How Central AC System Works

There are many heating and air conditioning systems to choose from today. The size and age of your home, as well as the number of rooms, climate, local and regional utility costs, and utility incentive/rebate programs are all factors that will affect the functionality and, therefore, selection of your system.

Consumers seeking to replace an existing central split system often choose a new unit with equal or higher efficiency ratings compared to their previous system. Replacing a unit that is 10- to 15-years-old may reduce natural gas or electricity costs by 30 to 50%.

Air Conditioning Facts:

The typical central air conditioning system is a split system, with an outdoor air conditioning, or “compressor bearing unit” and an indoor coil, which is usually installed on top of the furnace in the home. Using electricity as its power source, the compressor pumps refrigerant through the system to gather heat and moisture from indoors and remove it from the home. Heat and moisture are removed from the home when warm air from inside the home is blown over the cooled indoor coil. The heat in the air transfers to the coil, thereby “cooling” the air. The heat that has transferred to the coil is then “pumped” to the exterior of the home, while the cooled air is pumped back inside, helping to maintain a comfortable indoor temperature. Central air conditioning can also be provided through a package unit or a heat pump.

Central Air Conditioning - Benefits:

Indoor comfort during warm weather - Central air conditioning helps keep your home cool and reduces humidity levels. Cleaner air - As your central air conditioning system draws air out of various rooms in the house through return air ducts, the air is pulled through an air filter, which removes airborne particles such as dust and lint. Sophisticated filters may remove microscopic pollutants, as well. The filtered air is then routed to air supply ductwork that carries it back to rooms. Quieter operation - Because the compressor bearing unit is located outside the home, the indoor noise level from its operation is much lower than that of a free-standing air conditioning unit.

Why should I purchase a new air conditioning system?

Efficiency and cost savings

If your existing system is old, in need of repair or simply inefficient, purchasing a new unit, one which can be as much as 60% more efficient than a system purchased just 10 years ago, can offer long-term benefits. Rather than continuing to pay for ongoing maintenance and costly monthly bills, invest in a new system today that will save you money for years to come.

How a Heating System Works

A central-heating system provides warmth to the whole interior of a building (or portion of a building) from one point to multiple rooms.  When combined with other systems in order to control the building climate, the whole system may comprise a HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and Air-Conditioning).

Central Heating System Facts:

A furnace works to keep a home warm in the winterand plays a critical part in the operation ofan air conditioning system. Furnaces produce heat through the combustion of natural gas in the furnace’s burner. The heat produced from this process then passes through a heat exchanger. Air fromyour home’s return air ducts is blown over the heat exchanger,thus warmingthe air. The furnace’s blower then blows the warmed air into the ductwork, which carries and disperses the warmed air throughout the home. During warmer months, the blower inside a furnace continues to circulate return air throughout the home–only this time, the return air has been cooled by being blown over the indoor coil portion of the home’s split-system air conditioning system. The condensing coil is typically installed on top of the furnace.

Central Heating System Benefits:

Indoor warmthany time it is required.
Energy efficiency -The efficiency of a furnace can be determined by its AFUE–or Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency. The minimum efficiency level for furnaces currently manufactured in the U.S. is 80% AFUE. A rating of “80% AFUE” means that for every dollar you spend heating your home; 80 cents are actually applied to the generation ofwarmth.Compared to many of the 60% AFUE furnaces in older homes, 80% AFUE furnaces are a significant improvement. However, for enhanced energy efficiency, you may wish to consider a 95+% AFUE furnace, such as Amana’s line of 96% AFUE Furnaces. Cleaner air -As your HVAC system draws air out of various rooms in the house through return air ducts, the air is pulled through an airfilter, which removes airborne particles such as dust and lint. Sophisticated filters may remove microscopic pollutants, as well. The filtered air is then routed to air supply ductwork that carries it back to rooms. Whenever the HVAC system is running, this cycle repeats continually, constantly filtering and cleaning the air in your home. This cleaning process improves with the installation of a variable-speed furnace. Variable-speed furnaces use variable-speed blowers, which shiftbetween several speeds.These furnaces will run longer at a low speed, which causes them to filter the indoor air more frequently. And remember - because the furnace plays an importantrole in the operation of the air conditioner, its variable-speed blower helps maintain both a consistent indoor temperature and improved air quality year-round.