Cool Info > Terminology

Heating and cooling terms.

When you’re looking for new HVAC equipment, a reliable heating/cooling contractor, or just ways you can cut your own air conditioning costs, here are some terms you may come across.

Terms:

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AFUE (ANNUAL FUEL UTILIZATION EFFICIENCY)

- This is an efficiency rating for furnaces. Indicated as a percentage, it tells you how much of the fuel being used is being converted to heat. An AFUE of 90, for instance, means that 90% of your fuel is actually warming your home, but 10% is being lost in the exhaust. Ideally, your furnace's AFUE should be __ or higher.

AIR CHANGES PER HOUR (ACH)

- The number of times per hour that the volume of air within a space is cycled through that space by a ventilation system.

AIR HANDLING UNIT (AHU)

- The portion of a heating or air conditioning system that forces air through a building's ductwork. It consists of a blower, heating and cooling elements, filter, dampers, humidifier, and other equipment in direct contact with airflow, but does not include the ductwork.