Here’s a frustrating experience: you call your favorite HVAC pro to give you some tips on your high heating bill, and all of a sudden they’re speaking what sounds like another language. A heat exchanger? What the heck is a capacitor? Why would you need to know what a blower motor is if you have a gas furnace? This is not only frustrating, but it can drive customers away from working with professionals when they feel shunned out of the industry.
Well, we know you’re trying your best, and we’re never going to fault you for not knowing certain terms and conditions when it comes to HVAC equipment. These systems are complex, and you should be informed by professionals who are willing to work with you, not just work for you.
Today, let’s discuss some terms that are going to be important for the next time you need help with heating repair in Nampa, ID.
Terms to Be Familiar With
Let’s start by saying that homeowners should never be expected to know these terms. You lead a busy life, you’ve got other hobbies and things that are important to you, and there are only so many hours in the day to learn things. Don’t expect a test or a quiz down the line to make sure you’ve memorized these things.
All of these terms we’ve listed below are for your benefit so you can have better results when you’re in need of heating repair. Feel free to print this out or copy it so that you’ve got this resource for the future.
- Maintenance vs. Repairs. Pop culture sometimes uses these terms interchangably, but there’s a huge difference in our industry. Maintenance refers to a yearly tune-up that you can purchase for your HVAC system, while repairs are targeted fixes that a professional provides when something is wrong.
- Heat exchanger. A heat exchanger is any component that exchanges heat with the air in your home. This is useful in a gas furnace so that your system doesn’t blow fumes and smoke into your home, since it exchanges heat with your clean indoor air.
- Blower fan. A blower fan is responsible for pushing the heated air from your heating system to the rooms of your home. It works together with your ductwork to ensure that every space in your house reach the temperature on your thermostat.
- Housing. The housing of your heating system refers to the outside shell of the unit. Basically, this protects the sensitive compnents (like wires and sensors) to be hidden from view so it just looks like a heating box!
- Blower motor. Your blower fan requires a blower motor to power it! This term just refers to the powering component of your blower system.
- Capacitor. Ever wondered how your HVAC system turns on or off? A capacitor is what signals to the system with an electrical charge to start or stop.
- Compressor. For all refrigerant based heating and cooling systems, they rely on a compressor to evaporate and condense this material and transfer heat.
- Furnace. Furnaces can be gas or electric-powered, but this term refers to any heating system that creates heat and uses it to warm up the air of your home.
Idaho Heating & Air has your back if you need help with your heating. Your Comfort Is Our Priority.