R&K SERVICES
972-442-7300
Wylie Texas
TACLA26916E
Terms R&K Services use often
This is not meant to be technical, just to help you know what we're talking about.
Advanced Reciprocating Compressor—Type of compressor that uses a more efficient process for compressing refrigerant for better cooling efficiency.
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AFUE—Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency. Indicated as a percentage, your furnace’s AFUE tells you how much energy is being converted to heat. For example, an AFUE of 90 means that 90% of the fuel is being used to warm your home, while the other 10% escapes as exhaust with the combustion gases.
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Air Conditioner - Invented in 1902 by Willis Carrier. My definition-Any device which changes the temperature or humidity (condition) of the air.
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Air Handler - The compartment which usually contains the fan, heat strips, and evaporator
Auxiliary Drain Line- The drain line from the drip pan to a destination outside.
BTU—British Thermal Unit. Used for both heating and cooling, BTU is a measure of the heat given off when fuel is combusted. Or for cooling, it’s a measure of heat extracted from your home. One BTU is approximately equal to the heat given off by a wooden kitchen match.
Capacitor- Simply; a device which changes the phase of the electricity to assist an electric motor.
Capacity—The ability of a heating or cooling system to heat or cool a given amount of space. For heating, this is usually expressed in BTU's. For cooling, it is usually given in tons.
CFM - Cubic Feet Per Minute; A standard measurement of airflow. A typical system requires 400 CFM per ton of air conditioning.
Charging a system - Adding Refrigerant to a specified level using gauges and scales.
Combustion Fan - A fan in the furnace which helps all the fuel burn and purges the heat exchanger
Compressor the part of the system, usually within a condenser, which circulates the refrigerant.
Condensation- usually refers to the water vapor which condenses on the surface of an evaporator and flows to a place of disposal.
Condenser - The device normally on the outside of the house which removes heat from the refrigerant to the outside air .
Condenser Coil—Part of the outdoor portion of a split-system air conditioner or heat pump. By converting refrigerant that is in a gas form back to a liquid, the coil sends heat carried by the refrigerant to the outside. Needs to be kept clean, and may need special chemicals to clean them.
Contactor- A switching device which allows a small voltage to control a much larger one. A pitted, dirty contactor can cause electrical overheating and cause a system to fail.
Critical charge - when the amount of refrigerant in the unit must be "just right".
Damper - Found in ductwork, this movable plate opens and closes to control airflow. Dampers can be used to balance airflow in a duct system. They are also used in zoning to regulate airflow to certain rooms or areas.
Diffuser- An airflow device designed to discharge air in a spreading pattern, specific path, or particular direction. See register.
Down flow—A type of furnace that takes air from the top and blows air to the bottom—common where your furnace must be located in a second-floor closet or utility area. The opposite of an Up flow Furnace
Drain Line- the pvc pipe which directs condensation to the final destination, usually a sewer inlet. Also see secondary drain line
Drip Pan - a large pan under the evaporator to catch the condensation which does not drain properly
Ductwork - Pipes or channels that carry air throughout your home. In a home comfort system, ductwork is critical to performance - in fact, it's as critical as the equipment.
Electronic Air Cleaner (EAC)—An electronic device that filters out large particles and contaminants in indoor air. It then electronically pulls out tiny particles that have been magnetized, such as viruses and bacteria, drawing them to a collector plate.
Emergency Drain - see Secondary Drain
Energy Star - a logo which is on items which have met specific efficiency standards. Ask us about Energy Star equipment!
Evacuation- the process of removing all water and non-condensibles from the A/C system internally to prevent premature failure. We totally evacuate all new systems prior to start-up of the system.
Evaporator- The part of the air conditioner which allows refrigerant to evaporate to absorb heat. Part of a split-system air conditioner or heat pump usually located indoors. The evaporator coil cools and dehumidifies the air passing through it.
Flat evaporator coil.
Fan- A device which moves air by spinning or rotating.
Fan Coil—An indoor component of a heat pump system, used in place of a furnace, to provide additional heating on cold days when the heat pump does not provide adequate heating. See Heat Strips
Fan Limit Switch - A safety device which controls the fan in furnaces.
Fittings- Copper couplings to connect copper tubing.
Freon™ - People refer to almost all refrigerants as freon. Freon is a brand name of refrigerant, but not all refrigerants are Freon.
* Freon™ is a trademark of E. I. Dupont.
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Furnace- A device which burns natural gas or liquefied petroleum or other fuels to produce heat.
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Gas Valve- A device inside a furnace which determines the flow of gas fuel to the furnace burner and pilot.
Grille- A covering for an opening through which air passes (see register, diffuser)
Gauges- see Manifold Gauges
HVAC- Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning
- Heat Pump- HVAC equipment which works as an air conditioner during the summer, but reverses the flow of refrigerant in the winter to heat rather than cool. It looks like a regular split system to most. Most require a critical charge.
Heat Exchanger a device inside a furnace which has gases of combustion on one side and transfers the heat from them to the air on the other side. The two should never mix. Number 1 & 2 on image above.
Heat Limit Switch - A safety device in furnaces which senses heat and turns off the furnace heat source.
Heat Strips - Electric heating elements inside your air handler . See Fan Coil
Horizontal Flow—A type of furnace, installed on its "side," that draws in air from one side, heats it and sends the warm air out the other side. Most often used for installations in attics or crawl spaces.
Hot Surface Igniter - electrical heating element which ignites fuel in an appliance.
