Logic Heating & Ventilation
phone: 250-248-4200
Glossary of Terminology
Terms Explained
The HVAC industry can be full of confusing terms and definitions.
Below are some of the more common terms explained.
Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio
A SEER rating is the ratio developed when the cooling output of the system over an average cooling season is divided by the total energy used. More simply, SEER is representative of how much energy and money the unit requires to operate effectively over a single year.
The higher the SEER rating, the more cost effective the unit is. This rating applies to cooling only.
Heating Seasonal Performance Factor (HSPF)
A heating efficiency rating for heat pumps.
The higher the rating, the more efficient the heat pump. A more efficient heat pump will result in less energy use and increased energy savings over the life of the system, compared to a less efficient heat pump.
Higher numbers are better when you’re comparing HSPF ratings. A good system will typically have a rating between 8 and 10. A heat pump with a minimum HSPF of 8.2 qualifies for the Energy Star label, provided that it also has a SEER rating of 12 or higher.
Condensor
A condenser (or AC condenser) is the outdoor portion of an air conditioner or heat pump that either releases or collects heat.
Depending on the time of the year. Both split air conditioner and heat pump condensers are made of the same basic parts.
Evaporator
An air conditioner’s evaporator coil, also called the evaporator core, is the part of the system where the refrigerant absorbs heat.
It’s where the cold air comes from. The evaporator coil is inside or near the air handler where the blower fan is.
Furnace
The term Furnace usually indicates a gas furnace, whether it is natural gas, propane, or oil.
Air Handler
An air handler usually has electric elements instead of a fossil fuel used for heating.
A blower still blows the air throughout the ducting system. An air handler is most often used in tandem with a heat pump
Blower
The fan portion of a furnace or air handler that moves the air through the system and delivers either warm or cool air to the home.
Fan Motor
The fan motor is the motor that turns a blower wheel inside a furnace or air handler.
It also refers to the motor that turns the fan blades in a heat pump.
Split Unit
This refers to the outdoor unit (heat pump or AC), and indoor unit (furnace or air handler), being two separate components connected via copper lines to move refrigerant to and from the out door unit.
Ductless Split
As the name indicates, this is a heat pump (outside), connected to a wall or ceiling unit (inside), with no need for ducting.
The blower is located inside the indoor unit, and each unit will do a smaller space.