An HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning) system is a solution that keeps your home warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Many of us don’t give it a second thought, but it’s crucial to our homes and daily lives. Here’s all you need to know about HVAC.
In the summer, the HVAC cools your home with a unit called a condenser or a device called a heat pump. These function by pulling the hot air from inside the house and moving it outdoors. This lowers the temperature inside the house. In winter, a heat pump can also work in reverse by moving cold air from the house outdoors. Since a condenser unit only works to move hot air outdoors, if your HVAC has a condenser, you’ll need a heat source like a furnace to keep your house warm in the winter.
Along with a furnace and an air conditioner, the other components of an HVAC system include Air exchangers, evaporator coils and coolant, vent/registers, ductwork, and thermostats. Here’s how these components function.
An air exchanger functions as the ventilator in the HVAC, essentially swapping stale air for fresh, clean air. It can also filter out allergens in the air and neutralizes any humidity.
Evaporator coils and coolant are components found in AC units and heat pumps. Together, they keep the AC unit chilled so that it can cool your home. AC units made in the last decade use a coolant called Puron, which is more environmentally friendly than its predecessor coolant Freon.
Ducts shift air to various rooms in the house, and vents allow this air access to the house. Sometimes a ducting system in a house may not be compatible with an AC unit or heat pump model. Remember to check duct compatibility if you’re buying a new HVAC, especially if you live in an old house.
Thermostats allow you to regulate the temperature of your house and are available as smart thermostats, digital thermostats, and the more traditional analog thermostats.
Now that you have an idea of what your HVAC system is and what it does, you’ll be better informed if you decide to invest in a new one.
