Heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) in the home has a few principal functions. These principles include controlling the temperature, the humidity, and maintaining the atmosphere quality. Heating and cooling systems are classified into two groups: Central and local systems.
Central System
The central system is the most standard method for controlling the temperature in the home. It produces warm or cool air in one central area and then distributes it throughout the house. They may be either radiant or forced air. It is most commonly a central AC unit, as well. Some examples of central HVAC schemes include heat pumps, gas and oil furnaces, evaporator coils, and air conditioners.
Heating Using Central System
Heating units provide welcomed warmth to the home especially in cold climates. They are either radiant or forced air heating systems.
Radiant systems work by transferring heat from heated water or steam that is circulated through an arrangement of radiators or exchangers. The radiators transfer heat to the area or room by convection and not radiation.
Forced air central heating operates by heating an exchanger (usually a furnace) either by hot water, gas, electricity or oil. Air is forced to pass over or through the exchanger that warms the atmosphere. The hot ventilation circulates through sheet metal ducts which run into each room or area by registered vents. Read entire article.
If you live in a climate that’s typically hot and muggy all year long, the last thing you want to happen is have your central unit suddenly stop working. Purchasing, or upgrading, air conditioners is a task to be taken seriously and you should always make it a habit to compare brands and prices and the warranties involved before making your final decision. You want your new unit to last for many years, not suddenly need servicing after only a couple of months. By taking the time to compare the pros and cons of the different brands on the market, you will be able to find a top quality unit that will fit within your budget.
Your first step when starting your research into which air conditioner you’ll eventually choose is looking at what’s called the Seasonal Energy Efficient Rating for each brand. The higher the number, the higher the efficiency of the unit. Make sure that you examine the features that come with each brand. Many brands offer features that aren’t specifically necessary to the function of the unit and those will cause the cost to be higher in the end.
Believe it or not, when it comes to air conditioners you’ll need to check and see what kind of refrigerant is being used. Make sure that it’s Puron instead of Freon, which depletes the ozone. Puron is EPA approved and will not make your air conditioner obsolete after you purchase it. Another important feature to examine before deciding between brands is the parts and labor warranties. Everyone knows that these units can be expensive to fix if anything should happen and you will need to make sure that all the necessary parts and any labor involved in repairs is covered for at least 5 to 10 years.
And finally, the best thing you can do before making your purchase is to get a brand, whether it’s Mitsubishi or Amana, that’s Energy Star rated. Those brands that are not energy star rated will be considerably more expensive to operate than those brands that are rated. When you have a unit that’s energy star rated, it saves you hundreds, even thousands, of dollars a year on your electricity bill. A definite bonus if you live in a hot climate where you need to run your A/C continuously.
By: Rajesh Karavadia