Communicating with your HVAC tech might occasionally seem like talking with someone who speaks a foreign language, considering the arcane terms commonly used by heating and cooling professionals. For instance, when you need to talk to a service technician about repairing, maintaining or replacing the furnace in your Lake Orion or Warren home, it’s a good idea to become familiar with the terminology involved. Here are some of the key words and phrases associated with modern furnaces:
- AFUE: Annual fuel utilization efficiency scale (AFUE) measures how effectively a furnace turns its fuel source, usually gas or oil, into heat energy. A unit’s AFUE is expressed in percentage terms, so that a furnace with an AFUE of 95 percent burns fuel more efficiently than one with an AFUE of 80 percent. Although units with higher AFUE ratings typically cost more than lower-rated models, they will recover the cost over time by reducing your monthly energy bills.
- Heat exchanger: A key component of the furnace, this metal chamber takes heat from the combustion chamber and transfers it to the air, which is then distributed throughout the home.
- Two-stage: Traditional furnaces operate on one fixed setting and cannot adjust to temperature fluctuations. Two-stage furnaces have a lower stage that runs when outside temperatures are comparatively mild and a higher stage that kicks in when colder temperatures arrive. By putting out only the amount of heat the weather conditions require, two-stage systems save energy in comparison to conventional furnaces.
- Horizontal flow: This term refer to furnaces which are installed horizontally and take in cold air on one end and release warm air at the other. They are typically installed where space is limited, in areas such as attics or crawl spaces.
- Energy Star: This government program awards a certification to certain appliances, including furnaces, that are more energy efficient than standard models.
For more expert advice on communicating with your HVAC tech and other issues related to home comfort, contact us at Aladdin Heating & Cooling. We have served Rochester, Dearborn and the Metro-Detroit region for over 65 years.
Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about HVAC Techs and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
Aladdin Heating services Novi, Farmington, Farmington Hills, Southfield, Oak Park, Ferndale, Beverly Hills, Berkley, Royal Oak, Birmingham, Bloomfield Twp., Bloomfield Hills, West Bloomfield, Madison Heights, Clawson, Sterling Heights, Warren, Troy, St. Clair Shores, Grosse Pointe, Grosse Pointe Woods, Grosse Pointe Farms, Grosse Pointe Park, Detroit, Utica, Shelby Twp., Rochester, Rochester Hills, Auburn Hills, Lake Orion, Oxford, and Clarkston.
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