Do you know what could help you predict, limit and even control the AC repair cost?
Knowledge.
Yes, knowing the HVAC system will help you control the AC services & repair costs in the long run.
How?
Let me answer for you.
Predicting the AC services & repair cost
When you know how your HVAC operates, it is easy to troubleshoot and identify what’s wrong with the unit. This way, you can predict in advance how air conditioning repair cost is going to be.
Without knowing how your HVAC system operates, there is no way you can predict the AC repair cost in advance.
Limiting or Controlling the AC services & repair cost
If the situation is worse, you can at most predict how much will the AC repair will cost you. But if you inspect your air conditioning units regularly, then you’ll be able to know if something is going to happen to the HVAC system beforehand. For example, if you see molds in duct then you can assume that sooner or later, you’ll need mold removal done by professionals. And if the situation is even worse, your HVAC system might need duct replacement. This can leave a big hole in your wallet because air duct cleaning cost or duct replacement cost is something that will highlight in your account statement.
But if you know how your HVAC system works and inspect it regularly, you might be able to save a good amount of cash from AC maintenance & repair.
Similarly, you can limit and control the costs of AC repair or any repair related to your HVAC system.
Now let’s get into what you are here for.
Different types of HVAC System operations
There are 6 major types of HVAC systems. I’ll write about each of them in details. For now, here are the HVAC system operation in digestible bites.
1. Heat Pump
Heat pumps one of the most common ones. If you heard about Carrier system, Trane system, GoodMan system, etc. then you must be familiar with the terminology.
A Heat Pump actually pumps heat – pretty straightforward, right?
Its work function is exactly what the name suggests. It pumps heat from a place to the controlled environment. For example, in winter, if your house is the controlled room and you have a Heat Pump set up in your house, the heat pump will take the heat and release it into your room. This way, a heat pump can control the temperature of a closed room.
Even though the Heat Pump can do both heating and cooling its main strength lies in Heating.
2. Water Source Heat Pump
If you are interested in sustainable heating and cooling, the water source heat pump, which is broadly any geothermal heat pump will be the best option for you.
As they require to be in proximity to a body of water, these geothermal heat pumps are gradually becoming more and more popular to consumers. Like the heat pumps, they can also offer heating and cooling. Basically, what it does is – gets in contact with cool water in the ground or any other source and uses this to control or alter the temperature.
3. Rooftop Unit
As the name suggests, these HVAC systems or as they are known as – Air handlers are nothing but large HVAC systems that are used in the rooftop. They are used in a large area and that is why the expenditure of AC repair, in this case, is often higher than other systems. Besides, these boxes usually connect with a ductwork which is why the air duct cleaning cost is included in total AC maintenance & repair cost.
4. Split HVAC System
The Split HVAC system is nothing but a complete HVAC system that has its components placed in different places. This is how the name came to be. There are two types of Split HVAC system. Mini Split HVAC system and Central HVAC system.
Mini Split HVAC system is also called Ductless HVAC system and I’ll talk about it as a separate HVAC system later on this article.
The Central systems are the opposite of Mini Split. They are ducted system, designed specifically to cool down a space. In this system, heat exchangers are placed inside the central ac units of the forced heating system. Then it distributes the chilled air throughout the space.
5. Ductless HVAC System
Among all the 6 different types of HVAC, this is the smallest.
As mentioned above, these are Split HVAC system or more specifically Mini Split HVAC system. These units are best for small capacity use like a single room or multiple small rooms. The best advantage of these units is the fact that heat exchangers for this unit can be placed far away from the room. Also, the wall space requirement is minimum.
Due to their flexibility of use and compact size, these are the most common air conditioning units that you’ll find in the market. These systems are easy to install, troubleshoot and due to the availability of the parts and knowledge on how to repair these units, the cost of AC repair is the least compared to other systems.
6. Packaged HVAC System
They look like the large rooftop HVAC systems but unlike the Rooftop ones, they are more suitable for domestic ones than large facilities.
The two basic types of Packaged Air Conditioning Units:
- Packages Air Conditioning units with water cooled condenser: As its name suggests, packaged air conditioning units with water cooled condenser comes with a water cooled condenser which requires a constant supply of water to work. These are usually installed and used inside the buildings.
- Packages Air Conditioning units with Air cooled condenser: They work similar to how a rooftop HVAC system works and they are more popular than the 2 types of packages air conditioner because you don’t need a constant flow of water to ensure it’s working smoothly.
