Sending a Young Adult into the World? Here’s an HVAC Primer
You can’t prepare your teenager for everything, but you can educate them on the basics of a heating and air system. There are HVAC terms they should know before renting an apartment or buying a house. Not only is it important to understand the differences between components, your graduate needs to know proper maintenance tips to keep them comfortable and safe year-round, such as effectively using ceiling fans to keep energy bills low.
Estes Services wants to share our gift of knowledge and experience within the heating and air industry with you and your graduate. By informing your teenager before they leave the nest, they can avoid expensive mistakes with their HVAC unit and learn the value of saving money in the process.
Common Heating and Cooling Terms
- Heat Pump: A heat pump serves the purpose of heating and cooling your home year-round. It takes the heat from inside during the warmer months and deposits it outside. During the cooler months, the heat pump pulls heat from the outdoor air and delivers the warmth throughout your home.
- Thermostat: This is the brains behind your heating and air system. Usually mounted on the wall, the thermostat tells your HVAC unit when to cycle on and off depending on the thermostat settings. The thermostat gives a constant reading to your equipment, so your home is kept at an ideal temperature 24/7.
- Air Filter: The air filter is the first line of defense against dust, dirt and other allergens entering your home. Stored in your HVAC unit, the air filter needs to be replaced every 1-3 months to provide healthy indoor air in your home.
- Heat Exchanger: The heat exchanger adds heat to the air cycling through the furnace before going through your ductwork.
- Ductwork: Heated or cooled air is delivered throughout your home via the ductwork, like a respiratory system. Air travels into your unit through sections of ductwork and later cycles back out through more ductwork.
- Condensing Unit: The outdoor HVAC unit houses the condensing unit, which is responsible for collecting and releasing heat as air moves over it.
- Evaporator Coil: Similar to the condensing unit, the evaporator coil absorbs heat as it passes over it, using refrigerant to cool the air in the process. The cold air is cycled through the ductwork in your home to provide cooler temperatures.
Why Maintenance is Important
Routine maintenance of air conditioning and other HVAC systems keeps them healthy longer and increases their energy efficiency when operating. Estes Services offers different Maintenance Membership Plans for any budget. Maintaining your HVAC equipment will keep your system clean from excess dirt, dust and other debris. Preventing allergens from building up in your heating and air system will boost your indoor air quality, leaving you feeling healthy every day.
With proper maintenance, problems with the components, including the thermostat, ductwork or electrical parts are caught early. Fixing issues right away will keep the cost of future repairs low and affordable. Maintenance reduces the number of repairs on your unit in the future and lengthens its lifespan. Your heating and air system will also perform more efficiently, saving you money on your monthly energy bill.
One suggestion to boost energy savings is to use any ceiling fans in your home. Ceiling fans don’t create cooler air, they circulate the cool air provided by your HVAC system, keeping you cool longer without turning the thermostat down. By reversing the spin of your ceiling fan blades in cooler weather, you can push warm air down to lower energy costs throughout the year. Combining maintenance and your ceiling fans, you will experience lower utility bills and a higher efficiency unit.
Preparing graduates now for the adult world will ensure a successful start to their future. Teach them the differences between thermostat settings, air filters and other HVAC equipment. They will thank you later in life and avoid catastrophe with their heating and air units. Contact Estes Services for the best heating and air products on the market.
