Glossary
- AFUE
- Annualized Fuel Utilization Efficiency is a measure of your furnace's heating efficiency. The higher the AFUE percentage, the more efficient the furnace. The minimum percentage established by the DOE for furnaces is 78%.
- BTU
- British thermal unit is the amount of heat that will raise or lower one pound of water by one degree Fahrenheit. A Btuh is how many Btus are used per hour.
- CFM(Cubic Feet Per Minute)
- A measure of volume flow rate, or air-moving capability, of an air-moving device. Volume of air moved per minute.
- Decibel(db)
- a decibel describes the relative loudness of a sound. Some common sounds are fairly close to a typical air conditioner or heat pump's sound level: human voice, 7.0 decibels; blender, 8.8 decibels.
- ENERGY STAR
- qualified central air conditioners have a higher seasonal efficiency rating (SEER) than standard models, which makes them about 8% more efficient.
- HSPF
- Heating seasonal performance factor is similar to SEER, but it measures the efficiency of the heating portion of your heat pump. Like SEER, industry minimums have been raised recently, and the minimum is now 6.80 HSPF.
- HVAC
- Heating, ventilating and air conditioning refers to the indoor comfort industry.
- SEER
- Seasonal energy efficiency ratio is the amount of cooling your equipment delivers per every dollar spent on electricity. SEER applies to air conditioners and heat pumps.
Every air conditioning unit is assigned an efficiency rating known as its "seasonal energy efficiency ratio" (SEER). The SEER is defined as the total cooling output (in British thermal units or Btu)
- Sound Rating Number
- sound is measured in bels (a bel equals 10 decibels). The SRN of a unit is based on ARI test, performed at ARI standard rating conditions. Average sound rating range from 7.0 to 8.0 decibels. The lower the SRN rating, the quieter the unit.
- Ton
- Ton - Heat pumps and air conditioners are generally sized in tons. Typical sizes for single family residences are between two and five tons. Each ton equals 12,000 Btuh.
