Air Conditioners Key Terms

Make an informed air conditioner purchase by familiarizing yourself with HVAC terms

By Casey Holley

Whether you are purchasing a portable air conditioner or a central air conditioning system, understanding some of the HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning) jargon is vital to ensuring you purchase the most cost effective and energy efficient unit for your space.

For example, knowing the load estimate for your space and proposed unit will help to ensure that you make a good decision. Likewise, purchasing an Energy Star model will help protect the environment and minimize cooling costs.

Central vs portable air conditioners

A central air conditioner cools an entire house using one cooling unit. A portable air conditioner will only cool one room of a home. More than one portable unit is required to cool an entire home.
Try: Don Vandervort's HomeTips.com offers information of some of the differences between central air conditioners and portable air conditioners.

Direct expansion systems

A direct expansion system is an air conditioner that uses Freon instead of chilled water to cool the air.
Try: You can find a simple explanation of direct expansion systems at 1-800-Any-Tyme.

All-in-one or packaged system vs split system

An all in one system is one in which all of the components of the air conditioner are located in one area. A split system is an air conditioner in which there are cooling components in different locations, such as inside and outside or on the roof and on the side of the house.
Try: American Standard Heating and Air Conditioning offers information about various air conditioner terms, including all in one systems. The Public Service Enterprise Group website provides information on a split system air conditioner.

Energy Star

When you see the Energy Star certification on an air conditioner, that means the unit meets strict government requirements. These include being efficient and having a low environmental impact.
Try: WiseGeek offers an easy to understand explanation of what it means when a product is Energy Star certified.

Load estimate

A load estimate is used to determine the size and type of air conditioning unit a building will need. It takes the size of the spaces to be cooled, the insulation of those areas and the climate into account.
Try: You can find information on how a load estimate is determined by visiting the McAfee Heating and Air Conditioning website.

Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating (SEER)

The Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating (SEER) is the way the government ranks the efficiency of cooling units. The higher the number, the more efficient the unit.
Try: Armstrong Air offers information about the SEER of air conditioning units.