|
Term |
Definition |
| AFUE |
Annual Fuel
Utilization Efficiency
A measure of a gas furnace's efficiency in
converting fuel to engery - the higher the rating,
the more efficient the unit. For example, a rating
of 90 means 90 percent of the fuel is used to
provide warmth to your home, while the remaining 10
percent escapes as exhaust. |
| BTU |
British
Thermal Unit
This is the amount of heat it takes to raise one
pound of water one degree Fahrenheit. For your home,
it represents the measure of heat given off when
fuel is burned for heating or themeasure of heat
extracted from your home for cooling. |
| CFM |
Cubic Feet
Per Minute
A standard measuement of airflow. A typical system
requires 400 CFM per ton of air conditioning. |
| Capacity |
The output or
producing ability of a piece of cooling or heating
equipment. Cooling and heating capacities are
referred to in BTU's |
| Comfort-R™
Airflow System |
An exclusive
feature of a high-efficiency home comfort system
from TRANE. This method of ramping airflow gives you
greater humidity control in cooling and provides
warmer air during startup. |
| Compressor |
The heart of
an air conditioning or heat pump system. It is part
of the outdoor unit and pumps refrigerant in order
to meet the cooling requirements of the system. |
| Condenser
Coil or Outdoor Coil |
In an air
conditioner, the coil disipates heat from the
refriderant from vapor to liquid. In a heat pump
system, it absorbs heat from the outdoors. |
| Damper |
Found in
ductwork, this movable plate opens and closes to
control airflow. Dampers can be used to balance
airflow in a duct system. They are also used in
zoning to regulate airflow to certain rooms. |
| Ductwork |
Pipes or
channels that carry air throughout your home. In a
home comfort system, ductwork is critical to
performance - in fact, it's as critical as the
equipment. |
| Evaporator
Coil or Indoor Coil |
The other
half of your air conditioning system located inside
your home in the indoor unit. This is where the
refrigerant evaporates as it absorbs heat from the
air that passes over the coil. |
| Gas Furnace
Heat Exchanger |
Located in
the furnace, the heat exchanger transfers heat to
the surrounding air, which is then pumped throughout
your home. |
| HSPF |
Heating
Seasonal Performance Factor
This rating is used in measuring the heating
efficiency of a heat pump. The higher the number,
the more efficient the unit. |
| Package Unit |
A heating and
cooling system contained in one outdoor unit. A
package unit is typically installed either beside or
on top of the home, or sometimes in the attic. |
| Refrigerant |
A chemical
that produces a refrigerating effect while expanding
and vaporizing. Most residential air conditioning
systems contain R-22 refrigerant. R-22 is regulated
by international controls under the Montreal
Protocol and in the United Staes by the
Environmental Protection Agency. It has a long life
ahead of it as it is scheduled to be in production
until the year 2020. It's in approximately 95
percent of air conditioning equipment manufactured
in the US today. |
| SEER |
Seasonal
Energy Efficiency Ratio
A measure of cooling efficiency for air conditioners
and heat pumps. The higher the SEER, the more
efficient the unit. The government's minimum SEER
rating is 10. |
| SEET |
Seasonal
Extreme Environmental Test Lab
This is TRANE's torture chamber for heating and air
conditioning systems, in whichfive years of service
or condensed into 16 torturous weeks. If a product
doesn't make it through SEET lab, it is simply not
manufactured. TRANE pushes its equipment to extremes
to ensure that it will not fail at your home or
business. |
| Split System |
The
combination of an outdoor unit (air conditioner or
heat pump) with an indoor unit (furnace or air
handler). Split systems must be propertly matched
for optimum efficiency. |
| Thermostat |
A thermostat
consists of a series of sensors and relays that
monitor and control the functions of a heating and
cooling system. |
| Ton |
A unit of
measurement used to determine cooling capacity. One
ton is the equivalent of 12,000 BTU's per hour |
| Zoning |
A method of
dividing a home into different comfort zones so that
each zone can be independently controlled, depending
on use and need. |
