Take Our HVAC Quiz to Test Your Home Comfort Knowledge

Do you know HVAC? How well? Want to find out?

We like keeping our customers in the know, because we have found that knowledge is power when it comes to home services.

So for example, knowing the efficiency rating of your system is one thing, but then truly understanding why it matters and how much you might expect to save on your energy bill as a result of increases in efficiency is where you can start to apply your knowledge to actual decision-making.

Many other examples could be found, where enough knowledge of a subject leads to better decisions.

Below is a short quiz with various questions about heating and cooling. We invite you to think about your answers to each, then compare them to our answers below.

We’re going to provide the answers below, but we’re also going to go into more detail about why it matters to you as a homeowner.

CABS Heating and Air Conditioning HVAC Homeowner Quiz

1. What does HVAC stand for?
2. What does SEER stand for?
3. What does AFUE stand for?
4. Where is the correct place for a home thermostat to be located?
5. If the refrigerant in your air conditioner has been banned from use, do you need to replace the system?
6. Is duct tape actually used to plug duct leaks?
7. Where should the air returns be located in each room?
8. True or False: If I get a 20% more efficient air conditioner, my summer energy usage will go down 20%.
9. True or False: A larger, more powerful HVAC system will always heat and cool your home more efficiently.
10. True or False: Air conditioners cool the air in your home.
11. True or False: Humidity removal is one of the main jobs of an air conditioner.
12. True or False: Furnace filters can trap COVID particles and other viruses.
13. What is an ideal relative humidity for your home?
14. What does your air handler connect to?
15. What type of substance is your refrigerant?

Give yourself a minute or so with each of them. When you’re done, scroll down to read the answers:

What does HVAC stand for?

Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning.

The most forgotten one is ventilation, and is why we think it’s important for homeowners to know. Your ductwork and home design can - and does! - affect your airflow and comfort. Services like duct sealing, adding or adjusting ductwork, and changing blower fans to better regulate airflow can be more important than your air conditioner or heater.

What does SEER stand for?

Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio. It’s a measurement of efficiency.

Importantly, a slightly more sophisticated SEER2 rating has come out in recent years. While higher SEER (or SEER2) is always better, make sure you’re comparing apples to apples with systems, since comparing SEER to SEER2 will give you confusing results between systems.

What does AFUE stand for?

Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency. AFUE measures heating efficiency.

Convoluted acronym, but it’s one of the easier metrics to understand. AFUE is measured on a percentage scale, and applies primarily to gas furnaces. If your system is 80% efficient, that means that 80 cents for every dollar you spend on energy costs is going into your home.

AFUE can get as high as 98% or so, but isn’t the only metric to concern yourself with. Multi-stage heating equipment can be more useful than a few percentage points of AFUE, and things like leaky ductwork can ruin your efficiency in other ways even if your furnace is operating at peak performance.

Where is the correct place for a home thermostat to be located?

On the main floor, on an inside wall and not near or facing a window. Reason being, sunlight or drafts can trigger heating or cooling, so it’s best to keep the thermostat somewhere where it’s more likely to measure an average room temperature in your home.

If the refrigerant in your air conditioner has been banned from use, do you need to replace the system?

No, you don’t, but it may be more expensive to service and repair.

As refrigerant technology improves, more environmentally harmful refrigerants have been banned from use. However, this only applies to new installations. If you’re using an older refrigerant, you don’t need to change immediately.

Since new installs won’t be using the older refrigerant, however, less and less is produced and it becomes more expensive for contractors to supply it to homeowners. Recharging your refrigerant if it has a leak may end up being ridiculously expensive if you are using an old refrigerant, since supplies are so limited.

Eventually, it’s worth upgrading. But if your system is working fine as-is at the moment, you don’t have to change anything.

Is duct tape actually used to plug duct leaks?

No, it’s not. Or rather, it shouldn’t, but we’ve certainly seen it in use. Duct tape can melt, tear or otherwise compromise your ducts; consult a trusted contractor to properly seal your ductwork.

Where should the air returns be located in each room?

Air returns are usually located near the flooring and along an open wall.

You won’t be able to change the location of your return air ducts, but you can keep them free of obstructions. Placing furniture or piles of stuff in front of a vent will negatively affect your HVAC system’s ability to heat and cool. Keep them clear, and you’ll be in the clear.

True or False: If I get a 20% more efficient air conditioner, my summer energy usage will go down 20%.

False. The portion of your bill that represents cooling costs may go down by 20%, but your energy usage includes more than just HVAC. You can expect to save some money, but also have to factor in total energy usage. We find that typical savings is more like 5-10% in such cases, which can still be a lot, and can add up to hundreds or thousands over time.

True or False: A larger, more powerful HVAC system will always heat and cool your home more efficiently.

False. Larger, more powerful air conditioners, furnaces and heat pumps will move more air, true, but more isn’t always better when it comes to home comfort.

In particular, balancing air supply with ductwork capacity and home size is vitally important. There’s a phenomenon called short cycling wherein you can damage your system and leave pockets of overly cold or warm air in your home as a result.

True or False: Air conditioners cool the air in your home.

False. Air conditioners remove heat from the ambient air in your home and shunt it outside before recirculating the air in your home. Think of it as heat removal instead of adding cooling.

True or False: Humidity removal is one of the main jobs of an air conditioner.

True. AC units remove a lot of humidity from your home. It’s a big reason dehumidifiers can aid in home comfort in the humid summer months. Your AC will do some of the work, but may still struggle with high humidity, particularly in homes with basements.

True or False: Furnace filters can trap COVID particles and other viruses.

True. Not all do, particularly the cheapest, thinnest ones you can buy. But the best filters can trap bacteria and viruses, including COVID particles.

This of course isn’t a guarantee you won’t get sick. However, you can protect yourself and make it less likely that you’ll come down with something by using a high-efficiency filter.

What is an ideal relative humidity for your home?

If you said anything between 30% and 60% relative humidity, you’re correct. Expert sources vary slightly on the exact ideal humidity (our recommendation is 50%). But anything within this range will keep you protected from the worst that both high and low humidity can bring into your home, including pests, mold, mildew, increased chance of illness, lingering coughs, allergens, and more.

What does your air handler connect to?

The air handler connects to the ductwork. In electrical systems, often ones with heat pumps, an air handler actually replaces a furnace area in transferring air properly throughout the system. Heat strips can be installed in air handlers to allow them to provide supplemental heat, but this operates differently than a traditional gas furnace.

What type of substance is your refrigerant?

Trick question, it depends on what stage of cooling it’s in. A refrigerant can be either a liquid or a gas depending on whether it’s absorbing what from your home (gas) or expelling heat outside (liquid). One of the main jobs of your air conditioning system is to regulate refrigerant pressures properly so that it is in the proper state of matter to efficiently cool your home.

HVAC Knowledge Equals Home Comfort

So, how well did you do?

The exact answers isn’t necessarily important. What’s important is that you took the time to learn more about your home HVAC system, and hopefully learned a few things along the way.

Knowledge is power, and it results in better home decisions. At CABS Heating and Air Conditioning, we’ve been working with homeowners for years to empower them to make better decisions for their homes and families, and we hope to do the same for you.

To start with a free estimate on any major heating and cooling services, give us a call today!