The heating and air conditioning industry is filled with terminology that is unfamiliar to the uninitiated. This can be confusing when you need to speak with an HVAC technician, and they are trying to explain what is wrong with your equipment. Sadly, some less reputable technicians will take advantage of this and attempt to charge their customers more to carry out unnecessary repairs. Using a certified HVAC contractor will help you to avoid these people, but it would still be helpful to understand some basic HVAC terms and concepts. Let’s take a look at seven common HVAC terms and what they mean.

  1. Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value (MERV)

The MERV value is a rating for the filters that you can use in your HVAC system. The more efficient filters have progressively higher MERV ratings to filter out smaller and smaller particles. As an example, a very high MERV rating of 16 would be hospital grade filter to catch tiny airborne particles. Higher MERV filter ratings are better for home occupants that have allergies or respiratory conditions.

  1. The Air Handler

This is an internal unit that is used to circulate the treated air throughout the duct system. It will be paired up with a heat pump or a split system air conditioner. Inside the box, there is a blower, evaporator coil, and any cooling/heating elements.

  1. The Plenum

At the side of the air handler, there is usually an insulated metal box where the air ducts are attached. This is the plenum, on one side there will be the supply with an evaporator coil, and on the other side, there will be a return with a filter where the plenum connects to the air handler.

  1. The Compressor

This part sits inside the condenser, and it’s needed to raise the pressure and circulate the refrigerant in your system. This part works hard, and it’s a common source of problems in a typical call out or service. If you ever hear an unusually loud noise coming from your HVAC system, it’s likely that the compressor needs some expert attention.

  1. The Heat Pump

A heat pump at first glance looks like a typical air conditioning condenser unit. Actually, it’s very different because it can also heat your home during the winter months. The heat pump is still very effective at cooling your home in the summer just like a standard air conditioning system.

  1. Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER)

The SEER is a measure of the efficiency of the air conditioning system. This is a calculation made by taking the BTU/hour of cooling and dividing this figure by the watts of electricity used over a cooling season. A minimum SEER rating for modern equipment will not be less than 13 and the higher the rating, the more efficient the system will be. An air conditioning system with a high SEER rating will save a homeowner significant amounts of money on their energy bills.

  1. The Load Calculation

The load calculation is used to determine how much cooling or heating your home needs. An HVAC technician will conduct a load calculation to determine how much heat is lost or gained in order to choose the correct size of system to suit your home. If the system is not sized correctly, it will be far less efficient in operation and cost more to run.