Learn How Your HVAC Components Work Together

Your home HVAC system works hard throughout the year to keep you comfortable. But do you know how all the HVAC system components work together? Understanding how your installation works can help you understand how to take care of it, improve it, and be more comfortable no matter what the weather.

First of all, your thermostat monitors the temperature in your home through a sensor. (Knowing where the sensor is installed can help you pin down issues when your home cools or heats unevenly. For example, if the sensor is in direct sunlight, it will cause the thermostat to order more cooling than it otherwise would.) The thermostat tells your central A/C or furnace to engage, when the inside temperature diverges from the temperature you’ve set.

Your central A/C or furnace uses a fan to draw air in, through the return air ducts in your house. As it draws air in, it passes the air through an air filter which cleans small particles out of the air. Once inside the central unit, the air is heated or cooled, and then sent back out through the ducts by the fan.

If you have a central humidifier or dehumidifier, they change the moisture content of your air as it circulates through your home. Typically, air is only circulating when your furnace or A/C is in operation, though you can set your thermostat to “fan only” mode if you want air circulation without heating or cooling.

A home ventilation system can also help move air around your house. It can also improve your indoor air quality by expelling stale indoor air and drawing in fresh air from outside. If you want fresh air without losing your conditioned air, an energy recovery ventilator can transfer temperature between incoming and outgoing air, meaning you won’t pay to air condition the entire neighborhood.

To learn more about how your HVAC system components work together, contact us at CCAC!

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Corpus Christi, Texas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about you HVAC system and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Guide or call us at 361-678-2495.

Credit/Copyright Attribution: “Elena Elisseeva/Shutterstock”