So it started out as a way of making people comfortable. Right? Well, not exactly. In 1882, thanks to Thomas Edison, the first electric power plant opened in New York making it possible for the first time to have an inexpensive source of energy for residential and commercial buildings. And by 1889, central station refrigeration was used in large cities to preserve foods and documents. It was well known that a cool surrounding could preserve foods and other perishables for a long time. But what was not well known was how humidity and heat were related. Then in 1902, Willis Carrier built the first air conditioner to combat humidity inside a printing company. Controlling the humidity in printing companies and textile mills was the start of environment management.

02/06/12

Air Conditioner: An air conditioner transfers heat-from the inside of a building, where it is not wanted, to the outside. Refrigerant in the system absorbs the excess heat and is pumped through a closed system of piping to an outside coil. A fan blows outside air over the hot coil, transferring heat from the refrigerant to the outdoor air. Because the heat is removed from the indoor air, the indoor area is cooled.

Air Handler: The indoor section of an air conditioning system that circulates and delivers the conditioned air. The air handler often is called the indoor unit", and contains the evaporator coil, indoor fan motor and, some times heat strips.

BTU: British Thermal Unit. This is a standard measure of heating and cooling capacity in the air conditioning industry. A BTU is the amount of heat necessary to raise the temperature of one pound of water one degree Fahrenheit. The greater the BTU's of a unit , the greater its heating and cooling capacity.

Compressor: This is the heart of an air conditioner. It is the pump that causes the refrigerant to flow and thus produces cooling. It draws a low pressure on the cooling side of the refrigerant cycle, and compresses the gas in the high pressure or condensing side of the cycle. This processes allows for the transfer of heat from inside the home to the outside.

Condensing unit: This section of an air conditioning system pumps vaporized refrigerant (freon) from the air handler, compresses it, liquefies it and returns it. Often called the "outdoor unit", it contains the compressor, condensor coil, outdoor fan motor, refrigerant control valves and other necessary controls. In a roof top package unit the condensing unit and air handler are contained in the same package.

Coil: A network of tubing filled with refrigerant. A coil located inside the home takes heat and moisture out of the air as liquid refrigerant evaporates. The indoor coil is often called the cooling or evaporator coil.

High Efficiency Air Conditioner: An air conditioner that delivers more BTU's of cooling relative to the electrical wattage consumed by that of standard or low efficiency equipment. This is measured by S.E.E.R. (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio).

Package Unit: A self-contained air conditioning unit that includes both the evaporator and condensor sections within a single cabinet. Its advantages include simplicity of installation which leads to lower installation costs, no need to take up potential indoor storage space, and the elimination of the condensing unit on the ground. However, a package unit can create more noise and may be considered an eye sore on a roof.

Refrigerant: The real name for what you might call "freon", this is a fluid that evaporates at relatively low temperature, sucking heat and humidity out of the air as it does. Refrigerant does not wear out and therefore will last forever if there are no leaks in the system.

SEER: Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio. The efficiency rating of an air conditioning unit. The higher a unit's SEER, the more efficiently it uses electricity. All new air conditioning systems sold in the United States must be at least 10 SEER.

Thermostat: This is the control device that automatically adjusts the system's operation to meet your desire temperature range.

Ton: A ton is a measure of BTU's. One ton equals 12,000 BTUH (British Thermal Units per Hour). We use this term to classify air conditioner size. A nominal 3 ton air conditioner is capable of removing a combined sensible and latent (humidity) load of 36,000 BTUH per hour from your home or business (3 X 12,000). Residential air conditioners usually range from one to five tons in size.