AFUE

Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency. Indicated as a percentage, your furnace's AFUE tells you how much energy is being converted to heat. For example, an AFUE of 90 means that 90% of the fuel is being used to warm your home, while the other 10% escapes as exhaust.

BTU

British Thermal Unit. Used for both heating and cooling, BTU is a measure of the heat given off when fuel is combusted. For cooling, it is a measure of heat extracted from your home. One BTU is equal to the heat given off by a wooden kitchen match.

Capacity

The ability of a heating or cooling system to heat or cool a given amount of space. For heating, this is usually expressed in BTUs. For cooling, it is usually given in tons.

Compressor

Part of a split-system heat pump or air conditioner's outdoor unit that controls the pressure applied to the refrigerant. This is necessary for taking in heat to warm your home or getting rid of heat to keep your home cool.

Condenser Coil

Part of the outdoor portion of a split-system air conditioner or heat pump. By converting refrigerant that is in a gas form back to a liquid, the coil sends heat carried by the refrigerant to the outside.

Damper

A type of valve used in duct work that opens or closes to control airflow. It is used in zoning to control the amount of warm or cool air entering certain areas of your home.

Evaporator Coil

Part of a split-system air conditioner or heat pump located indoors - usually in the attic or in a closet. The evaporator coil cools and dehumidifies the air by converting liquid refrigerant into a gas, which absorbs the heat from the air. The warmed refrigerant is then carried through a tube to the outdoor unit (condenser coil).

Fan Coil

An indoor component of a heat pump system that is used in place of a furnace to provide additional heating on cold days when the heat pump does not provide adequate heating.

HSPF

The Heating Seasonal Performance Factor is a measure of the heating efficiency of a heat pump. The higher the HSPF number, the more efficiently the heat pump heats your home.

HVAC

Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning.

Load Estimate

A series of studies performed to determine the heating or cooling requirements of your home. An energy load analysis uses information such as the square footage of your home, window or door areas, insulation quality and local climate to determine the heating and cooling capacity needed by your furnace, heat pump or air conditioner.

Matched System

A heating and cooling system comprised of products that have been certified to perform at promised comfort and efficiency levels when used together and used according to design and engineering specifications.

Payback Analysis

Overall measure of the efficiency and value of your home comfort system. By combining your purchase price and ongoing operating costs, a payback analysis determines the number of years required before monthly energy savings offset the purchase price.

Puron™ Refrigerant

Puron is an environmentally sound refrigerant designed to protect the earth's ozone layer. Federal law requires all manufacturers phase out ozone depleting refrigerants in the next few years. Puron is approved by the US Environmental Protection Agency as a replacement from Freon 22*.

SEER

The Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio is a measure of the cooling efficiency of your air conditioner or heat pump. The higher the SEER number, the more efficient the system is at converting electricity into cooling power.

Split System

Refers to an air conditioner or heat pump that has components in two locations. Usually one part of the system is located inside (evaporator coil) and the other is located outside your home (condenser coil).

Thermostat

Unit that monitors and controls your HVAC system products.

Ton

A unit of measure for cooling capacity. One ton = 12,000 BTUs per hour.

Zoning

A way to increase your home comfort and energy efficiency by controlling when and where heating and cooling occurs in a home. Programmable thermostats are used to control operating times of the equipment. Dampers are used to direct air flow to certain parts or "zones" of the home.