AFUE: Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency. A measure of a gas furnace's
efficiency in converting fuel to energy - the higher
the rating, the more efficient the unit. For example: a rating
of 90 means that approximately 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 the measure of heat extracted from
your home for cooling.
CFM: Cubic Feet Per Minute. A standard measurement 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 BTUs.
Comfort-R™ Airflow
System: An exclusive feature of a high efficiency home comfort
system from Trane. This method
of ramping up airflow gives you greater humidity control in
cooling and provides warmer air during heating start up.
Compressor: The heart of an air conditioning or heat pump system. It
is the part of the outdoor unit and pumps refrigerant
in order to meet the cooling requirements of the system.
Condenser
Coil: In an air conditioning system, the coil (sometimes
referred to as an outdoor coil) dissipates heat from the refrigerant,
changing the refrigerant from vapor to liquid. In a head pump
system the coil absorbs heat from the outdoors in the heating
mode of operation.
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.
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.
Humidifier: Used to inject water vapor into the dry, heated air expelled
from a furnace/air handler.
HVAC: Heating, Ventilating and Air Conditioning. Used to refer
to the industry at large, particularly dealers of heating
and
air conditioning.
HVAC
Humidifier Coil: Located inside your home either inside the
air handler or in the enclosure attached to the furnace.
As part of an air conditioning system, the HVAC Humidifier
Coil (often referred to as an evaporator or indoor coil) absorbs
heat from the air that passes over the coil. In a heat pump
system the coil dissipates heat to the air passing over the
coil.
Packaged
Unit: A heating and cooling system contained in one outdoor
unit. A packaged unit is typically installed either
beside, 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 either R-22 or R-410A refrigerant.
SEER: Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio. A measure of cooling efficiency
for air conditioners and heat pumps. The higher
the SEER, the more energy efficient the unit. The government's
minimum SEER rating is 10. (It's similar to comparing miles
per gallon in automobiles.)
SEET: Seasonal Extreme Environmental Test lab. This is Trane's
torture chamber for heating and air conditioning systems,
where
five years of service are condensed into 16 tortuous weeks.
If a product doesn't make it through our SEET lab, it's not
manufactured. We push our equipment to extremes because we'd
rather test them in our lab than in your home.
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 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 for determining cooling capacity. One
ton is the equivalent of 12,000 BTUs per hour.
Trane
Comfort Specialist™: A Trane dealer who is committed
to ongoing training and to providing premium service and customer
satisfaction.
Zoning: A method of dividing a home into different comfort zones
so each zone can be independently controlled depending
on use and need.