Glossary

 

Air Conditioner- Equipment that takes heat energy and humidity from inside a space and releases it outside leaving the space cooler and drier.

 

Air Cleaner- Device that removes airborne allergens from a space.

 

Air Handler- An air-moving unit that includes the blower, evaporator coil and heater.

 

BTU (British Thermal Unit)- Amount of heat required to lower the temperature of one pound of water one degree.

 

CFM (Cubic Feet Per Minute)- A standard measurement of airflow.

 

Compressor- Device in the condensing unit that pumps refrigerant through the system.

 

Condensate Drain line- Drain that runs the condensate water from the air handler drain pan to the outside.

 

Condenser Coil- The outdoor coil that helps release the heat picked up by the evaporator coil.

 

Condenser Fan Motor- The motor that draws air across the condenser coil.

 

Condensing Unit- The outdoor unit that includes the compressor, condenser coil and condenser fan motor.

 

Drain Pan- The pan under the evaporator coil inside the air handler that catches the water.

 

Dual Compressor (2 Stage)- Two compressors in one condensing unit used for better cooling and humidity control.

 

Ductwork- Conduit that distributes air throughout a space.

 

Emergency Pan- Pan that is under the air handler that catches the condensate water in the event the condensate drain line becomes clogged.

 

Expansion Valve (Themostatic Expansion Valve-TXV)-A refrigerant metering device that monitors refrigerant into the evaporator coil.

 

Evaporator Blower Motor- Motor that is used to draw hot and humid air across the evaporator coil to distribute the air through the ductwork.

 

Filter- An object or device that protects the evaporator coil and blower from dirt.

 

Float Switch- A device that will shut off the air conditioning system in the event the condensate

drain pan or emergency pan becomes full of water.

 

Heat Pump- This is an air conditioner which has a reversing valve that reverses the flow of refrigerant to heat a space. The outdoor condenser coil becomes the evaporator coil and the indoor evaporator coil becomes the condenser coil.

 

HVACR- An abbreviation for Heating Ventilation Air Conditioning and Refrigeration. You may see the abbreviation without the "R".

 

Load Calculation- Calculation that determines the tonnage size your space needs.

 

Package Unit- A single unit that houses both the evaporator section and the condenser section.

 

Refrigerant- A chemical that produces a refrigerating effect and changes its state while vaporizing (in the evaporator) and condenses (in the condensing unit).

 

Refrigerant Reclaim- Act of taking refrigerant that has been recovered from a system to a reclaim center to have the refrigerant processed.

 

Refrigerant Recover- Recovering refrigerant, by the use of a proper recovery machine, from an air conditioning or refrigeration system.

 

SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio)- A measure of cooling efficiency.

 

Split System- A system that has the air handler separate from the condensing unit.

 

Ton- A unit of measurement to determine cooling capacity. 12,000 BTU's=1 ton. You can tell the tonnage of your system by the model number on your condensing unit nameplate. 24=2 ton, 36=3 ton 48=4 ton and so on. Some manufacturers may have a 0 in front of the number. 024, 036, 048 etc.

 

Variable Speed Motor- The evaporator blower motor that changes speed based on the needed cooling and heating requirements.

 

Zoning- Method of dividing a space into separate cooling zones.

 

If there are any other terms or phrases you are not familiar with, you can call or me E-mail them to me. I will assist you with the answer and add them here.