As an HVAC company servicing furnaces and air conditioners for a living, we live and breathe this stuff. But most of our customers don’t understand what we maintain, service and replace on daily basis. So, we decided providing some general information would be a good idea. So on that note, there are three basic parts to your home’s heating and cooling system we’d like to go through.
3 Main Heating and Cooling Components
First is the air source. This is cooled air when it is warm outside, and warmed air when it’s cold. The cooled air from your air conditioner and the warmed air from your furnace are separate sources, of course.
Second is the air’s system of distribution. This is the means of moving this treated air into and around the rooms. The sources of air usually share the same means of distribution. This would include the ducts, the fans, and the cold air return system.
Third is the air’s control. This would be your thermostat: the control you use to regulate the system and set the temperature you desire. Again, the different sources of air are both taking their signals from this same control.
Heating and Cooling Air Balance
Heating and air conditioning are both based on the same idea: equilibrium. Air seeks equilibrium. If warm air sits next to cold air, the air blends to maintain balance, or equilibrium.
Heat always moves in the same direction – from a warm object to a cooler object. This applies to our air sources as well. Furnaces put in heat. Air conditioners remove heat.
The heat pump works to both heat and cool the air. In the summer, it pulls heat out of the air in your house. In the winter, it pulls heat out of the air outside.
Most home heaters burn fuel oil or gas, while some use electricity. Air conditioners use electricity.
These principles are at the core of your home’s heating and cooling. Knowing these basics will help you regulate your home’s climate, and will help you keep your home HVAC system running at the highest level of efficiency. Here at Pinnacle Air Solutions in Cincinnati, we can help optimize your home’s heating and cooling. Please call us at 513-984-HEAT (4328) if you have any questions or issues with your air. We wish you and your family a happy and comfortable season.