There are a lot of components to a Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) System. As you know, the more parts, the more things that can potentially go wrong. These components together warm your home in the winter and cool it in the summer. To help you understand your system better, here is some information about the eight components of your system.
1. Furnace
Obviously, your furnace is the KEY and largest component of your HVAC system. It takes up the most space in your home and is typically located in the basement, attic, or a designated closet.
The furnace heats a supply of air, which is then distributed to the rooms of your home. For the heating process, there are four different sources:
- Heat pump
- Combustion (burning natural gas, oil, coal, or propane)
- Electric resistance
- Solar energy
2. Ductwork
Ductwork is what transports the warmed or cooled air throughout your home. The ducts are made of lightweight aluminum. They can also be manufactured from fiberglass, steel, flexible plastic, polyurethane, or fabric.
3. Vents
Vents positioned throughout your home transfer the cooled or heated air from the ductwork system into the rooms of your home. The vents are manufactured of safe metal made for low- and high-temperatures. The vents are typically located on or near the ceiling with angled slats in the vents. They can be manually controlled or closed to control and direct the amount of heating or cooling into each room.
4. Heat exchanger
The heat exchanger is a device inside your furnace unit that houses and switches on when the furnace is activated by a thermostat to produce warmer temperatures in winter. It also pulls in cool air, heats it, and circulates the resulting heated air via your ducts and out through the vents.
5. Evaporator coil
When your thermostat is set to a lower temperature in the summer, the evaporator coil is the component that cools the air. It is the opposite of the heat exchanger and is located in a metal enclosure on the furnace’s top or side exterior. The evaporator coil operates similar to an automobile radiator which produces cool air circulated through the ductwork.
6. Condensing unit
The evaporator coil is connected directly to the condensing unit. HVAC contractors install it on the outside of your home and fill it with refrigerant gas. The condensing unit moves liquid to the evaporator coil, which evaporates into a gas once the refrigerant has been cooled.
7. Refrigerant lines
Refrigerant lines move a refrigerant substance to the condensing unit where it is vaporized in the form of a gas. Then, the gas is returned to the evaporator coil in a liquid form. The lines are narrow tubes made from durable heat- and cold-resistant metal such as copper or aluminum.
8. Thermostat
If you have a faulty control or thermostat, it could keep the HVAC system from turning on or could cause it to turn on and off repeatedly. Typically, heat pump issues are caused by thermostat malfunctions. The thermostat is the most visible and recognizable part of your HVAC system.
The HVAC thermostat is located on an easily accessible main wall. It can be manually set or programmed at a set temperature. The thermostat will automatically trigger the heat exchanger or the evaporator coil-condensing unit combo to begin circulating warmed or cooled air as needed when the temperature becomes too hot or cold.
Regular Maintenance
With the eight system components, it is essential to maintain your HVAC system to run smoothly and efficiently. At Air Shield Heating & Cooling, we offer an Energy Savings Agreement, which provides a complete precision tune-up, and professional cleaning offered either annually or semi-annually. If your equipment is appropriately maintained, minor adjustments will not turn into major repairs.
Contact Us
At Air Shield Heating & Cooling, our highly-trained residential HVAC technicians are available 24/7 — 365 days a year to provide service for your home or small business. Call us today at 813-644-3806 or contact us online.
