Heating & Cooling 101

Heating and cooling are two of the most important concepts of home ownership. In fact, heating and cooling systems are major factors for those looking to purchase homes and are a critical part of living comfortably in a home.

You may frequently hear the term “HVAC,” which is used to describe home heating and cooling systems. The acronym stands for Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning – which are the three primary functions of a home system. They control air temperature and humidity, and maintain the quality of the air in the home.

Central System

Heating and cooling systems may be classified as central or local.

Central heating and cooling is the most standard method, and is defined by a system that produces warm or cool air in one central area and then distributes it throughout the home. There are many types of systems that work as central systems, from traditional split systems to packaged product systems.

Products typically used in central heating and cooling systems include:

Heat Pumps
Air Conditioners
Gas and Oil Furnaces
Fan Coils
Evaporator Coils
Single Packaged Products
Controls and Thermostats

Local heating and cooling, on the other hand, produces warm or cool air at the location where it is needed and serves small spaces. Room Air Conditioners and Duct-Free Split Systems are examples of local heating and cooling.

Heating

Heating systems keep your home warm and comfortable. If you live in a particularly cold climate, the function of your heating system is a high priority.

Most central heating and cooling systems are classified as forced air systems, because they send air through ductwork for distribution. The ductwork can contain products that filter or clean the air.

Radiant systems create heat and deliver it using components such as radiators that distribute the heat into the home. Boilers are a traditional radiant heat source.

Typical heating products include:

Heat Pumps
Gas and Oil Furnaces
Fan Coils
Single Packaged Products

Cooling

Whole-home air conditioning systems are central systems that rely on ducts to deliver cooled air throughout the home. An air-conditioning system provides cooling, ventilation, humidity control and even heating (if using a Heat Pump) for a home.

Air conditioning units cool refrigerants like Puron Refrigerant and Freon and deliver them to evaporator coils, which dissipate the refrigerant and blow cool air into ducts for delivery throughout the home. Products such as room air conditioners are local cooling options for smaller areas within homes. Instead of delivering cooled refrigerant to a coil and then to ductwork, a room air conditioner contains all the components in a single unit and blows air directly into a room.

Air-conditioned homes often have sealed windows, because open windows would disrupt the attempts of the control system to maintain constant temperature.

Typical air conditioning products include:

Heat Pumps
Central Air Conditioners
Evaporator Coils
Single Packaged Products

Ductless Split Systems

As the name implies, a duct-free split system does not rely upon air ducts to route treated air through your home or office. Instead, these specialty products are added for a specific room, such as a home theatre, an exercise room, a garage, or other room where adding ducts is impractical. These comfort systems can supply heating, cooling, or both, and are a split-system in that the condensing unit sits outside your home while the indoor unit sits unobtrusively on the wall to control and direct the airflow. These Carrier systems are full-featured and couldn’t be any easier to operate.

Typical Duct-Free Systems:

High-Wall Systems
Under-Ceiling Systems
In-Ceiling Systems

Thermostats

The term “thermostat” commonly refers to any unit that controls the operation of a heating and cooling system. Thermostats are used to turn on heating or cooling systems to bring the home to a set temperature. In addition to basic temperature control, programmable thermostats can be used to manage the timing of the system’s functions, which can control overall energy use and costs.

Indoor Air Quality

Improve the air quality inside your home. It could be the best choice you ever make for your family.

Improve your home’s health by enhancing the quality of the air inside. Carrier humidifiers help you control air moisture, ventilators bring fresh air into your home, electronic and traditional air filters clean the air before it circulates, and advanced ultraviolet lamps eliminate germs and bacteria.

Carrier Fan-Powered Humidifiers are independent units with their own fans that add moisture directly into your ducts, while Bypass Humidifiers work in tandem with your furnace system to deliver enhanced moisture throughout your home. Both options are quiet, energy efficient ways to make your home more comfortable, and reduce static electricity.

Efficient and innovative Carrier Energy Recovery Ventilators bring fresh air into your home throughout the longer cooling season, while Heat Recovery Ventilators keep your air warm and fresh during longer heating seasons – forcing stale air and pollutants out of your home.

State-of-the-art Carrier air filtration systems such as the Infinity Air Purifier and Performance Electronic Air Cleaner effectively remove bacteria, pollen, animal dander and other pollutants as small as 0.01 microns – that’s 18,000 times smaller than the head of a pin. The higher the MERV rating, the more efficiently the cleaner removes particles.

UV Lamps from Carrier zap the mold and bacteria that can sometimes grow in the moist environment of your air conditioning or indoor coils. This way, unhealthy pollutants are killed and won’t circulate through your family’s home.