Glossary Of Terms

AFUE– Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency. A measure
of a gas furnace's efficiency in converting fuel to
energy ­ the higher the rating, the more efficient the
unit. For example: A rating of 90 means that
approximately 90 percent of the fuel is used to provide
warmth to your home, while the remaining 10 percent
escapes as exhaust.

BTU– British Thermal Unit. This is the amount of heat
it takes to raise one pound of water one degree
Fahrenheit. For your home, it represents the measure
of heat given off when fuel is burned for heating or the
measure of heat extracted from your home for cooling.

CFM– Cubic Feet Per Minute. A standard
measurement of airflow. A typical system requires 400
CFM per ton of air conditioning.

Capacity– The output or producing ability of a piece
of cooling or heating equipment. Cooling and heating
capacities are referred to on BTUs.

Comfort-R™ Airflow System– An exclusive feature
of a high efficiency home comfort system from Trane.
This method of ramping airflow gives you greater
humidity control in cooling and provides warmer air
during heating start up.

Compressor– The heart of an air conditioning or heat
pump system. It is part of the outdoor unit and pumps
refrigerant in order to meet the cooling requirements of
the system.

Condensor Coil or Outdoor Coil– In an air
conditioner, the coil dissipates heat from the
refrigerant, changing the refrigerant from vapor to
liquid. In a heat pump system, it absorbs heat from the
outdoors.

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.

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.

Evaporator Coil or Indoor Coil– The other half of
your air conditioning system located inside your home
in the indoor unit. This is where the refrigerant
evaporates as it absorbs heat from the air that passes
over the coil.

Gas Furnace Heat Exchanger– Located in the
furnace, the heat exchanger transfers heat to the
surrounding air, which is then pumped throughout your
home.

HSPF– Heating Seasonal Performance Factor. This
rating is used in measuring the heating efficiency of a
heat pump. The higher the number, the more efficient
the unit.

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.

Refrigerant– A chemical that produces a refrigerating
effect while expanding and vaporizing. Most residential
air conditioning systems contain R-22 refrigerant. R-22
is regulated by international controls under the
Montreal Protocol and in the United States by the
Environmental Protection Agency. It is scheduled to be
in production until the year 2020. It's used in
approximately 95 percent of air conditioning
equipment manufactured in the U.S. today.

SEER– Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio. A measure
of cooling efficiency for air conditioners and heat
pumps. The higher the seer, the more energy efficient
the unit. The government's minimum SEER rating is
10. (It's similar to comparing miles per gallon in
automobiles.)

SEET– Seasonal Extreme Environmental Test Lab.
This is Trane's torture chamber for heating and air
conditioning systems, where five years of service are
condensed into 16 torturous weeks. If a product
doesn't make it through our SEET lab, it's not
manufactured. We push our equipment to extremes
because we'd rather test them in our lab than in your
home.

Split System– The combination of an outdoor unit (air
conditioner or heat pump) with an indoor unit (furnace
or air handler). Split systems must be matched for
optimum efficiency.

Thermostat– A thermostat consists of a series of
sensors and relays that monitor and control the
functions of a heating and cooling system.

Ton– A unit of measurement used for determining
cooling capacity. One ton is the equivalent of 12,000
BTUs per hour.

Zoning– A method of dividing a home into different
comfort zones so each zone can be independently
controlled depending on use and need.