Now that the heating season is in full swing here in Southwest Ohio, you may end up dealing with issues arising from your home’s heating system, or perhaps you just want to pull as much efficiency out of your HVAC equipment as possible. You’ll be better equipped to deal with either situation if you’re hip to HVAC terms that are important during the heating season. Following are some of the most important:
- Energy efficiency. This is a key concept when it comes to heating your home. An energy-efficient furnace or heat pump will provide more heat for less energy than one that’s not so efficient. Energy-efficient heating and cooling equipment may cost more upfront, but it delivers monthly savings throughout your ownership of the system.
- AFUE. This shows how efficiently a particular furnace operates. It stands for Annualized Fuel Utilization Efficiency. A standard-efficiency gas furnace might sport an AFUE of 80-89 percent, while a high-efficiency furnace will have an AFUE of 90 percent or more. That means the latter converts 90 percent or more of its fuel into heat for your home, while the remaining 10 percent goes up the chimney.
- Ducts. This network of pipes delivers heat to all the rooms in your home, then returns spent air back to the furnace or heat pump. It’s essential for ductwork to be tight (well-sealed) to ensure that your rooms are getting all the heat you’re paying for.
- Insulation. This is the material — often fiberglass or cellulose — that’s packed into walls, ceilings, the attic, and other areas in order to slow heat loss from your home in the winter.
- Air filter. This relatively inexpensive and modest component of any forced-air HVAC system plays an important role. It protects sensitive equipment from dust and dirt, and helps clean the air that you breathe. Inspect the air filter every month during the heating season, changing it when it looks dirty.
We’re just scratching the surface here. For more information on HVAC terms this heating season, please contact us at Ace Hardware Home Services, Inc., providing quality service to the Dayton-Springfield area.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Dayton, Ohio about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).
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