What Do The Mysterious Letters HVAC Mean?

HVAC is an acronym for heating, ventilating and air conditioning, the three indispensable functions required in any home, office or building in general. Popularly pronounced "H Vak", it serves the purpose of regulating the room temperature, air flow and the humidity so that the occupants of the room feel comfortable due to effective climate control.

The history of climate control techniques goes back to the ancient Greeks who built their towns with a layout that could conserve solar energy. Solar energy was used to heat up their homes and to combat the fuel crisis when faced with a scarcity of wood or charcoal. During the summers, the ornamental hangings protected the homes from the wrath of the sun.

Centuries later, with the industrial revolution, various components for climate control were invented. These modernized and highly efficient components were comprised of devices for heating, ventilating and air conditioning.

Today, there are several manufacturers of HVAC components all over the world. Millions of dollars are spent every year on the research and managing of this enterprise. In order to achieve better results, several regulating and standards organizations such as ACCA, HARDI, SMACNA, ASHRAE, and AMCA, support and encourage the HVAC industry.

As its name indicates, there are primarily three functions of an HVAC, namely heating, ventilation and air conditioning. Heating can be local or central. However it is the central heating with the help of furnace, radiator and heat pump, which is more common. This is because central heating is more economical than local heating. The second function of an HVAC is that of ventilation, which is very significant because it is through this that the polluted carbon dioxide goes out and the fresh oxygen is brought in. Stagnant air can be the cause of numerous airborne diseases thus proficient ventilation should be a prerequisite in any house.

Air conditioning is the third important function of an HVAC and an air conditioner takes care of both heat control and ventilation. Since air conditioners come along with large ducts, it is important to ensure that the ducts can be installed in the house or the building concerned by the air conditioning contractor. Besides, proper and timely cleansing of these ducts is also necessary so that harmful pathogens are not stuck in them. While selecting any type of HVAC system, it is very important to get the right size system to maximize the comfort levels that it aims at providing. Unless the heating or the air conditioning system is of appropriate size, the result will be inefficient heating or cooling of the place. Therefore, while a gigantic air conditioner will be ineffective in dehumidifying the air, an enormous furnace will lead to uneven temperature swings, thereby creating a very uncomfortable atmosphere.

It has been generally observed that older homes have unnecessarily large furnaces for heating up the place. Thus, if a home is large but has had significant upgrades such as newer windows, insulation, and weather-stripping, it would be a good idea to replace the enormous heating unit with a smaller and more practical one.

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