Heating And Cooling
A heating and cooling system is a major investment. The term HVAC stands for Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning and describes the main needs for a house.
For heat, most homes have a central system commonly located in the attic or sometimes in the basement or garage that delivers forced warm air through ducts or hot water or steam through pipes or radiators throughout the house. Central air conditioning, often referred to as central air, works on a very similar principle to central heat except that the unit is usually located outside. The most common system is called a split system because it has several components (an air conditioner, furnace, thermostat, and ducts), some of which are located indoors and some of which are located outdoors. Homes without central heat sometimes use electric baseboard heaters or radiant heat that produce heat throughout the home and not in one central place.
Whatever you heating method choose, you'll also have to decide between oil, natural gas, or electricity. Your local utility rates will determine what is cheapest. For cooling, traditionally most systems used electricity, but more people are switching to gas. Although the initial investment is higher, gas can cost less over the long run.
Both central air and central heat work on a duct system of which there are two main types: forced-air and gravity. Forced air warms or cools air that is then blown throughout the house by fans in the ducts. Gravity can only be used with warm air because it uses convection currents (heat naturally rises) to circulate air. This type of system has larger ducts.
Energy conservation plays a big role in heating and cooling. In fact, one-seventh of all electricity produced goes toward air conditioning buildings. Therefore, it is vital to ask your contractor about energy-saving techniques and to always buy appliances with the Energy Star label.
For heat, most homes have a central system commonly located in the attic or sometimes in the basement or garage that delivers forced warm air through ducts or hot water or steam through pipes or radiators throughout the house. Central air conditioning, often referred to as central air, works on a very similar principle to central heat except that the unit is usually located outside. The most common system is called a split system because it has several components (an air conditioner, furnace, thermostat, and ducts), some of which are located indoors and some of which are located outdoors. Homes without central heat sometimes use electric baseboard heaters or radiant heat that produce heat throughout the home and not in one central place.
Whatever you heating method choose, you'll also have to decide between oil, natural gas, or electricity. Your local utility rates will determine what is cheapest. For cooling, traditionally most systems used electricity, but more people are switching to gas. Although the initial investment is higher, gas can cost less over the long run.
Both central air and central heat work on a duct system of which there are two main types: forced-air and gravity. Forced air warms or cools air that is then blown throughout the house by fans in the ducts. Gravity can only be used with warm air because it uses convection currents (heat naturally rises) to circulate air. This type of system has larger ducts.
Energy conservation plays a big role in heating and cooling. In fact, one-seventh of all electricity produced goes toward air conditioning buildings. Therefore, it is vital to ask your contractor about energy-saving techniques and to always buy appliances with the Energy Star label.