When you own a home, you want to have a good understanding of at least the basics of the systems that you have running in the house. This will give you a better understanding of the types of maintenance you need and who you should call when you need to have repaired. One of the biggest questions that homeowners tend to ask is difference between HVAC and air conditioning. They often believe them to be the same thing, but there are some slight differences.
HVAC vs. AC
AC stands for air conditioning, and it is a part of the acronym for HVAC, which stands for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning. While they are sometimes used interchangeably, just because you have an air conditioning unit in your North Florida home does not also means that you have heating and ventilation. However, if you have an HVAC system, then you have all three in the home.
Some types of AC units will be included in an HVAC system. There are many different types of systems that are in use. Central AC units are a very common type of system, and they are used for residences, as well as other types of buildings. These systems make use of air ducts, which are attached to a compressor that creates cool air. The air is then pushed into the various rooms of the house. These same vents can be used to push warm air through the house during the colder months, so they are generally part of an HVAC system.
A window unit is also common, but these tend to be used in apartments that are quite small or to cool down a single room. Because they only have AC, they are not considered an HVAC system. While these can be helpful for cooling down a room, they do tend to be quite loud.
What Do You Have?
Do you have just an air conditioning system in your home or do you have a full HVAC system? If you still aren’t sure, you can always ask a professional. In fact, you will want to get in touch with the professionals, so they can come out and service your system at least once or twice a year, and so they can make any repairs that might be needed. After all, you do not want to be in North Florida without some way to keep cool.
