When you live in an area with a spiking temperature, buying an air conditioning system is considered a must. But lately, most homeowners are sometimes confused by sellers’ technical jargon when buying such air conditioning systems. For most, they seem to have considered an Air Conditioning Unit and an HVAC as the same. One of the main reasons is that these names are being used interchangeably by the sellers themselves. But are they really the same? Here we are going to answer one of the most common questions we get from homeowners regarding these two.
What is an HVAC Unit, and How Does it Work?
First of all, HVAC stands for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning. It is the union of your heating system, central air conditioner, and the ducts all over your home or business area which works together to keep your area comfortable for all seasons. Other than that, an HVAC system also helps in maintaining the quality of your indoor air. When the heater or air conditioner is working, the ventilation system pulls the air from the inside, filters it, and then recirculates it with the outside air, which then provides clean air. The HVAC system also includes heating and cooling to residential and commercial buildings. An HVAC system is commonly found in almost every home as it is known to provide environmental comfort. The three primary functions of an HVAC system, which are heating, ventilation, and air conditioning, are actually interrelated, especially during the whole process of creating quality indoor air and thermal comfort. Other than that, an HVAC system has nine parts, which are the air return, exhaust, compressor, filter, ducts, electrical elements, outlets, outdoor unit, blower, and coils.
What is an AC Unit, and How Does it Work?
When discussing what HVAC is and how it works, we knew that HVAC stands for “Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning.” Now an AC unit is literally just the last part of its meaning: “Air Conditioning.” So in that context, when we are talking about AC, we are generally just talking about the system that cools the air inside your residence or office, the HVAC system’s last functionality. While AC is limited to the cooling function, an HVAC unit can do either the heating or the cooling, or even both. To simplify it further, these acronyms are the same. Even so, air conditioners still come in two basic types, the central and window. A central air conditioner provides cooling to your entire household or office while a window air conditioner cools just the area or room that it is being installed.
The Conclusion
Investing in an HVAC unit or a separate AC unit can be quite the decision, especially when you live in an area where the temperature is inconsistent. So when you live in a space with a spiking temperature and with a tight budget, an AC unit would be preferable. But if you live in an area where hot and cold alternates, a complete HVAC unit would be for the best.
For more information on heating, ventilation or air conditioning, Contact HERO Services for Knoxville HVAC. We are happy to help!