| 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. |
| Spit 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. |
