Bryant Glossary
AFUE
Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency.
Indicated as a percentage, your furnace's AFUE tells you how
much energy is being converted to heat. For example, an AFUE of
90 means that 90% of the fuel is being used to warm your home,
while the other 10% escapes as exhaust with the combustion
gases.
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Advanced Reciprocating Compressor
Type of compressor that uses a more
efficient process for compressing refrigerant for better cooling
efficiency.
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AeroQuiet System
Bryant's AeroQuiet™ System includes sound-deadening features
in the cabinet, fan system and top for better air flow, lower
noise and better efficiency.
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Air Handler
The portion of your air conditioner or heating system that
forces air through your home's ductwork.
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BTU
British Thermal Unit. Used for both heating and cooling, BTU
is a measure of the heat given off when fuel is combusted. Or
for cooling, it's a measure of heat extracted from your home.
(One BTU is approximately equal to the heat given off by a
wooden kitchen match.)
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BTUH
A British Thermal Unit (BTU) is the unit of heat required to
raise 1 pound of water by 1 degree Fahrenheit. BTUH is British
Thermal Units per Hour.
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Beckett Burner
A burner assembly within your oil furnace, manufactured by
Beckett to exact specifications of Bryant. This burner provides
good combustion of heating oil.
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CFM
Stands for Cubic Feet per Minute. A measurement of airflow
that indicates how many cubic feet of air pass by a stationary
point in one minute. The higher the number, the more air is
being forced through the system.
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Capacity
The ability of a heating or cooling system to heat or cool a
given amount of space. For heating, this is usually expressed in
BTUs. For cooling, it is usually given in tons.
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Carbon Monoxide
A colorless, odorless, highly poisonous gas produced when
carbon-based fuels, such as natural gas, burns without
sufficient air nearby.
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Check-Flo-Rater
The patented Check-Flo-Rater metering device accurately
controls refrigerant flow to ensure precise system operation,
efficiency and performance.
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Compressor
Part of the heat pump or air conditioner unit that controls
the pressure applied to the refrigerant, necessary for taking in
heat to warm your home or getting rid of heat to keep your home
cool.
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Condenser Coil
Part of the outdoor portion of a split-system air conditioner
or heat pump. By converting refrigerant that is in a gas form
back to a liquid, the coil sends heat carried by the refrigerant
to the outside. Also referred to as an Outdoor Coil.
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Continuous Fan Switch
A feature on an oil furnace allowing the furnace's fan to
blow continuously to improve system efficiency and maintain even
temperatures.
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Control System
Thermostat, Thermidistat™ or Evolution™ Control device used
by homeowner to set temperature and other settings.
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DB
Decibels (dB) are a unit measuring the intensity of noise.
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Damper
A type of "valve" used in duct work that opens or closes to
control airflow. Used in zoning to control the amount of warm or
cool air entering certain areas of your home.
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Downflow
A type of furnace that takes cool air from the top and blows
warm air to the bottom-common where your furnace must be located
in a second-floor closet or utility area.
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Ductwork
Hollow pipes used to transfer air from the Air Handler to the
air vents throughout your home. Ductwork is one of the most
important components of a home heating and cooling system.
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DuraGuard
DuraGuard™ is a Bryant innovation that protects outdoor units
from weather and increases durability.
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DuraGuard Plus
DuraGuard™ Plus is a Bryant innovation that protects outdoor
units from weather and increases durability. DuraGuard Plus
includes appliance-style fit and finish and a world-class patent
pending design.
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EER
Energy Efficiency Ratings (EER) measure the efficiency with
which a product uses energy to function. It is calcuated by
dividing a product's BTU output by its wattage.
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Electronic Air Cleaner (EAC)
An electronic device that filters out large particles and
contaminants in indoor air. It then electronically pulls out
tiny particles that have been magnetized, such as viruses and
bacteria, drawing them to a collector plate.
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Energy Saver Switch
An energy-saver switch causes the air conditioner's fan and
compressor to cycle on and off together, reducing energy use.
