Like all industries, we have many acronyms in the Heating and Cooling business: HRV, ACH, ECM, AFUE, SEER, and HVAC. Have you ever wondered what they stand for and the difference?
HVAC stands for Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning. Thing is, if you deal with a company that calls themselves Heating and Cooling, you are dealing with a HAC! We joke about this, because a HAC (hack) is a professional that does crappy work.
So, what’s the difference? The difference is ventilation. At Afterglow, we’re in the HVAC business.
You can’t ignore ventilation!
Ventilation means replacing air in any space to control temperature or remove dust, smoke, odours, moisture and even bacteria. Ventilation includes moving air from outside of the building as well as within the building, and doing it efficiently. Good ventilation gives you humidity control and fresh air without odour.
As new homes get tighter and tighter to keep up with new building standards, the importance of ventilation has become more obvious. There is a need for fresh air, in terms of air changes per hour (ACH). And there is an increased need to address moisture, and a lot of time mold, in the home.
The three key exhaust units in your home are:
1. HRV, Heat Recover Ventilators
2. Range hood
3. Bathroom fans
Kitchens, bathrooms and laundry rooms are the biggest sources of moisture and odours in your home. Start by address these areas with exhaust fans. Take it to the next level and capture the energy you’d be losing by simply exhausting this air out with an HRV.
Older HRV models were big and hard to fit into homes. Today, compact units can fit almost any home.
For a true HVAC professional, or with any HVAC related questions, give us a call: 519-747-7732.
Now for the other definitions:
HRV – Heat Recovery Ventilator
ERV – Energy Recovery Ventilator
ACH – Air Changes Per Hour
ECM – Electronically Commutated Motors
AFUE – Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency
SEER – Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (to measure Air Conditioning efficiency)