Glossary of Terms

BTU=British Thermal Unit=heat required to raise 1 pound of water 1 degree

Ton of airconditioning=12,000 BTU's per hour
12,000 BTUs's=ton 24,000 BTU's=2 tons - 36,000 BTU=3 Tons

SEER=Seasonal Energy Effeciency Ratio
6.5 SEER very poor-many units over 14 years old
8.0 SEER was the minimum standard until 1992
10.0 SEER the current Federal Minimum Standard
12 and above - New Higher Effeciency Units

cfm=Cubic Feet Per Minute of air
400 cfm per ton of air conditioning required to be moved by indoor furnace fan
2 ton (2x400 cfm/ton) = 800 cfm, 2 1/2 Tins = 1000 cfm, 3 tons=1200cfrm

Air conditioner and furnace electrical voltages:
Residential
120 volts -- electric lights, home receptacles
120 volts -- gas furnace
230 volts -- room air conditioners, electric ranges, central air conditioners
All above are single phase - 2 wires plus a ground.

Glossary of Terms
HVAC-heating, ventilating and air conditioning refers to the indoor comfort industry.

Watt (W)-unit of electricity

Kilowatt (KW)-1,000 watts. A kilowatt hour kWh) is the amount of kilowatts of electricity used in one hour of operation of any equipment.

Ton-Heat pumps and air conditioners are generally sized in tons. Typical sizes for single family residences are between two and five tons. Each ton equals 12,000 BTU.

Efficiency-rating on comfort equipment is similar to the miles per gallon rating on your car. The higher the rating number, the more efficient the system and the lower your fuel consumption will be. You can save a lot of money with a high efficiency unit depending on your local climate, lifestyle and electricity rates, savings will vary.

SEER-Seasonal energy efficiency ratio is the amount of cooling your equipment delivers per every dollar spent on electricity. SEER applies to air conditioners and heat pumps. In the past, a unit with a SEER of 8.0 was considered standard efficiency, and a unit with a 10.00 SEER was considered high efficiency. After January 1, 1992, the minimum
SEER required by the Department of Energy is 10.00 and 15.00+ SEER is considered high efficiency.

HSPF-Heating seasonal performance factor is similar to SEER, but it measures the efficiency of the heating portion of your heat pump. Like SEER, industry minimums have been raised recently, and the minimum is now 6.8 HSPF.

COP-Coefficient of performance compares the heating capacity of heat pump to the amount of electricity required to operate the heat pump in the heating mode. COPs vary with the outside temperature; as the temperature falls, the COP falls also, since the heat pump is less efficient at lower temperatures.