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Energy Star
Energy Star is a government-backed program helping businesses
and individuals protect the environment through superior energy
efficiency. Products with the Energy Star rating will be
efficient and save cost on energy bills.
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Evaporator Coil
Part of a split-system air conditioner or heat pump located
indoors. The evaporator coil cools and dehumidifies the air by
converting liquid refrigerant into a gas, which absorbs the heat
from the air. The warmed refrigerant is then carried through a
tube to the outdoor unit (condenser coil). Also referred to as
an indoor coil.
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Everlastic
Everlastic describes the Bryant-patented polypropylene coated
secondary heat exchanger which provides enhanced durablility
over traditional heat exchangers.
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Fan Coil
An indoor component of a heat pump system, used in place of a
furnace, to provide additional heating on cold days when the
heat pump does not provide adequate heating.
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Freon
The trade name Freon™ is a registered trademark belonging to
E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company (DuPont). Production of Freon™
will cease in 2015 per the Montreal Protocol.
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HSPF
The Heating Seasonal Performance Factor is a measure of the
heating efficiency of a
heat pump. The higher the HSPF number,
the more efficiently the heat pump heats your home.
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HVAC
Term used for Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning
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Heat Exchanger
The part of a furnace that transfers heat to nearby air. That
air is then distributed through the ductwork throughout your
home.
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Heat Pump
A heating and air conditioning unit that heats or cools by
moving heat.
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Horizontal Flow
A type of furnace, installed on its "side", that draws in air
from one side, heats it and sends the warm air out the other
side. Most often used for installations in attics or crawl
spaces.
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HumidiTrac
An automatic programmable control used to maintain humidity
at a fixed point.
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Humidifier
A piece of equipment that adds water vapor to heated air as
it moves out of the furnace. This adds necessary moisture to
protect your furnishings and reduce static electricity.
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Humidistat
A control used to manually maintain humidity at a fixed
point.
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Hybrid Heat
Hybrid Heat systems deliver exceptional performance by using
a heating source that provides the most energy-efficient comfort
during moderate heating conditions.
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IAQ
Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) refers to the cleanliness and health
of the air in a home.
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Indoor Coil
see Evaporator Coil
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Load Estimate
A series of studies performed to determine the heating or
cooling requirements of your home. An energy load analysis uses
information such as the square footage of your home, window or
door areas, insulation quality and local climate to determine
the heating and cooling capacity needed by your furnace, heat
pump or air conditioner. When referring to heating, this is
often known as a Heat Loss Analysis, since a home's heating
requirements are determined by the amount of heat lost through
the roof, entry ways and walls.
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Low Boy
Low Boy is a type of furnace configuration in which the
furnace is lower in height and occupies more floor space.
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MERV
The Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value is the standard
comparison of the efficiency of an air filter. The MERV scale
ranges from 1 (least efficient) to 16 (most efficient), and
measures a filter's ability remove particles from 3 to 10
microns in size.
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Matched System
A heating and cooling system comprised of products that have
been certified to perform at promised comfort and efficiency
levels when used together, and used according to design and
engineering specifications.
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Multipoise
A multi-direction configuration that allows for both upflow
and downflow installations.
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Operating Cost
The day-to-day cost of running your home comfort equipment,
based on energy use.
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Outdoor Coil
see Condenser Coil
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Payback Analysis
Overall measure of the efficiency and value of your home
comfort system. By combining your purchase price and ongoing
operating costs, a payback analysis determines the number of
years required before monthly energy savings offset the purchase
price.
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PerfectHeat
PerfectHeat® provides two stages of heating to battle
changing winter conditions. At start up, low stage heating
gently circulates warm, heated air into your living space. As
outdoor temperatures become more extreme, high stage heating
provides the extra boost you need to remain comfortable.
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PerfectHumidity
PerfectHumidity™ is Bryant's proprietary humidity management
innovation for maintaining the perfect comfort in a home. Learn more about PerfectHumidity >
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PerfectLight
PerfectLight is an advanced gas furnace ignition system that
replaces standard pilot lights and improves upon traditional
modern igniters used by other manufacturers.
