What is an HVAC System and What are its Parts?
What Is An HVAC System?
First and foremost, HVAC stands for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning.
Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) is the technology of indoor and vehicular environmental comfort. Its goal is to provide thermal comfort and acceptable indoor air quality.
Wikipedia defines HVAC as:
“Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC)[1] is the technology of indoor and vehicular environmental comfort. Its goal is to provide thermal comfort and acceptable indoor air quality. HVAC system design is a subdiscipline of mechanical engineering, based on the principles of thermodynamics“
Where is HVAC technology used?
HVAC is an important part of residential structures such as single-family homes, apartment buildings, hotels, and senior living facilities, medium to large industrial and office buildings such as skyscrapers and hospitals, vehicles such as cars, trains, airplanes, ships and submarines, and in marine environments, where safe and healthy building conditions are regulated with respect to temperature and humidity, using fresh air from outdoors. This system provides heating and cooling to residential and commercial buildings. You can find HVAC systems anywhere from single-family homes to submarines where they provide the means for environmental comfort.
What are the major functions of HVAC System?
The three major functions of HVAC are:
- Heating,
- Ventilation and
- Air Conditioning
All 3 functions are interrelated, especially with the need to provide thermal comfort and acceptable indoor air quality within reasonable installation, operation, and maintenance costs.
HVAC systems can be used in both domestic and commercial environments. HVAC systems can provide ventilation, and maintain pressure relationships between spaces. The means of air delivery and removal from spaces is known as room air distribution.
What are the parts of the HVAC System?
The main parts of an HVAC System are:
- Ducts: Ducts are the channels through which the heated or cooled air passes. Pro tip: Get your ducts cleaned every 2 to 5 years in order to keep everything in working condition. Visit here for different components of Ducts – Wikipedia
- Condensing unit- Condenser coil or compressor is part of your air conditioner or heat pump, and it’s usually installed outside your home or property where refrigerant gas is cooled by exchanging heat with outside air. This happens when it compresses and condenses refrigerant from a warm gas to a cold liquid. At the same time, a fan blows air over the compressor to disperse the heat and cool the refrigerant faster. Then, your HVAC system sends the liquid refrigerant through an aluminum or copper line or tube to your evaporator coil.
HVAC System Components
- Vents- Typically, vents are metal and can be found near the ducts in the ceiling or on the floor. These are rectangular metal parts with air direction control slats.
- Thermostat- The physical unit is tiny and usually within your house, mounted on a wall. This regulates your HVAC system’s heating cooling work.
- Evaporator coil – Evaporator coil is an important part of your air conditioner or heat pump that’s inside your system’s indoor air handler. These are triggered when there is a need for cool air. These are part of the furnace, but are situated outside the unit of the furnace.
- Refrigerant line- It is part of the mechanism of cooling. These are metal (usually aluminum or copper) tubes that bring the liquid back to the condensing device and to the evaporating coil.
- Furnace – This is a large appliance usually stored in a closet or a garage. Furnaces can be one of two types: single-stage or two-stage.
- Heat exchanger – This is inside the furnace and is activated by the thermostat. It is triggered when warm air is needed.
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