When you’re shopping for a new air conditioner or looking to learn more about the one you already have, reading through product information can be a lot like reading gibberish. We’ve told you about SEER ratings, compressors and refrigerant, but here’s a handy glossary of even more terms that are good to know when looking at air conditioners.
Glossary of Air Conditioner Terms
BTU: The British Thermal Unit is a measure of heat used in the context of removal from the air. When it comes to your air conditioner, its ability to cool is measured in BTUs per hour — the higher the BTUs, the more cooling power a unit has. One ton of air conditioner capacity is equal to 12,000 BTUs per hour.
Cooling Load: This is the amount of heat a unit can overcome to keep your home cool, which determines the number of BTUs of air conditioning capacity you need. In other words, it’s a worst-case scenario situation for keeping your home cool when it’s as hot as can be outside. You’ll often see this in layman’s terms as something like “guaranteed to keep your home at 70 degrees inside up to 95 degrees outside.”
Split System: Most residential air conditioning units are split systems, which means they’re split between an indoor air handler and an outdoor compressor/condensor system. One variation of this is the air-source heat pump which can be run in reverse to provide cool air during hot weather and warm air during cool weather.
Find the Right HVAC Unit with Shaw Heating & Cooling
You can rely on our certified professionals at Shaw Heating & Cooling to help you determine the best heating and cooling system for your home and budget, as well as to keep your unit running at its most efficient once it’s installed. If you’re in the market for a new heating and cooling system or need a tune-up for your current system, give us a call at 816-744-8402 or visit our website for more information.