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Puron Refrigerant
Puron® Refrigerant is an environmentally sound refrigerant
designed not to harm the earth's ozone layer. Federal law
requires all manufacturers phase out ozone depleting
refrigerants in the next few years. Puron Refrigerant is
approved by the US Environmental Protection Agency as a
replacement from R-22.
Learn more about Puron >
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QuieTech
QuieTech™ is a noise reduction system that provides
comfortable heat while generating very little noise in the
process.
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R-22 refrigerant
R-22 is a single component HCFC refrigerant with low ozone
depletion potential. It has long been used in a variety of
air-conditioning and refrigeration applications in a variety of
markets. Production of R-22 will cease in 2015 per the Montreal
Protocol. Also commonly known as Freon.
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Reciprocating Compressor
A type of compressor used in air conditioners that compresses
refrigerant by using a type of "piston" action.
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Reclaiming
Involves returning used refrigerant to the manufacturer for
disposal or reuse.
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Recycling
Removing, cleaning and reusing refrigerant.
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Refrigerant Lines
Two copper lines that connect the Condenser (Outdoor) Coil to
the Evaporator (Indoor) Coil.
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Riello Burner
A burner assembly within your oil furnace, manufactured by
Riello to exact specifications of Bryant. This burner provides a
cleaner, higher quality combustion of heating oil to increase
energy efficiency.
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SEER
The Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio is a measure of the
cooling efficiency of your air conditioner or heat pump. The
higher the SEER number, the more efficient the system is at
converting electricity into cooling power.
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A specially designed compressor that works in a circular
motion instead of an up-and and-down piston action.
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Serpentuff
Bryant's exclusive Serpentuff™ Heat Exchanger features a
patented polypropylene laminate, so that it extracts nearly all
of the heat from the system and makes the most of the energy
used.
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Setback Thermostat
A state-of-the-art electronic thermostat with a built-in
memory that can be programmed for different temperature settings
at different times of the day.
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Single Package
One outdoor unit that contains both a heating and a cooling
system.
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SmartRecovery
Smart Recovery starts the system in advance to be sure that
each zone reaches your selected temperature setting at the
scheduled time.
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Split System
Refers to an air conditioner or heat pump that has components
in two locations. Usually, one part of the system is located
inside (evaporator coil) and the other is located outside your
home (condenser coil).
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Thermidistat
The Thermidistat Control monitors temperatures both inside
and outside, as well as indoor humidity and adjusts system
operation to maintain the temperature and humidity levels set by
the homeowner.
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Thermostat
Unit that monitors and controls your HVAC system products.
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Thermostatic Expansion Valve
A thermostatic expansion valve (TXV) is precision device used
to meter the flow of liquid refrigerant entering the evaporator
at a rate that matches the amount of refrigerant being boiled
off in the evaporator.
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Ton
A unit of measure for cooling capacity. One ton = 12,000 BTUs
per hour.
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Total Home Comfort System
The ultimate solution to providing you with consistent,
customized home comfort, despite the ever-changing weather.
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TrueSense Dirty Filter Detection
TrueSense™ dirty filter detection reminds you when it's time
to change your media filter.
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UL
UL is an objective, non-profit organization that tests and
rates electrical products for public safety.
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Upflow
A type of furnace that draws cool air from the bottom and
blows the warmed air out the top into the duct work. This type
of furnace is usually installed in a basement or an
out-of-the-way closet.
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Ventilator
A ventilator captures heating or cooling energy from stale
indoor air and transfers it to fresh incoming air.
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Zone Perfect™Plus
Our exclusive zoning system, designed to work in conjunction
with properly matched HVAC products to enhance energy efficiency
by as much as 30%.
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Zoning
A way to increase your home comfort and energy efficiency by
controlling when and where heating and cooling occurs in a home.
Programmable thermostats are used to control operating times of
the equipment. Dampers are used to direct air flow to certain
parts or "zones" of the home.
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