If you’re currently looking for a property or you’re already a homeowner, you’ve probably heard the term HVAC before. This industry was estimated at $240.8 billion in 2019, but most of these systems were sold to the public sector and not private homes.
So, what does HVAC mean? Keep on reading to find out.
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What Does HVAC Stand For? HVAC versus HVAC-R
HVAC stands for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems that are used to move the air between indoor and outdoor areas in a commercial or residential building. The three systems work together to regulate the temperature inside a closed space, keeping the air warm in the cold months and fresh and cool in the hot months.
Moreover, these systems allow for proper ventilation by cleaning the indoor air and maintaining the proper humidity levels for comfortable breathing. When these systems work correctly, you’ll be breathing fresh air, and there will be a reduced risk of growing mold or mildew in your home.
Proper air circulation replaces the odors and smoke with clean, fresh air. All the airborne bacteria, carbon dioxide, and dust will be under control if your HVAC system is working well.
Some people also add refrigeration to this acronym and make it HVAC-R. We have outlined the difference between refrigeration and air conditioning here.
What is Included in an HVAC System?
Three different elements are included in the HVAC system to provide the three essential functions. The heating element is either made of a pipe and a boiler or a furnace that carries the hot liquid to radiate heat throughout the property. If your system relies on an air system, you’ll have ducts instead of pipes.
The ventilation element uses an air forced system to clean the indoor air and replace it with fresh outdoor air. When it does so, the system also controls the humidity levels inside the building. The air conditioning element is made of pipes that carry the refrigerated liquid to cool the air inside your house.
How Does the HVAC System Work?
The main purpose of the HVAC system is not just to warm or cool the place but to improve the overall indoor air quality. There are different types of HVAC systems, but they all have similar components.
These systems should have a fresh air intake to get air from the outside to improve the indoor air quality for proper ventilation. Unlike natural ventilation, which lets the air come through windows and doors, mechanical ventilation relies on drawing the air through filters to clean it and remove dust, dirt, and allergens.
After cleaning the air and replacing the indoor air with fresh outdoor air, the air is either processed to be heated or cooled, and the extra humidity is removed. This is typically done with filters. The temperature is regulated, and the new air is directed into the indoor space. The air travels through various ducts to reach all rooms in the house.
HVAC systems can use a single blower to circulate the processed air through ducts or use a ductless system for different rooms. Some systems have separate components, like a heating system combined with an air conditioning unit, but integrated systems are more common.
There are eight main parts in the HVAC system, and if any one of them stops working, you’ll be able to tell because you’ll immediately notice the deterioration in the air quality before the system stops completely.
Electrical Elements
The electrical elements are responsible for cooling and heating the air, as well as pushing the clean air into the house. Unfortunately, this is where most problems start in your HVAC system, so you need to check them whenever something goes wrong.
You can start by checking the thermostat battery if the heating element doesn’t work the way it should. Other than that, the wiring should be fixed by a professional to prevent operational issues.
Outdoor Unit
This is the visible part of the HVAC system which you can see from outside the house. In this unit, there’s a fan to provide airflow into the house.
Because it’s located outside, regular cleaning of the outdoor unit is a must. Clean it regularly and remove all the vegetation, dirt, and pebbles as they might cause real issues when they’re sucked into the fan.
Air Return
The air return is where the ventilation cycle starts. It sucks the outdoor air and passes it through a filter, and then passes it into the HVAC system after all the impurities have been cleaned.
The filters need special attention because they’re more prone to the buildup of dust and dirt. When this happens, the ventilation cycle won’t work as it should. In addition to regular cleaning, the filters should be replaced regularly to keep the ventilation system in top shape.
Blower
The blower is part of the heating system. When it functions properly, it will draw the air, warm it up, and then pass it through to different parts of the house.
Outlets
The outlets are part of the heating system, and their purpose is to expel the hot air created by the system. The chimney flue should be inspected annually, cleaned, and tuned up if necessary to keep the heating system working the way it should.
Ducts
The ducts allow the cold or hot air to pass through and travel to different areas in the house. These ducts are usually forgotten when you’re maintaining your HVAC system, so they’re prone to the buildup of dust, dirt, and mold.
You should hire a professional to clean the ducts every 2 to 5 years because the debris that accumulates affects the overall indoor air quality. Unclean ducts can lead to several health issues, including breathing problems and allergies.
Compressor
The compressor is part of the outdoor unit, and it operates the air conditioning. The compressor changes the refrigerant from a gas to a liquid that passes through the coils and then the ducts to cool different rooms in the house. When there’s something wrong with the compressor, you’ll notice that your AC isn’t working the way it should.
Coils
The coils work with the compressor to cool the air using the refrigerant. When the coils freeze because of inadequate refrigerant levels, the coils may freeze up.
Wrap Up
The HVAC system refers to heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems combined in a single unit. Together they work to improve the quality of the air inside your home or office using several components that need to be inspected and cleaned regularly.
By now you might be interested to learn more about a career in HVAC.
