Direct Energy Glossary

Need to brush up on your energy lingo? Review these commonly used terms to better understand your home comfort system - and what you can do to improve it.

AFUE: Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency. A measure of a gas furnace's efficiency in converting fuel to energy, the higher the more efficient the unit.

A-Coil: A heat exchanger consisting of two diagonal coils that are joined together in a manner that looks like the letter A.

Air Cleaner: Any device that can change the temperature, humidity or general quality of air.

Air Conditioner: Removes heat and humidity from circulated air in the home. Heat is expelled from the outside A/C ' Condensing unit'. A condensate line carries moisture to a drain.

Air Conditioning Condensing Unit: Receives heat from the 'A' coil and expels it from the home to the outdoors.

Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency: (compares the percentage of heat delivered to the home compared to the amount lost up the chimney for each unit of fuel. The Ontario Government's minimum standard is 78%. Mi)

Boilers: Water filled space-heating systems. An electric pump circulates the heated water through radiators that are usually located under the window.

BTU: British Thermal Unit. The amount required to raise the temperature of 1 pound of water by 1 degree Fahrenheit. A quantity of heat.

Burner: In a direct-fired absorption chiller, the device that is used to combust natural gas or fuel oil to provide the heat necessary to re-concentrate the solution.

Chimney Cap: A cap installed on a chimney to prevent animals and birds from entering the chimney. It also serves to keep the rain from entering the chimney.

Chimney Flue: A clay, ceramic, or metal conduit installed inside of a chimney, intended to contain the combustion products, direct them to the outside atmosphere, and protect the walls from heat corrosion.

CIP: Cooling Protection Plan. This plan protects customers from the costs of most residential air conditioner repairs.

CIP PLUS: Cooling Protection PLUS Plan - includes annual maintenance

CO: Carbon Monoxide - By - product of the incomplete combustion (burning) fuels, such as natural gas, wood, propane, oil, kerosene, gasoline, diesel fuel, coal or charcoal. CO is odorless, colourless and tasteless.

Conversion Burner: Converts oil or coal furnace into a gas burning system. The conversion burner is just the gas side of the furnace with the furnace casing, fan and heat exchanger still being part of the original appliance.

Dehumidifier: The condensation of water vapor from air by cooling the air below the dew point or the removal of water vapor from the air by chemical or physical methods.

Ductwork: A pipe or conduit thorough which air is delivered. Ducts are typically made of metal, fiberboard or a flexible comfort system, the size and application of ductwork is critical to performance and is as important as the equipment.

Electronic Air Cleaner: Cleans and purifies the air and provides respiratory relief by removing dust, pollen, and other foreign matter.
Gravity Heating: Old type of heating system, heat usually simply rises through the ducts to warm the house.

High Efficiency Furnaces: Has an AFUE rating of at least 90% - saves on customer's fuel consumption

HIP: Heating Protection Plan. This plan protects customers from the costs of most residential furnace or boiler repairs.

HIP PLUS: Heating Protection PLUS Plan - includes annual maintenance

Humidifier: Device for increasing the amount of water vapours in the air of a room or building which reduces static electricity and the effects of dry air.

Forced Warm Air Furnace: Any furnace that uses a fan to circulate heated air. The heat enters the room by vent in the floor, ceiling or wall.

HVAC: Heating, ventilation and air conditioning) it is any equipment that heats, cools or supplies residential or commercial building air.

Mid Efficiency Furnace: Has an AFUE rating of between 78-90%.

Patio Heater: Overhead heater, similar to a space heater.

Refrigerant: A fluid (liquid of gas) that picks up heat by evaporating at a low temperature and pressure. It gives up heat by condensing at a higher temperature and pressure.

Return Air Duct: Draws air back from the upper floors to be heated, cooled, filtered, humidified or dehumidifies.

Reversing Valve: A valve that changes the direction of refrigerant flow in a heat pump.

Roof Top Heaters: A heating and/or cooling unit that conditions a structure; it is mounted on the roof after adequate reinforcement has been built into the roof (usually located in commercial buildings).

SEER: Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio. The higher the SEER, the more energy efficient (electricity) the air conditioner. Ontario's government minimum standard is 10 SEER.

Space Heater: Small self-contained free-standing air heating units. They may be gravity, mechanical air circulation, vented or nonvented.

Supply Duct: Carries heated air from the furnace throughout your home in the winter and carries cooled air from the air conditioning +A, coil to your home in the summer.

Supply Line: Gas lines that run from the meter to the gas appliances in the home.

Thermostat: A device that connects or disconnects a circuit in response to a change in the ambient temperature.

Unit Heaters: Vented Heating System that is suspended from the ceiling.

Ventilation: The process of supplying or removing air, by natural or mechanical means, to or from any space. Such air may or may not have been conditioned.

Venting System Options: Can be either through a conventional chimney or a direct vent through the basement wall similar to a clothes dryer exhaust.

Water Heaters: Works by having cold water enter the tank through an intake pipe. The thermostat senses the cold water and heats it to the desired temperature. Can vent through a conventional chimney or directly through an outside wall.