HVAC in Northwest Montana's Flathead Valley

HVAC is an acronym that stands for "heating, ventilating, and air conditioning". The three functions of heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning are closely interrelated. All seek to provide thermal comfort, acceptable indoor air quality, and reasonable installation, operation, and maintenance costs.

Heating

A furnace is a major appliance that is permanently installed in a mechanical room. Most furnaces are classified as forced air systems because the heat gets distributed by forced air through ductwork to the interior spaces.

The most commonly used fuel source in the United States is natural gas; other sources include propane, electricity and fuel oil.

Air Conditioning
 

A traditional home comfort system has two parts: an indoor unit, such as a furnace or air handler, and an outdoor unit. An air conditioner is the outdoor unit that cools air and sends it to the indoor unit for circulation through your home. Indoor and outdoor units are designed to work together. When the air conditioner is properly matched with a furnace or air handler, you get maximum efficiency and longer system life.

A split system central air conditioner includes a compressor, fan, condenser coil, evaporator coil and refrigerant. The system removes heat from indoor air and transfers it outside, leaving the cooled indoor air to be recirculated. A central air conditioning system uses electricity as its power source.