Terms and Definitions

While it’s not likely we will understand everything about Air Conditioning and what we need to know about it in the North Florida area, here’s a brief overview of some of the terms that are used and their definitions.

SYSTEMS AND THEIR DEFINITIONS:

A Straight Cool Air Conditioning System is an air conditioning system
that includes a cooling cycle. It may include:

• Gas
• Oil or
• Electric strip heating

A Heat Pump System is an Air Conditioning System that uses cooling and heating equipment that absorbs heat from the outside air and transfers it inside to provide a:

• Cooling cycle during the summer and
• Heating cycle during the winter

Heating costs come out to about half the cost of electric strip heating.

Resistance Heating (Heat Strips) is a form of electric heating that may be used in climates where heat is used infrequently. The Air is:

• Blown over electrically heated metal coils and
• Circulated into the living space

TERMS AND DEFINITIONS:
The Federal government requires all central cooling and heating systems to display efficiency ratings.

SEER – A measure of annual average cooling efficiency of an air
(Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating) conditioning or heat pump in BTU’s per watt of electricity.

HSPF – A measure of average annual heating efficiency of a (Heating Seasonal Performance Factor) heat pump in BTUs per watt of electricity.

BTU (British Thermal Unit) - A measure of the quantity of heat required to raise the temperature of a pound (one pint) of water 1 degree
Fahrenheit. It is used to describe how much cooling or heating your home needs. One ton of cooling is equal to 12,000 BTUs per hour.

Ton - A measure of the size or cooling capacity of an Air Conditioner. One ton is equal to 12,000 BTUs per hour and is the amount of cooling released from melting one ton of ice per day.

Contact us at First Class A/C to speak with our Comfort Advisor about the best fit for your needs.

NOTE: A properly sized Air Conditioner will cool and dehumidify your home. However, a system that is too large will not dehumidify the air, and a system that is too small will not keep your house cool on the hottest of days. There are other things that have to be taken into account when deciding what Air Conditioning Unit you need in your home, the humidity, insulation, lifestyle and number of people in the home, windows and local temperatures.

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