Gembecki Mechanical

This is the new minimum efficiency standard for an air conditioner or heat pump. All new units must now meet this standard. Previously manufactured equipment may be used, sold and installed.

The Air Conditioning Contractors of America, a national trade association that represents heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration contractors.

Equipment with a heating element and/or cooling coil and other components in a cabinet or casing.

Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute, a non-profit, voluntary organization composed of heating, air conditioning and refrigeration manufacturers. ARI publishes standards for testing and rating heat pumps and air conditioners.

Adjusting an air conditioning system so that the right amount of air is delivered to the right places in you home in order to achieve the right heating or cooling effect.

British Thermal Unit, the measurement of heating and air conditioning capacity. A BTU is the amound of heat that must be added to one pound of water to raise its temperature one degree Fahrenheit.

Coefficient of performance, an efficiency ratio that compares the amount of heat delivered to the amount of energy used. As with MPG on a car, the higher the score the more energy efficient the equipment is.

A heating or cooling element made of pipe or tubing, usually with plates or fins.

The outside unit of a heating or air conditioning system. Here the refrigerant condenses from a gas to a liquid and hot or cold air from the building is released to the outside.

The U.S. Department of Energy, the federal agency that sets industry efficiency standards.

Conduits used to carry air. They can be round or rectangular, sheet metal or fiberglass or vinyl tubes. In air conditioning systems they carry air from the home to the air conditioning system or furnace and back to the home.

A government supported branding used to identify energy efficient products. The branding
was developed by the US Department of Energy and teh US Environmental Protection Agency.

A self-contained heating unit that is designed to deliver heated air to a home.

A single refrigeration system designed to provide both heating and cooling. Compare to a furnace and an air conditioner, separate units that only heat or cool.

Heating Seasonal Performance Factor, an equipment efficiency rating. As with MPG on a car, the higher the rating the more fuel efficient the equipment is.

Air that enters your home through holes, gaps, and cracks, (e.g., plumbing or electrical holes, the heating and air conditioning system, doors, and windows).

A mathematical determination of how much cooling and heating (BTUs) an HVAC system must deliver for occupant safety and comfort. It is based on a variety of factors: square footage, building orientation, number of occupants, size and placement of rooms, number and size of windows and doors, amount of insulation, number of floors, and climate.

An ACCA procedure covering the method for calculating heating and cooling requirements (load calculation) for single-family detached homes and mobile homes.

An air conditioner or heat pump system composed of equipment that has been certified by ARI to work together to deliver the specified heating and cooling capacity at the stated efficiency rating.

A natural byproduct of the fungi family that thrives when organic substances and water combine under certian circumstances. Mold reproduces via spores that can remain dormant, yet viable, for years. Many molds are beneficial. For example, they are the "bleu" in bleu cheese, and we use them to make wine, penicillin, and antibiotics. However, some molds can cause health problems.

North American Technician Excellence, the nonprofit organization that tests and certifies HVACR technicians.

Planned maintenance agreement, which provides regular maintenance of your HVACR system. Most ACCA member contractors offer PMAs, although they may use different names for them, such as Maintenance Inspecion Agreement, Planned Service Agreement, Energy Service Plan, etc.

A fluid that absorbs heat at low temperatures and rejects heat at higher temperatures.

The percent of moisture actually in the air compared to the maximum amount of moisture the air can hold at that temperature.

The path the air takes to get to an air-handling unit or furnace so it can be cooled or heated. It is the "return" path. The return side should be "balanced" with the supply side to ensure proper air flow and comfort.

Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio, an equipment efficiency rating that measures how much energy it takes to cool the air. As with MPG on a car, the higher the number the more efficient the unit.

The temperature of the air. This type of heat is measured with a thermometer.

A two-component heating and cooling (heat pump) or cooling only (air conditoner) system. The condensing unit is installed outside, the air handling unit is installed inside. Refrigerant lines and wiring connect them together.

The part of an HVAC system that takes (supplies) the conditioned air from the air-handling unit or furnace to your home. The supply side should be "balanced" with the return side to ensure proper air flow and comfort.

A single HVAC system that can meet different heating and cooling needs in different areas (zones). Each zone of a home has its own thermostat with which it can regulate the temperature and humidity in its area. One "zoned air conditioner" could be set for a high temperature in one zone and for a lower temperature in the other zone. Zone systems have two or more zones.