The right HVAC system can heat and cool your home efficiently. Your options include a furnace, air conditioner, or heat pump. Furnaces create heat by burning a fuel source, like natural gas. The warmed or cooled air is then distributed throughout your home via ductwork and an air handler.

Professional installation is essential for a long-lasting and high-performing system. It also ensures proper sizing and avoids safety hazards. Find out more information at hvac Coquitlam.

Evaporator coil

Despite their similar names, the evaporator coil and condenser coil are very different in function. While evaporator coils are responsible for absorbing and cooling the air inside your home, the condenser coil restores the cold refrigerant to its original state and disperses the heat outdoors.

Your evaporator coil is found in your indoor air handler and contains a network of tubes that are typically made from copper, aluminum or steel due to their ability to conduct heat well. The coiled tubes are covered by metal fins to maximize their surface area and allow the cold refrigerant to absorb the heat from your home’s air.

Your evaporator coil’s efficiency depends on how clean it is, which is why regular maintenance is important. Any signs of ice, leaks or rattling sounds should prompt you to call in an AC professional immediately. A dirty coil will force your system to work harder and cost you more money in energy bills, which could lead to premature AC failure.

Air exchanger

The air exchanger removes stale indoor air and replaces it with fresh outdoor air, providing ventilation and improving indoor air quality. It also helps dehumidify your home.

Stale indoor air can contain a variety of pollutants that contribute to health problems including allergies, asthma and respiratory issues. These include spores from mold and mildew, animal dander, pesticides, chemicals and lead.

An air exchanger uses a fan that sucks in fresh outdoor air from outside through one input port and exhausts the stale indoor air to the outdoors through another input port. It can be part of a central HVAC system or can be a separate unit connected to ductwork.

Air ducts transport hot or cold air from the air handler to rooms throughout the house, and they should be properly maintained to ensure good air quality, lower bills and a longer life span for your HVAC system. It’s important that these ducts and vents are not blocked, as this can reduce the efficiency of your system.

Condenser

The condenser is the heart of any HVAC system. It cools the refrigerant to transform it back into liquid form so it can be dispersed through the evaporator coils. It’s directly linked to the efficiency of an AC unit and can be a big headache if it fails.

Ensure the condenser coil and fan are free from debris. Keeping it clean helps ensure maximum airflow, which is necessary to trigger heat transfer. Also, make sure to keep shrubbery and plants trimmed around it. Berries, nuts and other twigs can enter the unit and clog the coil. Fallen leaves and flower blooms can also obstruct the condenser.

If you’re running your window air conditioner during a rainstorm, be careful not to let moisture enter the unit as this can cause corrosion and damage the coils. Avoid this by scheduling regular preventative maintenance with your local team of technicians. This is an inexpensive way to keep your HVAC system working efficiently.

Thermostat

The brain of any HVAC system, the thermostat senses whether a space is hot or cold and regulates the air temperature to keep it at your preferred setting. It uses a combination of thermal expansion and contraction to do this. Mechanical thermostats use bimetallic strips (two different metals bolted together) that expand when the bimetallic strip is heated. The expansion of these bimetallic strips switches on an electrical circuit that causes the heater to start working and produce heat in a room.

Modern programmable and smart thermostats work digitally, using time settings to automatically adjust your home’s temperature. These systems can also control multiple zones of a building through system zoning.

Labeling HVAC components is an inexpensive and effective way to facilitate facility personnel operations and maintenance. Make sure the labels are clear and durable enough to last the life of the equipment. Make sure all equipment is easily accessible. For example, air handling units, controls and exhaust fans should never require a ladder or the removal of ceiling tiles to gain access.