HVAC Terms That Are Handy to Know

When speaking with an HVAC professional about your system, you may become confused when they use HVAC terms to describe your system. If you know and understand some of the basic terms that are used in the HVAC industry, you'll be on top of what all the professional terminology means.Here are some of the basic HVAC terms that you'll hear when a heating or air conditioning system is being described.

• HVAC -- (H)eating, (V)entilation and (A)ir (C)onditioning comprises your entire HVAC heating and cooling system.

• BTU -- Describes how much heating capacity your HVAC system has. The higher the BTU rating, the greater its heating ability.

• Ton -- How much cooling capacity your central air conditioning has. Just like a BTU unit, the more tons your air conditioner has, the greater its cooling ability.

• AFUE -- Stands for Annualized Fuel Utilization Efficiency, and refers directly to how efficient your furnace is. The higher the AFUE number, the more efficient the system.

• SEER -- The Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio is how the efficiency of air conditioners is classified. The higher the SEER number, the more efficient the system.

• MERV Rating -- MERV stands for Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value. It directly relates to how efficient your HVAC system filter is, and the higher the MERV rating, the more efficient it is at trapping dirt, dust, smoke and pollen particles.

• Off-Grid -- Going "off-grid" means you have your own power source, like solar panels or a windmill, and are able to disconnect from your local utility service provider.

• Energy Star -- A product designation from the Environmental Protection Agency that promises an Energy Star product meets or beats EPA energy efficient guidelines.

If you'd like to know more about HVAC terms and what they mean, contact Air Assurance. We'll answer your questions and provide outstanding service for all of your HVAC needs. Serving the Tulsa metropolitan area for more than 50 years.Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).

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What Do Those Air Filter Ratings Other Than MERV Mean?

The heating/cooling (HVAC) system in your Tulsa-area home requires relatively little maintenance, but this maintenance needs to be provided on a regular basis. Besides annual check-ups from a qualified HVAC technician, the most important aspect of an efficiently running heating/cooling system is the proper selection and regular replacement of your equipments' air filters. Choosing appropriate filters according to universally accepted air filter ratings such as MERV is where you should start.

Air filters generally carry MERV ratings, a widely accepted rating system developed by ASHRE, the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers. The acronym MERV stands for Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value. The rating numbers, which extend from 1-16 for residential air filters, apply to the particle size a specific filter is capable of trapping. MERV 1-4 filters can capture particles that are 10 microns or larger in size. Filters rated between 5-13 capture increasingly smaller particulate down to as tiny as 1.0 micron. Most experts recommend homeowners use air filters with ratings of from MERV 8-12 for the best balance of economy and efficiency. Anything higher than a MERV-12 will certainly be more aggressive in its filtering capabilities but may also restrict airflow to a point that could be harmful to your equipment.

Some air filter sales outlets have started using alternative air filter ratings other than MERV. These are not approved by ASHRE and may cause some confusion when you're trying to compare efficiency and cost of different filters. Home Depot is one example of a company that's switched from MERV to something called FPR, which stands for Air Filter Performance Rating. An FPR-8, however, is not equal to a MERV-8. MPR, or Microparticle Performance Rating, is another arbitrary rating system used by a certain filter manufacturer. Neither FPR nor MPR are recognized by ASHRE, whose MERV system has been universally recognized and used for decades.

As the largest full-service HVAC equipment and service provider in the Tulsa area, Air Assurance has been providing excellence to our clients since 1985. Contact us for more info or advice on air filter ratings or any indoor air topics.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). 

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Allergies Are Out of Control in Tulsa: Here's One Solution

Allergies Are Out of Control in Tulsa: Here's One Solution

Are you or someone in your household suffering from allergies? If so, then you may be familiar with the multitude of indoor airborne contaminants and allergens that arouse common allergy symptoms of sneezing, watery and itchy eyes and worse in allergy sufferers. You may also have heard that HEPA filtration is one of the leading solutions for an effective indoor-air quality (IAQ) strategy. But, do you know what HEPA filtration is?Understanding HEPA filtrationHEPA stands for High-Efficiency Particulate Air. HEPA filters are the most efficient filters for capturing airborne contaminants, including biological contaminants and particulates. HEPA filtration systems are most common in commercial buildings, hospitals and places where very clean air are a high priority. However, residential HEPA filtration systems are gaining in popularity.A whole-house HEPA filtration system is installed in the duct system by your HVAC contractor. It is a thick media filter composed of a web-like configuration of fibers which alter the path of airborne contaminants and capture them by impaction. A HEPA filter is 99.97 percent efficient of removing particulates and biological contaminants down to 0.3 microns in size.The MERV number of an air filter determines if it qualifies as a HEPA-grade filter. MERV stands for Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value. The MERV scale spans MERV 1-20, with MERV 20 signifying the most efficient media filter available. HEPA filters are rated MERV 17-20.HEPA limitationsHEPA filters aren't for every HVAC system. HEPA filters create a significant pressure drop across the blower, due to their thick size and resistance to airflow. Your HVAC contractor needs to inspect your heating and cooling equipment to make sure it has the power to pull airflow through a HEPA filtration system.Another consideration for controlling allergies in your Tulsa home is using an air filter with slightly lower MERV ratings. MERV 9-16 filters are more than adequate, and capture the following common allergens and contaminants:

• Mold, pollen and dust mites

• Pet dander

• Auto emissions

• Legionella

• Tobacco smoke and more

Contact Air Assurance if allergies are a concern in your Tulsa home, and you're ready to do something about it.Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). Image courtesy of Shutterstock