HVAC Facts You Should Know

Split System: 

A heating and/or air conditioning (A/C) system with indoor and outdoor components that work in conjunction with each other. The outside condenser is set away from the home, and the inside air handler is usually located in the attic, closet, basement, or crawlspace. 

Package Unit: 

All-in-one heating and cooling system with all components within one outdoor unit located on the ground or roof of the home. The outside unit is attached to the home with sheet metal. 

When a package unit has a hard black pipe and a shut-off valve, it normally indicates it uses gas (natural or propane) to heat the house. This is called a gas pack. On newer systems, you may also see the flex line or shut-off valve is yellow, which indicates that it uses gas. 

Heat Pump: 

An electric heating and cooling system that uses a reversing valve to change the flow of refrigerant to produce warm or cool air. 

Refrigerant: 

The manufacturer’s label, under HFC or Factory Charge, indicates if the system uses R-22 or 410A refrigerant. The production of new R-22 will be phased out as of 2020 since it contains chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) that contribute to greenhouse gases and effect the ozone layer. The Montreal Protocol indicates that new and refurbished R-22 can be used up until December 2029. Please also see https://tinyurl.com/hvacphaseout for more information about the R-22 phase-out. 

More HVAC Info: 

To determine the A/C unit’s “tonnage” or cooling capacity, look at the manufacturer’s label and find the model number. Within the string of letters and numerals, you should find an even, two-digit number. The possibilities on residential units range from 18 to 60. Divide the number by 12 to get the A/C unit’s tonnage. For example, 30 divided by 12 is 2.5 tons of air conditioning. An A/C unit can cool about 400 – 600 square feet per ton of air conditioning capacity. 

To know if a system is a heat pump or air conditioner, look up the brand name and model number in a search engine.