Heating and Air Conditioning Service in Arlington, TX – HVAC BASICS

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Heating and Air Conditioning Service in Arlington, TX – HVAC BASICS

The majority of us taking HVAC for granted until we need heating and air conditioning service in Arlington, TX. We depend on the air conditioning to deliver cool air during the summer, and we depend on our heating system to disperse war air to us during the winter.  Whenever our homes end up being cold during the winter or become hot during the summer, homeowners will typically call in a professional and request for heating and air conditioning service in Arlington, TX.

Surprisingly, many homeowners do not follow simple maintenance with their heating and cooling systems. By not maintaining the system, there will be more frequent breakdowns requiring professional heating and air conditioning service in Arlington, TX and possibly complete system failure due to lack of maintenance. There are quick fixes and small tasks that can drastically extend the lifecycle of your HVAC system, but first, it is important to understand the basics with how HVAC systems function.  When air is conditioned at the source, it must be distributed throughout the rooms in your home. This is accomplished with either forced-air, gravity, or a radiant system.  Below we will go over the different types of these systems.

Forced-Air Systems

Warm air is produced by the furnace, whereas, cool air is produced by the air conditioner.  A forced-air system distributes this conditioned air via a blower. The blower is an electrically powered fan that forces the conditioned air through metal ducts that are connected in a series throughout your home.   When warm air is produced by the furnace it will be distributed throughout the rooms by the blower, the cooler air that is in the room will be forced down through another set of ducts. These ducts are called the cold air return system, and this air will be delivered to the furnace to be warmed. The system can be adjusted to allocate the amount of air that is being distributed throughout the home.  If you need heating and air conditioning service in Arlington, TX or surrounding areas, call Minuteman Heating and Air now.

The central air conditioning system uses the same forced-air system, including the blower, to force cooled air to the rooms in the home and to bring the warm air back so that it can be conditioned.  Whenever there is a problem with a forced-air system it is typically due to the blower malfunctioning.  The blower can also be pretty loud, alongside the fact it will increase the costs of warming your home in the winter when you factor in the costs of fuel for the furnace and the cost of electricity to operate the blower in tandem with the furnace.  However, since it does utilize a blower, a forced-air system is a very effective method to bring heated or cooled air throughout a home.  Looking for heating and air conditioning service in Arlington, TX? Give Minuteman Heating and Air a call.

Gravity Systems

Gravity systems operated based upon the fact that hot air rises and cold air sinks. Gravity systems, therefore, are not used to distribute cool air from an air conditioner.  With a gravity system, the furnace is located near the floor or below it.  Warm air will rise and flow through the ducts to registers that are located in the floor throughout the home.  If the furnace is positioned on the main floor of the home, then these heat registers will typically be higher up on the walls due to the fact that the registers must be higher in height than the furnace. The warm air will rise towards the ceiling and as that air cools, it will sink and then enter the return air ducts, where it will flow back to the furnace in order for it to be heated again. Having problems with your AC and need professional heating and air conditioning service in Arlington, TX?  Minuteman Heating and Air is just a call away.

Radiant Systems

Another distribution system for heating is called the radiant system. The heat source for a radiant system is typically hot water. The hot water is usually heated by a furnace and then this water is circulated through a series of pipes that are embedded in the ceiling, floor or walls of the home.  Radiant systems also commonly will warm rooms in a home via a radiator that will be located within the room.  These radiators will then warm the air inside of the room of the home. Some radiant systems make use of electric heating panels in order to generate heat, which is then radiated into the rooms of the home. Radiant systems, however, are not able to distribute cool air from an air conditioning system. If you need heating and air conditioning service in Arlington, TX, Minuteman Heating and Air is standing by waiting for your call.

Controls for Heating and Cooling Systems

In order for heating and cooling systems to do their job they must be controlled from a source that issues the command on whether to cool the home or heat it. This is accomplished by thermostats.  Depending on the age of your home or if it is old and it has recently been remodeled or not will most likely determine what type of thermostat you have in your home.

Older thermostats have two exposed contacts. When the temperature in the home drops, a bimetallic strip will begin to bend, eventually making one electrical contact and then another.  The system will activate once the second contact closes and once it does, it will activate the heating system and the anticipator on the thermostat. The anticipator heats the bimetallic element, which will cause it to begin to bend and eventually break the secondary electrical contact.  However, the system will continue to run, until the temperature setting on the thermostat rises above the setting, at which point the first electrical contact will break and the system will shut off.  Heating and air conditioning service in Arlington, TX, that you can rely on from Minuteman Heating and Air is a phone call away.

Modern thermostats make use of coiled bimetallic strip elements, and the contacts for these thermostats are sealed behind protective glass to shield them from dirt, dust and other debris.  Whenever the temperature in a home drops, a modern thermostats bimetallic elements will begin to uncoil. The force that is exerted due to the uncoiling of the element will separate a stationary steel bar from a magnet that is located at the end of the coil.  The magnet will come down and rest near the glass-enclosed contact. The magnetic force exerted from the magnet will pull the contact arm that is located within the glass tube up. This will cause the contacts to close and complete the circuit which will turn on the heater and the anticipator.

When the air in the room heats up, the coil will begin to rewind itself back up and this will remove the magnetic force of the magnet from the contact arm. This in turn, will cause the contact arm to drop back down, break the circuit, and the system will shut down.  The magnet will continue to go upwards to the stationary bar, which will keep the contacts open and the heating system turned off until the room cools down enough to unwind the coil again and the process will begin anew.

Today’s newest heating and air conditioning controls make use of solid-state electronics to control the temperature inside of a home. These types of thermostats are usually much more accurate and responsive than older thermostats. However, whenever a solid-state thermostat breaks down it will typically mean complete replacement rather than making repairs.  Understanding how the heating and cooling system operates in a home will assist the homeowner in being able to identify some problems before they become too serious so that the homeowner can call in help for professional heating and air conditioning service in Arlington, TX.

About Minuteman Heating and Air

Minuteman Heating and Air is a leader in the field of heating and air conditioning service in Arlington, TX.  Experience, education and unparalleled professionalism makes us one of the most respected companies in the metropolitan Arlington, TX area.  Minuteman Heating and Air is the go to source whenever you need heating and air conditioning service in Arlington, TX or surrounding areas.  When you reach out to us you can rest assured knowing that will receive the highest quality heating and air conditioning service in Arlington, TX.

Minuteman Heating and Air provides service to Arlington, Mansfield, and surrounding areas. Our NATE certified technicians provide unparalleled service to homeowners and businesses, whether they need installation, maintenance or repairs. If you need help with your HVAC system at your home or business and you are looking for heating and air conditioning service in Arlington, TX then give Minuteman Heating and Air a call today.  When you reach out to us one of our professional technicians will go on-site, assist you, and provide you with professional heating and air conditioning service in Dallas, TX that you can count on every single time.