filter that will clean the air as it moves through the system. A radiant heating system creates heat that is delivered to the home. One of the most common radiant heat sources is a boiler. However, there are other heating components that you can use with your HVAC.
The heat pump is often used with other components to create warm air. Many homeowners will use these pumps by themselves to produce warm air. These pumps often work best when used in moderate climates.
For many American households, there is a gas or oil furnace in the house. These central systems are used to produce heat, and they are powered by fuel oil, natural gas, or electricity.
Boilers are another source of heat, but they are not common in many homes. A boiler is a pressurized vessel that produces a heat transfer between combustible products and water. These components are usually integrated into a centralized heating system.
Fan coils are essential to the heating process. These devices include a heat exchanger and a fan. In some cases, the fan coils will use the ductwork to control the temperature in your space.
The Cooling System
Many home air conditioning units are considered central HVAC systems. They will rely on ductwork to deliver the cool air. The air conditioning unit provides cooling, humidity control, and ventilation for your home. In some cases, these systems can even create warm air when using a heat pump. Many air conditioning units use cool refrigerants that move in the evaporator coils. When warm air passes over the coils, the refrigerant dissipates as the cold air blows into the home.
For localized cooling options, room air conditioners can work for smaller rooms. With this option, the cooled refrigerant coils and ductwork are bypassed. The room air conditioner contains all the components in a self-contained unit as it pushes cold air directly into a room.
In an air conditioning system, there are numerous components. These parts work together to keep the home cool and maintain the right humidity level throughout the building. You would not think that a heat pump should belong in a cooling system, but heat pumps are often found in these units. While heat pumps are known to create heat, they can also cool down your indoor climate. Instead of moving the heat into your home, it will work in the opposite direction and transfer the heat out of your spaces.
Many HVAC systems have a central air conditioner. These systems chill the air as it pushes the cool air throughout your home. The air conditioner uses the same ductwork system as a forced-air furnace.
Finally, room air conditioners can be a part of a cooling system, but you will usually not find them in an HVAC system. These units are located in small rooms. They use the same refrigerant principals to extract moisture and heat from the room as it cools the air.
Your Thermostat Options
The thermostat is another important component of the HVAC system. The thermostat refers to any device that controls the operation of the cooling and heating system. These thermostats are used to turn on the heating and cooling system that brings your home to its desired temperature. In addition to controlling the temperature, a programmable thermostat can help manage the system’s function to help with your energy usage and costs. At Custom Comfort Air, we can help install a programmable thermostat for your home.
Learn About the Ins and Outs of HVAC
Since 1969, Custom Comfort Air has been providing reliable heating and cooling services throughout the Sugarland area. Our team can help you maintain, repair, or install your home comfort system. Our technicians can even answer all your questions about HVAC systems. We can provide you with quality products, comprehensive service plans, and numerous options for your home. In addition to those services, our technicians will test the quality of your indoor air so that your home stays healthy throughout the year. When you need a home comfort system service, make sure to contact Custom Comfort Air. We look forward to serving all of your home climate comfort needs. We have offices in Sugarland and Rosenberg.