The Ultimate Guide to Choosing the Right HVAC System for Your Home
An HVAC system is a combination of air conditioners, furnaces, air handlers, ductwork and controls that cools, heats and circulates air to create optimal home comfort conditions. Look for high SEER (seasonal energy efficiency ratio) ratings and programmable thermostats to optimize energy use.
A furnace uses natural gas, propane or oil to heat a metal plate that in turn warms recirculated air. This heated air is blown through ducts to distribute warmth throughout the home. Discover more at hvac Coquitlam.
Heating
Heating is one of the primary functions of an HVAC system. It uses gas, oil, electricity or other resources to generate heat that warms a space. This can be done through a boiler, furnace or heat pump. Some systems like radiant heating directly warm a home’s walls or floors and don’t circulate air.
Most HVAC systems rely on ducts to move air around the building. According to Bright Hub Engineering, the ductwork distributes cool or hot air from the HVAC unit to designated spaces in the home. The units are typically located outside of the house and include an outdoor cabinet that houses a compressor and condenser for cooling, or an evaporator coil and air handler for heating.
An air duct system also moves air through a programmable thermostat to maintain temperature settings and balance humidity levels. This is why specialized mechanical contractors and licensed professionals are necessary to install and service these complex systems.
Cooling
The cooling functions of an HVAC system work to keep your home at a comfortable temperature during summer. They also remove extra humidity, which helps prevent mold and mildew.
Air is drawn in from outside, then cooled or heated before it’s circulated throughout indoor spaces, such as homes, offices, schools, hospitals and even confined areas like submarines. This sophisticated form of automation regulates temperatures, replenishes oxygen and filters out carbon dioxide, smoke, dust, odours and microbes to elevate interior air quality.
An HVAC technician can help you choose a system based on your climate, budget and existing infrastructure. For example, if you don’t have ductwork, you might opt for a ductless system. Other factors that influence your choice include how much space you need to cool and the energy efficiency of your current system. The higher the SEER or HSPF rating, the more money you’ll save over time. You might also want to look for systems with a convenient programmable thermostat.
Ventilation
Ventilation functions of HVAC systems help maintain clean and fresh air by bringing in outdoor air to supplement occupied spaces. This helps with temperature control as well as ensuring proper contaminant control in settings like schools where VOCs and gases can build up in ventilation systems. In these cases, filters such as permanate oxidizers and activated charcoal can be used for gaseous contaminant removal in ventilation systems.
A view of a rooftop HVAC unit with the fresh-air intake vent in the foreground.
The outside cabinet houses the condenser that cools and pumps refrigerant throughout the system. The indoor unit (or units in ductless systems) houses an evaporator coil for heating and an air handler for cooling. It’s also responsible for ventilation, air filtration and humidity control. These parts work together to meet your home’s temperature, comfort and air quality needs year-round. If you are interested in learning more about HVAC and its different components, contact an expert in your area.
Controls
Controls are the brain of an HVAC system and the heart of building automation systems (also called BAS). They communicate information to hardware, software, and computer systems.
Input information is gathered by sensors and then compared to a setpoint. Then the controller will send an output command to various devices to achieve the desired environmental conditions.
Programmable thermostats can be programmed to adjust temperatures based on occupancy patterns. This allows you to save energy costs by heating and cooling the space only when it is needed.
Unlike pneumatic controls, which move pressurized air, electronic controllers send and receive electrical signals over a network. The newer direct digital control systems can even analyze data and optimize your system. This leads to higher efficiency, lower operating costs and better results for your tenants.