This post is to inform building owners of the meaning behind the term “HVAC.”

“HVAC” is pronounced: “H” “VAC.”

H-V-A-C is broken down, as follows…

Heating

Heating System Types Include:

Gravity Hot Water (GHW) – Rare

Forced Hot Water (FHW)

Gravity Hot Air (GHA) (no fan/blower) – Rare

Forced Hot Air (FHA) (with fan/blower)

Steam

Heat-Generating Equipment (equipment that converts fuel/energy to heat)

Furnaces

Space Heaters

Boilers

Water Heaters

Heat Pumps

Resistive Heaters

Fireplaces

Stoves

The Sun – Passive Solar – Glass Thermal Units

Terminal Units (equipment that emits heat that is generated by types of heating systems described above)

Steel & Cast Iron Radiators

Baseboard Convectors – Copper Fin Tube

Baseboard Convectors (Radiant) – Cast Iron

Panel Radiators (Convectors) – Steel

Fan Convectors (Hot water coil & Fan)

Air Handlers (Hot water coil and blower)

Radiant Panels (floor; ceiling; wall)

Burners (associated with heating)

Rotary-Type – (rare)

Gun-Type

Atmospheric-Type

Pot-Type (rare)

Electric Resistive

Fuels (associated with heating)

#2 Fuel Oil

#6 Bunker Fuel

Waste Oils (typically, automotive and cooking oil)

Kerosene

Propane (LPG)

Natural Gas (NG)

Butane

Methane (fossil fuel-based and “other”)

Chord Wood

Wood Pellets

Bio Fuel (manufactured and derived from plants)

Coal

Electricity

Here in New Hampshire, every building – intended to be occupied by humans in winter – has some type of heating system, but not all are “central heat” systems.

If/when you have a heating “emergency,” it will be helpful when you call an HVAC contractor/service company to explain to them:

  1. What type of heating system you have.

  2. What type of fuel your heating system utilizes.

  3. What the nature of your heating service issue is.

Happy heating!

Ventilating

Ventilation Systems Types Include:

Heat Recovery Ventilators (HRV)

Energy Recovery Ventilators (ERV)

Non-Heat Exchange Ventilators

Air Conditioning

Air Conditioning Systems Types Include:

  1. Central

  2. Ductless – “Mini Split”

  3. Swamp Coolers

Then there is Refrigeration and many other aspects of air temperature and quality control.

What is “Indoor Climate Control?“

Indoor Climate Control (ICC) includes all equipment and systems that affect the Temperature; Air Quality; and Humidity of a space, and includes “HVAC” systems, as previously described. HVAC and ICC are often grouped together under the heading, “Mechanical Contracting.”  Mechanical Systems also include Fuel Tanks & Piping; Ducting; Fuel Venting; Kitchen Exhaust & Make-up Air (MUA); Combustion Air Supply (CAS); Snow- & Ice-Melting Systems; Pool Heating and Potable Water Heating… and this list is not even complete!

No wonder building owners are generally ill-informed about the meaning of HVAC; I can’t even list everything here, and I have 45 years in the trade!

John Rocheleau

HVAC

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John began his HVAC career in 1980, at New Hampshire Vocational Technical College, in Manchester, NH. He has worked for nearly 37 years as, first and foremost, an HVACR technician - service and installation. In 988 John started Best Heating Company. In 1996, John created his 1st invention - a circulator flange tool, then, in 2-1/2 years invented the flanges and flanged valves that became industry standards with his License Agreements with Taco, Inc., in 1999. John has a Business Management degree from New Hampshire Technical Institute, in Concord, and a year of Mechanical Engineering studies from same. John became President of New Hampshire Inventors Association in 2000, and merged it with New Hampshire High Technology Council, in 2001. John has served as Sales Engineer for 2 years at other companies, that both down-sized and John returned to self-employment and formed Protech HVAC, LLC, in 2006 and moved to the New Hampshire Seacoast to 'set up shop.' In 2010, John invented a product line of components for the HVAC trade and manufactures them in NH, ME and MA, giving him the 2nd greatest number of product units on Forced Hot Water Heating Systems - pipe and fitting makers have more product units than John. John is a Wordpress site developer, and created this site, as well as: www.innovativetradessolutions.com; www.johnwrocheleau.com; and several other sites. John has copyrighted software - Quote-Rite Job Estimating & Costing System, and Bill-Rite Invoicing System (business forms) for Tradesmen. John owns Innovative Trades Solutions, LLC, which makes his mechanical and business products. John is a writer and is penning 2 books - an autobiography and an expose on how industry players hi-jacked his flanged valve inventions. John is a musician - 5-string banjo; guitar and student of diatonic harmonica. John is an organic vegetable, and wildflower gardener.

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