I recently hired an HVAC contractor to come to my home to service my air conditioner.
It had quit working all of a sudden.
It was the worst time for a breakdown because it was almost 100 degrees outside! As the contractor was talking to me about the reasons why the air conditioner quit working, I was confused. I did not understand anything he told me. I felt embarrassed asking him to repeat what he said and explain so I could understand. He then proceeded to explain everything in simple terms. That’s when I realized that I need to get up to speed with HVAC terminology. I have never worked in the HVAC industry, but it’s helpful to recognize the terms so I can figure out what is going on. I know he mentioned getting a replacement compressor, which I later learned is an essential component that pumps refrigerant to move the heat from inside the home. The HVAC contractor also noticed that the coil was dirty. The coil is the evaporator coil, which is situated inside the indoor unit. The primary function of the coil is to regulate the temperature inside our home. Although this isn’t the reason the air conditioner stopped running, he recommended having the coil cleaned. While he was packing up his tools to head to his next job, we were making small talk. He mentioned he was on the way to a newly constructed home where they needed refrigerant charging. This was once again terminology I don’t understand! I just smiled and nodded and pretended I understood so I wouldn’t appear foolish. I looked it up and learned that refrigerant charging is a process of replacing refrigerant if there is a leak.