One of the most common areas of confusion for homeowners or the ones who look up to buying a new home is the difference between HVAC and air conditioning units. While the two are different, many are unsure of what aspects separate the two.
if you’re also looking to purchase a new home or need to upgrade your current system, you may have heard that contractors and builders use the two terms interchangeably. It must be confusing, no?
So let’s break down the differences between the two most commonly used acronyms.
WHAT IS AN HVAC UNIT?
HVAC is short for Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning. It describes your heating and cooling system as a whole. Simply It is responsible for heating and cooling the air in your building. V stands for ventilation that provides a better quality of air indoors and involves the removal of moisture, smoke, odors, heat, dust, airborne bacteria, carbon dioxide, and other gases as well as temperature control and oxygen replenishment. The point is while all HVAC units do reference air conditioning units, not all air conditioning units are HVAC units!
WHAT IS AN AC UNIT?
Unconsciously you may think about air control, and that’s too close. AC is actually the acronym for Air Conditioning. After all, you are controlling the temperature of the air. confusing? YES, cause this system is ONLY designed to cool the air in your home in different ways.
SO WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HVAC AND AC?
AC is generally used when referring to systems that are designed to cool the air in your home. On the other hand, HVAC systems include heat pumps and gas furnaces as well as air conditioning units, and this means HVAC deals with both heating and cooling. In addition, HVAC also covers ventilation and ductwork.
Now that you know the difference, the next time that your contractors mess up you won’t be confused.
