A chill is in the air, and it’s time to get serious about your home heating and cooling. Learn key terms, costs, products and basic maintenance schedules.

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Most people in homes and offices use HVAC systems on a regular basis. These systems are designed to provide a comfortable and healthy environment for occupants in various buildings, including homes, schools, hospitals, and offices. However, not everyone understands how these systems work and what they do to keep us comfortable.
HVAC systems are complex. They include air conditioning units, heating units, and ventilation units that are linked together by ductwork. They also include controls like thermostats and air cleaners that are used to optimize energy efficiency, improve indoor air quality, and remove harmful pollutants and pathogens from the air.
The Heating component in HVAC systems includes furnaces and boilers that use an energy source to generate heat. When the thermostat is set to ‘heat,’ the system circulates the air through a filter that helps prevent particles from escaping into the house. After the air is heated, it is blown through ductwork to rooms in the house by fans. Depending on the type of system, the heated air may also be cooled by an air conditioner before being circulated.
A major role of the ventilation system in HVAC is to control humidity levels in the home. High humidity promotes the growth of mold and mildew, which release spores and toxins into the air. This can cause a variety of health problems, including asthma and allergies. HVAC systems can control humidity by introducing outdoor air through vents or by humidifiers and dehumidifiers.
An important part of the ventilation system in HVAC systems is a dehumidifier or vaporizer. These appliances reduce indoor humidity by removing water vapor from the air, which makes it easier to maintain a healthy and comfortable climate. They also help prevent moisture damage to building structures, such as wood and drywall. Dehumidifiers and vaporizers can be installed as standalone appliances or as part of a whole-house HVAC system. The most common dehumidifier is the evaporative model, which uses cool water and a fan to draw moisture out of the air. Other models include refrigerant-based and desiccant models that rely on different types of adsorbents to capture water from the air.
Cooling
During the summer, HVAC systems keep us feeling comfortable and relaxed. But that’s not all they do: they also help maintain good indoor air quality by filtering and cleaning indoor air.
Air filters are the first line of defense against pollutants, capturing them and preventing them from entering the building. To make sure they’re effective, it is recommended that filters be replaced every three months. During extreme heat, it’s important to change them more often to ensure they remain clean.
If you want to get the most out of your home’s cooling system, consider switching to a MERV 8 or higher. These higher efficiency filters are capable of catching the most common pollutants found in homes, such as pet dander and mold. This is especially helpful during allergy season or when there are high pollen counts.
The main parts of an HVAC system include a cooling unit, a heating unit, and ducts for the air to travel through. In some cases, a single unit can provide both heating and cooling (such as a heat pump), while in others it is necessary to have separate units for each function (such as a furnace and an air conditioner).
When the system is turned on, the air is sent from the outdoor unit through a compressor to be pressurized. It then moves through a heat exchanger to be heated. The heat from the exchanger warms up the refrigerant, which absorbs it. This liquid is then carried back through the compressor to be repressurized, then it passes through the condenser coil where it becomes a gas again. This gas is then blown out through the ducts to cool the home.
The ventilation system is an important component of any home or business, and it’s no different in schools. The purpose of an HVAC system in a school is to provide adequate ventilation with filtration and temperature control, as well as to maintain acceptable indoor air quality. The right HVAC design can ensure that your students and staff have a safe, healthy learning environment while reducing energy costs.
Ventilation
Ventilation is the movement of air in and out of buildings to provide fresh and breathable indoor air. It has both physiological and psychological benefits including thermal comfort, odour management, and connecting people to nature. Ventilation is a key component of HVAC and must be designed to meet the specific needs of a building, its occupants and environment.
In homes, ventilation is achieved by opening windows and doors. This is known as natural ventilation and is one of the best ways to improve indoor air quality. Ventilation can also be assisted by using fans or vents. Mechanical ventilation systems (the V in HVAC) are also an option, but they are more expensive and require regular maintenance to keep them running efficiently.
Modern, tightly sealed home construction and the use of electronic appliances create an environment where ventilation becomes even more important. Mechanical ventilation uses a system of ducts to move air in and out of the house. Air is drawn in from outside through an air intake, and then goes through a filter to remove pollutants, dust, and other particles. The filtered air is then used to heat and cool the house, as well as helping to control humidity levels.
Unvented combustion products such as carbon monoxide, nitric oxide, sulfur dioxide, formaldehyde, and respirable particulates can cause a variety of health problems. These can include eye, nose, and throat irritation; coughing; fatigue; nausea; and weakness. These toxins are produced by gas stoves, water heaters, furnaces, fireplaces, wood stoves, and space heaters. When these toxins are not properly vented, they can build up in the walls, ceilings, and floors of a home, and then be circulated throughout the house by the HVAC system.
It is recommended that residential buildings have a ventilation rate of about 30 cubic feet per minute (CFM), which is equivalent to 1 ACH. Commercial and industrial buildings typically have much higher ventilation requirements, which can be measured in CFM/p or ACH.
Indoor Air Quality
The quality of the air inside homes, schools and other buildings has long been considered an important health and safety issue. Recent scientific inquiries have indicated that concentrations of pollutants are frequently between 2 and 5 times higher indoors than outdoors. These higher levels of pollution can pose serious health risks to certain groups of people, such as children, the elderly and the chronically ill.
A number of symptoms have been linked to poor indoor air, including headaches, irritated eyes and nose, fatigue, a tendency to catch colds, and other respiratory problems. Several diseases, such as Legionnaires’ disease and hypersensitivity pneumonitis, have been traced to particular environmental contaminants. Some of the pollutants, such as radon and asbestos, cause immediate effects, while others, such as chemical exposures, can lead to disease after prolonged periods of time.
Most indoor air quality problems in residential buildings are caused by human activities and the resulting emission of pollutants into the environment. Sources of pollutants can include building materials and furnishings, household products such as sprays and air fresheners, smoking, the use of unvented gas stoves or furnaces, hobbies and crafts, painting and cleaning activities, and the use of clothes dryers that don’t vent outside. Some of these sources, like cigarette smoke, release pollutants continuously into the indoor air. Others, such as the use of solvents in hobby and cleaning activities and the fumes from paint stripping, release pollutants intermittently.
Although the presence of any one of these sources does not indicate that the indoor air is polluted, most homes contain multiple such sources. In addition, most homes are not adequately ventilated.
The EPA has produced a safety guide on indoor air entitled “Building Air Quality” that provides information on identifying, correcting and preventing indoor air quality problems in residential and commercial buildings. The guide contains a listing of potential pollutants in indoor environments and their causes, guidance on selecting and using outside technical assistance, and references to additional resources. Rather than simply increasing ventilation, however, the best way to protect indoor air quality is to eliminate or reduce the emissions of pollutants from their sources.