A Glossary of Clean Air Terms
Whether you’re buying a new furnace, humidifier, air conditioner, air purifier, air filter, vacuum cleaner or many other items that clean, heat, cool or purify air, there are many esoteric words and acronyms that apply. These terms are common if you are a HVAC engineer or technician, but largely unfamiliar to the folks that purchase and use-rather than install-these devices. However, if you want to buy one or more of them to keep the air clean in your home, it’s very helpful to gain a deeper understanding of what they mean. To that end, here is a clean air glossary of some of the more commonly used words and acronyms on the boxes and brochures of devices that heat, clean, purify and cool air.
ASHREA: The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers
This organization includes members from all over the world in addition to American members who have joined together to increase the knowledge and understanding of the science of heating, air conditioning, ventilating and refrigerating homes, appliances and other applications. This organization establishes professional guidelines and standards for professionals and aspiring professionals in these fields.
CADR: Clean Air Delivery Rate
The volume of filtered air that any given air cleaner can produce is expressed by its CADR numbers. That word is plural as there are separate numbers for an air cleaner’s ability to remove tobacco smoke and dust and pollen. The higher the CADR number, the more quickly the unit can filter that particular pollutant from the air. The AHAM seal, or Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers seal, is usually found on the back of an air cleaner and lists the three different CADR numbers for that unit.
Condenser Coil
If your home has a window air conditioner, central air, refrigerator or freezer, that appliance has a condenser coil in it. A condenser coil is a network of tubing full of refrigerant covered with thin metal fins to dissipate the heat. The heat turns the liquid refrigerant into a gas, the gas moves through the tubing to be cooled, and the liquid refrigerant is cycled repeatedly. These components of an appliance use the most energy of any other. Keeping the fins clear of dust and other debris will keep the appliance working at optimum efficiency, save energy, and prolong the life of the appliance.
EER: Energy Efficiency Ratio
An appliance’s EER is a measurement of how efficiently a cooling system will remove heat when the temperature is 80 degrees Fahrenheit indoors and 95 degrees outdoors. It is a kind of benchmark for the efficiency of how heat energy is removed. The higher the EER number, the more efficient the cooling system is.
HEPA: High Efficiency Particulate Air
HEPA filters were designed by the Atomic Energy Commission to protect researchers and workers from radioactive dust particles during World War II. HEPA filters are designed and engineered to protect people’s respiratory tracts from all kinds of particulate matter such as pollen, pathogens and many other potentially harmful substances. In order for an air filter to be labeled as a HEPA filter, it must be independently certified to be 99.97 percent efficient in removing particles respirable-sized particulates as small as 0.3 microns. As a point of reference, a micron is one millionth of a meter and a human hair is 70 to 100 microns thick.
HVAC: Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning
This acronym applies to heating and air-conditioning systems, technicians and the work of installing, maintaining and serving this equipment.
MERV: Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value
A MERV rating ranges from MERV 1 to MERV 16 and indicates which and how many particulates an air filter can remove from the air. It is a measurement of an air filter’s efficiency. Most residential furnace air filters have a MERV rating of 1 to 4 and will not trap particles smaller than 10 microns. Air filters in commercial applications typically have MERV ratings of 5 to 8 and will trap particles as small as 3 microns. Filters with MERV ratings from 9 to 12 are commonly found in commercial and industrial settings and are able to trap particles as small as 1 to 3 microns.
SEER: Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio
A SEER value is a measurement of the efficiency of a cooling system, most often a central air conditioner, and operates over an entire summer season. The higher the SEER value for an air conditioning system, the more efficiently the system removes heat. Similar to an EER ratio, both SEER and EER are part of how an Energy Star rating is determined as each ratio indicates the energy efficiency of a device while performing under different operating modes. SEER values provide a more accurate indication of system efficiency overall from one season to another, and EER values reflect energy efficiency at peak demand, e.g., a hot August day in the 90s with 83 percent humidity.
Hopefully, this clean air glossary has shed some light on what can be a very confusing group of terms and helps inform your purchasing decisions when you’re ready to buy a new air conditioner, vacuum cleaner, furnace, air filter, refrigerator, freezer, air filter or other appliance. The money you spend could end up saving you a lot of money over time and keep the air in your home cleaner as well!
William Lea, President of FiltersUSA.com, believes very strongly that clean air is essential to good health. His company is one of the Internet’s premier sources of air cleaners and filtration equipment. They sell a full line of air filters, humidifiers, and much more.
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