HVAC Parts & Accessories Key Terms

Getting familiar with terminology related to HVAC parts and accessories

By Kim Finn

HVAC systems incorporate many electrical, electronic and mechanical components. These may at some point require attention in the form of maintenance, repair or replacement. If you're thinking of becoming an HVAC contractor or starting a repair service business that sells parts and accessories, make sure you and your staff are comfortable with the definitions for different HVAC parts and accessories.

This guide includes definitions for six terms used frequently throughout the HVAC industry. Terms include: accumulator, condenser coil, chiller, compressor, acrolein and Freon.

Accumulator

An accumulator is a shell device that fits in the suction line of a HVAC system and is used to keep liquids out of the compressor.
Try: Read the article at High Performance HVAC to learn more about how accumulators are one of the primary reasons for Freon leaks in HVAC systems. Scroll down to No. 2 for the discussion on accumulators.

Condenser coil

A condenser coil is the outdoor component of either a heat pump or air conditioner used to circulate refrigerant and either collects or releases heat when air is blown over the coils.
Try: Get more information on the importance of maintaining clean HVAC condenser coils and a recommended cleaning schedule for the coils set by the National Air Duct Cleaners Association (NADCA) at the Buildings.com website, an information source for the building industry.

Chiller

With regard to an HVAC system, a chiller is either a water-cooled or air-cooled device. A chiller is used to rid a liquid of heat through an absorption or vapor-compression refrigeration cycle. Once cooled, the liquid then travels through a building's pipes, passing through fan-coil units, air handler coils or some other system in order to cool and often dehumidify the building's air.
Try: Learn more about HVAC chillers at the GlobalSpec website.

Compressor

In HVAC systems, a compressor is the part that pressurizes or compresses refrigerant in air conditioners, heat pumps and refrigerators, enabling it to flow freely throughout the system. Three primary types of compressors are centrifugal, reciprocating and rotary.
Try: The Air Conditioning Filter website has information about HVAC compressors and their function.

Acrolein

Acrolein is an agent that's added to methyl chloride. It produces a disagreeable and acrid odor that alerts people to refrigerant leaks.
Try: Visit the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry to learn more about acrolein.

Freon

Freon is the trade name given by DuPont to a highly stable cholorfluorocarbon (CFC) that's often used as a refrigerant. It's nonflammable, colorless, odorless and noncorrosive and can cause serious health problems or even death, depending on the concentration inhaled. Freon is also referred to as Freon 22 and R-22.
Try: Learn more about the phaseout of Freon, or R-22, at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency website.