All Care Maintenance & Repair HVAC Tips Page
Heating and cooling are two of the most important concepts of home ownership. In fact, heating and cooling systems are major factors for those looking to purchase homes, and are a critical aspect of comfortable indoor living.

Home Heating and Cooling
You may frequently hear the term "HVAC," which is used to describe home heating and cooling systems. The acronym stands for Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning—which are the 3 primary functions of a home system. They control air temperature and humidity, and maintain the quality of the air in the home.

Central Systems
A central heating and cooling system produces warm or cool air in one central area and then distributes it throughout the home. There are many types of systems that work as central systems, from traditional split systems to packaged product systems.

Products typically used in central heating and cooling systems include:

* Heat Pumps
* Air Conditioners
* Gas and Oil Furnaces
* Fan Coils
* Evaporator Coils
* Controls and Thermostats

Heating
Heating systems keep your home warm and comfortable. If you live in a particularly cold climate, the function of your heating system is a high priority.

Most central heating and cooling systems are classified as forced air systems, because they send air through ductwork for distribution. The ductwork can contain products that filter or clean the air.

Radiant systems create heat and deliver it via components such as radiators that radiate the heat into the home. Boilers are a traditional radiant heat source.

Typical heating products include:

* Heat Pumps
* Gas and Oil Furnaces
* Fan Coils
* Boilers

Cooling
Whole-home air conditioning systems are central systems that rely on ducts to deliver cooled air throughout the home. An air-conditioning system provides cooling, ventilation, humidity control and even heating (if using a Heat Pump) for a home. Air conditioning units cool refrigerants like Puron® Refrigerant and Freon and deliver them to evaporator coils, over which air is then blown to be cooled and ultimately directed through the ducts throughout the home.

Typical air conditioning products include:

* Heat Pumps
* Central Air Conditioners
* Evaporator Coils

Specialty Products - Duct-Free Split Systems (DFS)
As the name implies, a duct-free split system does not rely upon air ducts to route treated air through your home or office. Instead, these specialty products are added for a specific room, such as a home theatre, an exercise room, a garage, or other room where adding ducts is impractical. These comfort systems can supply heating, cooling, or both, and are a split-system in that the condensing unit sits outside your home while the indoor unit sits unobtrusively on the wall to control and direct the airflow. These Bryant systems are full-featured and couldn't be any easier to operate.

Typical Duct-Free Systems

* High-Wall Systems
* Under-Ceiling Systems
* In-Ceiling Systems

Thermostats - Cooling
The term "thermostat" commonly refers to any unit that controls the operation of a heating and cooling system. Thermostats are used to turn on heating or cooling systems to bring the home to a set temperature. In addition to basic temperature control, programmable thermostats can be used to manage the timing of the system’s functions, which can control overall energy use and costs.

To learn more about the many aspects of heating and cooling, including the types of systems available, and how to find the ideal system for your home, call All Care today.