Air Conditioning & Heating Glossary Terms
SEER Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio, a rating that measures the cooling efficiency of a heat pump or air conditioner. The higher the number, the more efficient the unit. SEET Seasonal Extreme Environmental Test. It's the American Standard testing facility for heating and air conditioning systems, where the equivalent of five years of operation is condensed into 16 weeks of testing under harsh conditions. American Standard wants to ensure your new system will be as reliable as possible. Spine FinTM A revolutionary technology that makes stronger, more efficient cooling coils. Spine FinTM consists of thousands of tiny spines bonded to continuous aluminum refrigerant tubing. The tiny spines create a greater surface area, helping it to transfer more heat from your home, more efficiently. American Standard features Spine FinTM coils in our Allegiance® and Heritage® products. Split System (also Indoor/Outdoor System) Refers to a comfort system consisting of components in two locations. Common examples include an outside unit, such as an air conditioner, and an indoor unit, such as a furnace with a coil. Thermostat A temperature-control device, typically found on a wall inside the home. It consists of a series of sensors and relays that monitor and control the functions of a heating and cooling system. American Standard's programmable thermostats allow you to program different levels of comfort for different times of the day. Ton A unit of measurement used for determining cooling capacity. One ton is the equivalent of 12,000 BTUs per hour. Two-stage Heating / Two-stage Cooling Two-stage heating and cooling is considered to be more efficient, because it operates at a low, energy-saving speed most of the time. However, on days when more heating or cooling is required, it switches to the next stage for maximum comfort. Variable Speed Motor The fan motor inside higher efficiency indoor and outdoor units is designed to change its speed based on your home's heating and air conditioning requirements. Working in conjunction with your thermostat, it keeps the appropriate-temperature air (e.g., warm air on cold days) circulating throughout your home, reducing temperature variances. The variable speed motor also increases dehumidification and is quiet because it runs at a lower speed most of the time. Plus, the consistent air circulation eliminates noisy startups and shutdowns.
