Heating and cooling are two of the most important concepts of home ownership. In fact, heating and cooling systems are major factors for those looking to purchase homes, and are a critical aspect of comfortable indoor living.

You may frequently hear the term "HVAC," which is used to describe home heating and cooling systems. The acronym stands for Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning—which are the 3 primary functions of a home system. They control air temperature and humidity, and maintain the quality of the air in the home.

TYPICAL Residential systems are called CENTRAL AIR or SPLIT SYSTEMS

A central heating and cooling system produces warm or cool air in one central area and then distributes it throughout the home. There are many types of systems that work as central systems, from traditional split systems to packaged product systems.

Whole-home air conditioning systems are central systems that rely on ducts to deliver cooled air throughout the home. An air-conditioning system provides cooling, ventilation, humidity control and even heating (if using a Heat Pump) for a home. Air conditioning units cool refrigerants like Puron® Refrigerant and Freon and deliver them to evaporator coils, over which air is then blown to be cooled and ultimately directed through the ducts throughout the home.

The term "thermostat" commonly refers to any unit that controls the operation of a heating and cooling system. Thermostats are used to turn on heating or cooling systems to bring the home to a set temperature. In addition to basic temperature control, programmable thermostats can be used to program the timing of the system’s functions, which can control overall energy use and costs.

A variety of type systems are available besides the CENTRAL AIR or SPLIT SYSTEMS System, There are also PACKAGE UNITS, MINI-SPLIT systems, WINDOW/WALL and STAND ALONE units. These system may only cool or can provide both cooling and heating to meet many various permanent or temporary needs.