What is HVAC?

Choosing a home heating and cooling system is one of the most important decisions a homeowner can make. Choosing a good system will lead to complete indoor comfort year round, as well as contribute to family health and energy efficiency. Choosing the wrong system can lead to an uncomfortable home environment, which can have an adverse effect on the family's happiness. However, because the heating and cooling system is unseen, this important decision is often overlooked. We can help you understand the major types of heating and cooling systems in common use today, help you to identify a quality HVAC System contractor, and ensure that you and your family are provided the comfort you deserve.  more

Air surrounds us. For millennia, human beings did not "control" their air - we lived in trees or in caves, and took it as it was. Heating, of course, was the first change. No one can date the invention of fire. With it, however, humans adapted to environments - enabling our species to spread all over this planet, to cold climates. But heating was pretty much limited, until relatively recently, to open hearths. As far as anyone can tell, the first real attempt to control the thermal environment - the AC part of "HVAC" - can be seen on Egyptian inscriptions (and in Hollywood movies) . . . a slave fanning the pharaoh!  more

HVAC stands for heating, ventilating, air-conditioning. Many times the letter R is also added to it making it HVAC-R or HVACR.  more

You’ve probably heard of the term from different contractors, engineers, or perhaps colleagues and business partners; but you’re still wondering what the initialism means. Well, HVAC (“H-V-A-C” or “H-VAK”) stands for Heating, Ventilation, and Air-Conditioning—three closely related fundamental functions found in homes, offices, and other building structures. The beginning of HVAC is not clear, though as early as second century, a lot of Roman cities were using a central heating system known as hypocaust. This is further popularized during the Industrial Revolution as big factories used it. Now most modern buildings that you see have integrated HVAC. The HVAC system is also known as climate control. This is because these three functions are essential in maintaining comfort in every dwelling. The primary use of HVAC is to regulate room temperature, humidity, and air flow, ensuring that such elements remain within their acceptable ranges. Effective control of such factors minimizes ...  more

HVAC stands for Heating, Ventilation, and Air-Conditioning. HVAC systems include central heating and air-conditioning with warm or cool air ducted to the classrooms or window, wall, and ceiling mounted air-conditioners and heat pumps. Ducted systems may have a loud rumble as the ducts transmit noise from the central fan and turbulence in the ducts to the classroom. Window, wall, and ceiling mounted systems often have fan noise and compressor noise that is in close proximity to a number of students. These problems are totally unnecessary. There are quieter window, wall, and ceiling units (although they are still rare). Noise in a ducted system results from poor design and inattention to noise issues. See How to test noise levels in an empty classroom? for information on how to test if existing noise levels from HVAC are a problem.  more

Climate control and comfort in modern buildings is a major design issue. Heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems help to control the climate, and keep occupants comfortable by regulating the temperature and air flow. HVAC systems are also important to occupants' health, because a well regulated and maintained system will keep a home free from mold and other harmful organisms. In some environments, such as museums, HVAC systems are vitally important for the preservation of historic artifacts. In choosing any type of HVAC system, finding one that is size-appropriate to the building is important in terms of achieving the best efficiency and comfort level. Beyond understanding the maintenance and installation of the systems themselves, sizing the systems appropriately is perhaps one of the most difficult tasks of an HVAC contractor. If your HVAC contractor recommends a heating system that is too big or too little for your home or business, the result will be an ...  more