HSPF—The Heating Seasonal Performance Factor is a measure of the heating efficiency of a heat pump. The higher the HSPF number, the more efficiently the heat pump heats your home.
Humidifier—A piece of equipment that adds water vapor to heated air as it moves out of the furnace. This adds necessary moisture to protect your furnishings and reduce static electricity. See Relative Humidity
Ignition module - Part of the furnace "brain".
Inside Unit - The part of a Heat Pump which is inside of the building. See Air handler
Intermittent Pilot - A pilot light in a furnace which comes on only when needed.
Liquid Line - The copper tubing that refrigerant is pumped through.
Load Estimate—A series of studies performed to determine the heating or cooling requirements of your home. An energy load analysis uses information such as the square footage of your home, window or door areas, insulation quality and local climate to determine the heating and cooling capacity needed by your furnace, heat pump or air conditioner. When referring to heating, this is often known as a Heat Loss Analysis, since a home’s heating requirements are determined by the amount of heat lost through the roof, entry ways and walls.
Matched System—A heating and cooling system comprised of products that have been certified to perform at promised comfort and efficiency levels when used together, and used according to design and engineering specifications.
Major Component - The big stuff- Furnace, Air Handler, Condenser, Evaporator Coil ,etc.
Major Work - Installation or replacement of a major component or service which requires the removal of refrigerant. EPA Regulations control this closely.
Manifold Gauges- Gauges connected to system by a technician to check the refrigerant charge and make other determinations. The ones shown here are the older analog type. We use digital gauges whenever possible.
Minor Work - Work which does not require the removal of refrigerant or a major component.
Operating Cost—The day-to-day cost of running your home comfort equipment, based on energy use.
Outside unit - The part of a Heat Pump which is outside of the building it looks like a condenser.
Overcharged - Too much refrigerant exists in the system, overcharging can cause a danger of damage to system and extreme inefficiency.
Package Unit - A heating and cooling system contained in one outdoor unit. A package unit is typically installed either beside, on top of the home, or sometimes in the attic.
Pad- usually a slab of concrete or high tech plastic that the condenser sets on .
Payback Analysis—Overall measure of the efficiency and value of your home comfort system. By combining your purchase price and ongoing operating costs, a payback analysis determines the number of years required before monthly energy savings offset the purchase price.
Puron™ Refrigerant—Puron is an environmentally sound refrigerant designed to protect the earth's ozone layer. Federal law requires all manufacturers phase out ozone depleting refrigerants in the next few years. Puron is approved by the US Environmental Protection Agency as a replacement from Freon™ 22*.
R-22- Chlorodifluoromethane Refrigerant that is being slowly phased out, supposedly due to it's chlorine component. Puron™ is the current alternative.
Refrigerant- The substance re circulated through the HVAC system which absorbs and dissipates heat through the changing of state. (Evaporating & Condensing) There are many types of refrigerant, never mix two kinds together. (see Freon™ *)
Register- A damper equipped grille which supplies conditioned air
Relative humidity- is defined as the amount of water vapor in a sample of air compared to the maximum amount of water vapor the air can hold at any specific temperature in a form of 0 to 100%. Thermal Environmental Conditions for Human Occupancy recommends keeping relative humidity between 30% and 60%, with below 50% preferred to control dust mites.
Relay-an electrical device to switch other devices on/off.
Secondary Drain Line- The drain line from the drip pan to a destination outside. Also called the "emergency drain", if you have water coming through it, you have a problem that must be dealt with to prevent damage to your home.
SEER—The Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio is a measure of the cooling efficiency of your air conditioner or heat pump. The higher the SEER number, the more efficient the system is at converting electricity into cooling power.
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Sequencer - an electrical device in air handlers which determines the sequence of operations.
Setback Thermostat—A state-of-the-art electronic thermostat with a built-in memory that can be programmed for different temperature settings at different times of the day. A programmable thermostat.
Split System - A condenser outside and an evaporator inside the structure, not in physical contact with each other except by pipes and wires.
Shut-Off Boxes - The box above the outside unit or condenser which allows you to disconnect electricity from the device
Standard 62.2 -Ventilation and Acceptable Indoor Air Quality in Low-Rise Residential Buildings. This standard defines the roles of and minimum requirements for mechanical and natural ventilation systems and the building envelope intended to provide acceptable indoor air quality in low-rise residential buildings.
Thermostat - The device which controls other devices determined by the temperature. (What you adjust when you want to change the temperature inside your house)
Ton - A unit of measurement used for determining cooling capacity. One ton is the equivalent of 12,000 BTU's per hour.
TXV- Thermostatic Expansion Valve- Used to regulate the flow of refrigerant.
Undercharged - Not enough refrigerant exists in the system, danger of damage to system and extreme inefficiency.
Up flow—A type of furnace that draws cool air from the bottom and blows the warmed air out the top into the duct work. This type of furnace is usually installed in a basement or an out-of-the-way closet. Opposite of a Down flow Furnace.
Vapor Line - The copper tubing which refrigerant vapor is pumped through in the opposite direction as the liquid line.
Ventilator—A ventilator captures heating or cooling energy from stale indoor air and transfers it to fresh incoming air.
Whip- A high voltage electrical connection to the system. Usually from the shut off box to the condenser
Zoning—A way to increase your home comfort and energy efficiency by controlling when and where heating and cooling occurs in a home. Programmable thermostats are used to control operating times of the equipment. Dampers are used to direct air flow to certain parts or "zones" of the home.
