What do all the HVAC abbreviations mean?
Let’s start with what an Acronym means. It is the abbreviation of a word using the first initial in each word.
HVAC stands for Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning. This acronym has become as familiar to us as VIP, TLC and NASA. Another acronym that we use regularly when it comes to the heating and cooling of our homes is AC. When we hear AC we don’t have to decode that it stands for air conditioning. We have heard it enough times that we don’t even think about it. However, there are some acronyms that are a little more arduous to decipher. A-1 American Services is the experienced HVAC Virginia Beach company, and has been trusted since 1987.
HVAC Abbreviations: Energy Efficiency Acronyms
AFUE = Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency
What it is: The energy efficiency rating for fuel-burning furnaces or boilers. An AFUE will be a percentage rather than a number.
BTU’s = British Thermal Units
What it is: Despite the word “British,” this is a unit of measurement currently used in the United States. BTU’s measure how fast a heating or cooling system changes the energy (or heat.) It is a unit of measurement that calculates the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of one pound of water by one degree Fahrenheit.
EER = Energy Efficiency Ratio
What it is: The amount of energy a room air conditioner uses.
HSPF = Heating Seasonal Performance Factor
What it is: The energy efficiency rating of a heat pump for an entire season. A heat pump is a heating and air conditioning Virginia Beach system that is basically an air conditioner in reverse. It makes heat by moving air from the outside of your home to the inside, where as an air conditioner moves air from the inside to the outside. Your air conditioner is changed to a heat pump with a reversing valve.
MERV = Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value
What it is: The energy efficiency rating for air filters.
SEER = Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating
What it is: The energy efficiency rating of a central air conditioner over an entire season.
To find out what you need to know about each of these abbreviations, click here to go to our Glossary of Terms for HVAC and Plumbing.
When looking for energy efficiency there are a couple of things to keep in mind:
To qualify as an ENERGY STAR unit, the ratings need to be on the higher end of the scale. ENERGY STAR is a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency voluntary program that helps businesses and individuals save money and protect our climate through superior energy efficiency,” according to their website. For a unit to receive the ENERGY STAR label, it must use less energy and be more efficient.
Keep in mind that higher energy efficiency will generally add cost to the purchase price of the unit. The more energy efficient units will save you more over time, however. With basic mathematics you can calculate what works best for your budget and home.
For this and other information to help you with HVAC and Plumbing, you can count on A-1 American Services to help you repair or install what is best for your home.
Call today. Southside 757-425-2400 Peninsula 757-595-9900 Williamsburg 757-565-1900.
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A-1 American provides air conditioning, heating, water heater and plumbing services, including furnace and heating repair to homes and businesses in the Hampton Roads Virginia cities of Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Suffolk, Newport News and Hampton and north into Williamsburg. A-1 American provides emergency service and repair, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including weekends and holidays. A-1 American charges by the job, not by the hour. A-1 American prides itself on immediate response, punctuality, courtesy and customer satisfaction.
Call today! Southside 757-425-2400 Peninsula 757-595-9900 Williamsburg 757-565-1900.
