The most common used
Terms in the industry,
 so you can keep up.

Air handler:  Consist of the evaporator coil, fan motor and heat strip. Connected the air ducts, it returns the “reconditioned air” to the evaporator coil. Often referred to as the inside unit on a split system.

BTU: Stands for the British thermal unit a standard for measuring the capacity of a cooling and heating system. The work capacity of air conditioning equipment is expressed in total BTU’s. A BTU is the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of one pound of water one degree on the Fahrenheit scale.

COMPRESSOR: The heart of the condensing unit, working like an engine it compresses the refrigerant into liquid form, pumping it to the air handler. It then draws the refrigerant back as a gas and compresses it again. The compressor is the most expensive repair on the system.

CONDENSING UNIT:  Consists of the condensing coil, compressor, and fan motor and control valves. It delivers the cooled refrigerant to the system’s air handler. Often referred to as the outside unit on a split system.

EVAPORATOR COIL: Located in the air handler, it delivers the cooling produced by the condenser unit and transferred to the air handler. (Heating in a heat pump.) This is the part of the system that extracts the humidity from the air. It is also very important to keep the coil clean for maximum performance. The air filters help protect the coil.

FILTER:    Removes the dust and particles and other contaminants from the conditioned air. The filter cleans the air so narrow passages in the evaporator coil do not get clogged, reducing the efficiency. Most filters should be changed or cleaned at least once a month. Regardless of what the filter manufacturer recommends and is the single most important thing you can do to ensure your system is operating at its highest potential.  There are many types of filtration devices available. Please visit our Indoor Air Quality control section for more information.

HEAT PUMP:     Also referred as a Reverse Cycle air conditioner. You can feel the heat being extracted from your home during the cooling process when you stand outside by the unit. When you need to heat your home the heat pump reverses the flow, extracting heat locked up in the outside air and pumping it back into your home. The heat pump is efficient until outside temperatures fall below 40 degree’s and is more cost efficient costing about one third of the electric than resistance heat. When the temperatures reach below 40 degrees the system will then activate an auxiliary heat strip to maintain comfortable temperature. In most of Florida the heat pump technology is a sufficient way to go.

HSPF:    An acronym for Heating Seasonal Performance Factor. The rating system for the heating efficiency of the heat pump. The higher the HSPF the more efficient the system is when called upon to heat your home.

PACKAGAE UN IT:   Contains both the condenser and air handler sections in a single unit. Installed at ground level outside the home and is connected to the duct system inside.

SEER:    An acronym for Season Energy Efficiency Ratio, SEER rates the cooling efficiency of your air conditioning system. The minimum the law requires now is a 10.0 SEER but this will be changing in 2006. The higher the SEER the more efficient the system. Many utility companies now offer financial incentives to encourage their customers to install more efficient air conditioning systems in their homes. Contact your utility company to see what they offer and see how much you could save.

SPLIT SYSTEM:  Separates the condensing section and the air handling section into two units. This type of system offers many advantages, including better operating efficiency, lower noise levels and more versatility of installation. The condenser unit is installed outside your home and the air handler is installed inside. Copper pipes transfer refrigerant between the condenser coil and the evaporator coil in the air handler.

STRAIGHT COOL SYSTEM:   A straight cool system uses different sources for heating. A straight cool with a Heat Strip System means the heat source is an electric resistance. Electricity flows along a coil of wire, creating heat thought resistance that a fan carries the heat into your home. A straight cool system can work with oil, natural gas or an LP gas furnace.

THERMOSTAT: A temperature sensitive device used to control equipment in response to the demands of the space in which they are located.

TON: The total BTU capacity of a system. A ton is equal to the BTU’s required to melt on ton of ice in a 24 hour period. There are 12,000 BTU’s in a ton. A 3 ton air conditioning unit will produce 36,000 BTU’s and so on. The size of the area to cool determines the correct size of the system in tons.

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Last modified: 03/06/06