Heating, ventilation and air conditioning are the three mainstays of home comfort. To get the most out of your system, it’s useful to know how all the different elements of HVAC systems work together to keep your home at a comfortable temperature all year round.
- VentilationThe basic job of your HVAC system is to circulate air around your home, heating it in the winter and cooling it in the summer.
Your ductwork handles both warm and cool air. It needs to be properly designed, installed and maintained in order to ensure adequate airflow and avoid wasting energy.
Powerful fans in the air handler are required to drive hot or cold air around your home, and to draw stale air out again. If your fans aren’t well maintained, they can make your house less comfortable and force your heating or A/C to work harder than it has to.
- HeatingHeat may be provided from a number of different sources. In most homes, an air conditioner shares ductwork with a furnace, which is located indoors. A heat pump unit is located outside, and moves refrigerant that has absorbed heat from outdoors to the interior of the home.
- A/CDuring the summer, your A/C unit works to draw warm air in from the home, cooling it and pumping it into your living space. Like your furnace, your A/C requires a powerful fan system to accomplish this. Even though your furnace isn’t running during the summer, your furnace fan is still in action — it’s just working to pump cool air instead of warm.
- Sizing appliancesBoth your furnace and A/C unit need to be correctly sized for your home. If they’re too small, they won’t warm or cool your home effectively. A furnace or A/C that’s larger than your system requires will waste energy, and may fail sooner than it should. A contractor can help you here, by assessing your home and determining the correct size for the appliance.
For more information on HVAC systems, contact Around the Clock Heating and Air Conditioning, Inc.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Los Angeles, North Hollywood and surrounding areas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about HVAC systems and other HVAC topics, downloadour free Home Comfort Resource guide.
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