AFUE
Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency — measures how efficiently a furnace converts fuel into heat. Higher AFUE means lower energy waste.
SEER2
Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio — rates how efficiently an air conditioner or heat pump cools over a season. Higher SEER2 means lower cooling costs.
BTU
British Thermal Unit — a measurement of heating and cooling capacity used to size HVAC equipment for a space.
Condenser
The outdoor unit of an air conditioner or heat pump that releases heat absorbed from inside the home.
Evaporator Coil
The indoor coil that absorbs heat from your home's air as refrigerant passes through it, producing the cooling effect.
Heat Pump
A system that transfers heat rather than generating it, allowing it to both heat and cool a home from one unit.
Hybrid Heat
A dual-fuel system that automatically switches between a heat pump and a gas furnace for maximum efficiency.
Load Calculation
A calculation of a home's exact heating and cooling needs, used to properly size HVAC equipment.
Refrigerant
The chemical compound that circulates through your AC or heat pump, absorbing and releasing heat to cool or warm your home.
Thermostat
The control device that regulates when your heating and cooling system turns on and off to maintain a set temperature.
Ductwork
The network of channels that distributes heated or cooled air from your HVAC system throughout your home.
Zoning
A system that divides a home into separate areas, each with independent temperature control.
Humidifier
A device that adds moisture to your home's air, often needed in winter when heating dries out indoor air.
UV Light
An indoor air quality device installed in ductwork or air handlers to help neutralize mold, bacteria, and viruses.
Air Handler
The indoor component that moves conditioned air through your ductwork, often paired with a heat pump or AC system.
Ductless Mini-Split
A ductless heating and cooling system that delivers targeted comfort to specific rooms without central ductwork.
Manufacturer's Warranty
Coverage provided by the equipment manufacturer, often requiring documented annual maintenance to remain valid.
Tune-Up
A routine maintenance visit that inspects, cleans, and adjusts your system to keep it running safely and efficiently.
Advanced Reciprocating Compressor
A type of compressor that uses a piston to compress refrigerant; an older, durable design still found in some units.
BTUH
British Thermal Units per Hour — the rate at which a system produces or removes heat, used to compare equipment output.
Beckett Burner
A popular brand of oil-fired burner used in many residential oil furnaces and boilers for reliable fuel ignition.
CFM
Cubic Feet per Minute — measures the volume of air a blower or duct moves; used to balance airflow across rooms.
Carbon Monoxide
A colorless, odorless, toxic gas produced by incomplete fuel combustion; a key reason to maintain furnaces and install CO detectors.
Condenser Coil
The outdoor coil that releases heat absorbed from your home; keeping it clean improves cooling efficiency.
dB
Decibel — the unit used to rate how quietly an outdoor unit or furnace operates; lower numbers mean less noise.
Damper
A movable plate inside ductwork that opens or closes to control airflow to specific rooms or zones.
Downflow
A furnace or air handler configuration where conditioned air enters at the top and exits at the bottom, common in closets or attics.
EER
Energy Efficiency Ratio — a steady-state efficiency rating for cooling equipment at a fixed temperature, complementing the seasonal SEER2 rating.
Electronic Air Cleaner (EAC)
A filtration device that uses an electric charge to capture fine particles, improving indoor air quality beyond standard filters.
Energy Saver Switch
A control that reduces peak energy demand by cycling the outdoor fan or compressor, lowering utility bills during high-use periods.
Fan Coil
The indoor component containing the blower and often the cooling coil, paired with a heat pump or AC to circulate conditioned air.
Heat Exchanger
The metal chamber in a furnace where heat transfers from combustion gases to your home's air; a cracked heat exchanger is a safety hazard.
Horizontal Flow
An equipment configuration where air enters one side and exits the other, used in attics or crawlspaces with limited vertical space.
Indoor Coil
Another name for the evaporator coil — the indoor component that absorbs heat from your home's air.
Low Boy
A short, compact furnace or water heater design that fits in tight spaces like crawlspaces or low basements.
Matched System
A pairing of an outdoor unit and indoor coil or air handler tested together by the manufacturer to deliver rated efficiency and performance.
Non-Thermal Plasma
Cold plasma technology used in some air purifiers to neutralize airborne pathogens and pollutants without producing heat.
Operating Cost
The day-to-day cost of running your HVAC system, driven by local energy rates, equipment efficiency, and your thermostat habits.
Outdoor Coil
The condenser coil in the outdoor unit; it releases heat removed from your home during cooling and absorbs outdoor heat during heat pump heating.
Payback Analysis
A comparison of a higher-efficiency system's extra upfront cost against the energy savings it delivers over time, showing how long it takes to break even.
Puron Refrigerant
Carrier's brand name for R-410A, an chlorine-free refrigerant that replaced ozone-depleting R-22 in modern systems.
QuieTech
A Carrier feature that reduces operating noise through insulated compressors and advanced fan designs for quieter outdoor units.
R-22 Refrigerant
An older, ozone-depleting refrigerant (Freon) phased out of new production; systems using it must be serviced or retrofitted by a certified technician.
Reciprocating Compressor
A compressor that uses a piston-cylinder design to pressurize refrigerant; a traditional, robust design used in many older and some current units.
Reclaiming
The EPA-regulated process of removing used refrigerant from a system, processing it to purity standards, and returning it for reuse.
Recycling
Recovering refrigerant from a system for reuse after basic cleaning, a step short of full reclamation, performed by certified technicians.
Refrigerant Lines
The insulated copper pipes that carry refrigerant between the indoor and outdoor components of a split system.
Riello Burner
A premium Italian brand of oil burner known for quiet, efficient combustion, used in select oil-fired furnaces and boilers.
Scroll Compressor
A modern compressor design using two interleaved scrolls to compress refrigerant; quieter and more efficient than a reciprocating compressor.
Setback Thermostat
A programmable thermostat that automatically lowers or raises temperatures when you're asleep or away to save energy.
Single Package Product
An all-in-one HVAC unit containing all heating and cooling components in a single outdoor cabinet, common in commercial or rooftop installs.
SmartRecovery
A thermostat feature that starts heating or cooling early so your home reaches the target temperature exactly at the scheduled time.
Split System
The most common residential HVAC setup, with an indoor unit (furnace/air handler + coil) and an outdoor unit (AC or heat pump) connected by refrigerant lines.
Thermidistat
A thermostat that controls both temperature and humidity, ideal for homes where maintaining precise comfort matters.
Thermostatic Expansion Valve
Also called TXV — a metering device that regulates refrigerant flow into the evaporator coil to optimize efficiency across varying conditions.
Ton
A unit of cooling capacity equal to 12,000 BTU/h; a typical central AC is sized between 2 and 5 tons based on a home's load calculation.
Total Home Comfort System
An integrated approach combining heating, cooling, humidity control, ventilation, and air quality into one coordinated solution.
TrueSense Dirty Filter Detection
A Carrier feature that alerts you when your air filter needs changing based on actual airflow restriction rather than a fixed calendar reminder.
Two-Stage Compressor
A compressor that can run at a lower capacity for mild days and full capacity for extreme weather, improving comfort and efficiency.
UL
Underwriters Laboratories — an independent safety certification organization; UL-listed HVAC equipment meets recognized safety standards.
Upflow
A furnace or air handler configuration where air enters at the bottom and exits at the top, the most common residential basement setup.
Ventilator
A device that brings in fresh outdoor air while recovering heat or coolness from stale exhaust air, improving indoor air quality without wasting energy.
