HVAC systems include products like air conditioners, furnaces and heat pumps as well as ductwork and thermostats. Routine maintenance ensures optimal comfort and performance.
Thermostats sense temperature changes and activate the system when needed. Clogged or dirty filters restrict airflow and increase operating costs. Contact MASON HEATING AND COOLING for professional help.
Uneven temperatures may be caused by poor duct design, blocked vents or noisy systems. Professional technicians can address these issues.
Cooling
An HVAC system is made of three components – a heating unit, an air conditioning unit, and ventilation ducts to carry the air. Each of these elements works in tandem to regulate indoor temperatures, improve air quality, and dehumidify.
During winter, the heating unit burns fuel to generate heat that circulates through your home’s ductwork. This hot air raises indoor temperatures until a thermostat senses that the temperature is comfortable.
In summer, your HVAC system cools the home by using evaporative cooling. This is the same process that allows sweat to cool a body. The refrigerant in your air conditioner’s evaporator coils absorbs heat energy from warm indoor air. The evaporator coils then disperse the cooled air throughout your home via the air ducts.
The air ducts that deliver the cooled air are also used to circulate fresh air, preventing stale air from building up in your home. Depending on the type of HVAC system you have, it may also have filters that remove dust, bacteria, and other contaminants.
You can also adjust your HVAC system’s settings to control how hot or cold you want the home to be. Many systems also offer zoning, which creates different comfort levels in each room by partially closing air dampers in your home’s ductwork. This can help cut down on energy costs by directing more conditioned air to rooms that need it.
There are several types of HVAC systems available for homes, including ducted and ductless systems. Ductless systems are typically found in newer homes or in addition to a central AC system in older homes. They are often recommended for smaller spaces like apartments or offices where air ducts are impractical to install. HVAC professionals can evaluate your home or workplace and recommend the best solution for its needs. They can also provide tips on how to maintain your system and ensure it runs as efficiently as possible. For example, they can suggest ways to clear the area around your outdoor condenser to keep it free from debris and other contaminants that might block its airflow.
Heating
If you live in a cold climate, your HVAC system warms your home by using an air heating unit that blows heated or cooled air through ductwork. The system also ventilates your space, bringing in fresh air from outside while expelling stale indoor air.
Most HVAC systems are based on the same basic principles. The most important is ventilation, which is the exchange of air between outdoor and indoor environments. This exchange is critical for a range of factors including temperature, humidity, the availability of oxygen and carbon dioxide, and the movement of air or draught.
The air heating units used in a home or commercial building are known as furnaces, boilers, or heat pumps. The most common type of unit in residential homes is a gas-powered furnace that burns natural or propane gas to heat the house. A gas furnace uses a series of fans and vents to push heated air through the house, while a heat pump or hot water heater can use electricity to warm the home.
An HVAC system also has the ability to cool spaces by evaporative cooling, which is similar to how sweat cools a warm body. The system draws water or another liquid into a coil, where it evaporates to cool the air, reducing humidity and lowering ambient temperatures.
Whether you live in a hot or cold climate, working with a qualified AccuMax HVAC professional will help ensure the proper function of your equipment and comfortable home environment. We can help you choose the right HVAC unit for your space, and provide maintenance to keep it running efficiently.
As an essential technology in homes, businesses, and countless other enclosed spaces, HVAC has become a global industry with many career opportunities. A high school diploma or GED certificate is required for most entry-level roles, but specialized training programs offer a wide range of educational and practical experience. Programs include certificates (6-12 months), diplomas (2 years) and associate degrees (4 years). Some options provide hands-on training in simulated environments while others focus on energy efficiency, green technologies, and systems design. Many programs also provide internships and apprenticeships to help students gain on-the-job experience.
Ventilation
While heating and cooling tend to get all the attention, the other “V” in HVAC—ventilation—is just as vital for comfort. Ventilation helps circulate fresh outdoor air through your space, reducing concentrations of toxins, pollutants, allergens and odors. It also prevents excessive humidity build-up that leads to mold and mildew. Ventilation is even critical in protecting furniture, electronics and other valuables from damage caused by temperature and humidity extremes.
Most people are familiar with the idea of ventilation in the sense that it brings fresh air into a building or home, while stale or polluted air is drawn out through cracks and openings. This is the type of ventilation that happens naturally in older buildings with leaky ducts, but it’s not enough to ensure HVAC comfort for modern homes and commercial spaces that are built so tightly for energy efficiency.
Mechanical ventilation is essential for HVAC systems to work properly. In a typical setup, ducts draw in outdoor air from outside and deliver it to various rooms through fans. They can also exhaust stale or polluted indoor air out through the same ducts, to help maintain proper ventilation throughout a building or home. There are several different types of mechanical ventilation systems, and the best choice for your HVAC system will depend on the size of your space, how it’s used and what kind of weather you live in.
In addition to simply bringing in fresh, outdoor air, some ventilation systems are designed to improve energy efficiency by transferring heat between incoming and outgoing air streams. This helps reduce the amount of energy needed to heat or cool your air, saving you money.
The EPA notes that ventilation is one of the most important things you can do to safeguard your health and comfort, especially in places like schools where COVID-19 outbreaks are occurring. Proper ventilation rates are critical to keep infected people inside as much as possible while keeping healthy, ventilated air flowing through the facility.
There are many steps you can take to improve ventilation in your space, including sealing air leaks, cleaning filters and installing an energy recovery system if appropriate for your climate. Regular maintenance of your ductwork will also make sure it’s working as efficiently as possible.
Filters
Air filters are one of the key components in any HVAC system. These filter elements are used to trap pollutants and prevent them from clogging the system’s coils or blocking the blower. They are also important for protecting indoor air quality (IAQ) and preventing respiratory problems and allergies. The filters are rated according to their Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value (MERV) rating, which ranges from 1 (weaker filters) to 16 (stronger filters).
There are three main types of HVAC air filters: fiberglass, electrostatic and pleated. Each has its own unique filtration capabilities and price point. The fiberglass filters are the least expensive and usually have a MERV rating between 1 and 4. They are designed to capture larger particles such as lint, dust, mold spores and pollen and are often used as pre-filters at return air ducts before more efficient primary filters. Fiberglass filters need to be replaced regularly, about every month or sooner.
Filters with a MERV rating of 5 to 8 are more effective and are ideal for homeowners looking to improve their home’s indoor air quality. They are made of woven fibers and can remove up to 20 percent of airborne pollutants in this size range. However, higher MERV ratings significantly restrict air flow through the filter, which can cause the blower to work harder and inefficiently. This could result in increased furnace maintenance and energy bills.
Another option is the electrostatic filters, which have a mixture of cotton and paper fibers that create static electricity. The static electricity attracts microscopic airborne particles, such as lint, household dust, pet dander and pollen, and then holds them within the filter. They are more expensive than fiberglass filters and may need to be cleaned or replaced more frequently, but they can reduce allergens in the air and help with asthma and other respiratory conditions.
Finally, the pleated filters have a series of folded or flat-paneled elements that increase their filtration abilities. They can remove up to 30 percent more particles than fiberglass filters and typically last longer, around 90 days. They can be washable and reusable, which makes them more environmentally friendly than disposable filters.