When searching for different installation solutions regarding the space you’re about to construct, rent, or buy you must have been thinking about how to keep the space having a desired temperature.
With so many solutions available, one that can easily get you confused is whether you need to install an HVAC system or will refrigeration only be enough. This largely depends on what will you use the premises for.
If you plan to store things that require to be refrigeration, the choice is obvious. But, if you want to plan things in the long run HVAC systems might be a better option. Why? Simply because one day you may decide to switch to some other business activity, and HVAC systems will allow more options (heating, cooling, ventilation, all in one).
But in order for you to better understand the difference between these two, in the rest of the article, we’ll provide more information about both systems. Let’s start with…
What is HVAC?
While passing by buildings, you must have noticed the initials HVAC on the side, or on a van or a truck, but you probably have no idea what it actually means. It stands for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning.
Traditionally, the machines and technologies that made up these systems have been individualized. Older buildings had a heating unit that was separate from the air conditioner, which was separated from the ventilation system.
Over time, as technology advanced and the demand for greater efficiency grew, these systems were invented and over the years of development have become mandatory in current and recently constructed facilities. For example, such systems are now mandatory in new constructions.
Historically, service professionals have been trained and specialized in one area. An AC servicer would only be certified in this field. An AC servicer like air conditioning repair Denver would only be certified in this field.
Now, these systems require licensed and certified repairers in HVAC systems. It is rare to consult a company if their service technicians are not HVAC certified, so this is a question that any future service department must ask. Prospective clients should inquire whether the company is certified and only ask for a technician who is.
Contractors and organizations like S & J Mechelect, that are installing these systems define their specialty as one that provides a system of different types of heating, cooling, and ventilation for both commercial and residential buildings.
These services are mandatory and defined by industry standards. In addition, all components of these systems have standardized and acceptable product specifications listed in the guides. Commercial buildings that are very large will usually need more systems, and often these companies have engineers who design them and then seek bids from contracted companies.
For all practical purposes, civil engineers design them and select the best company for the process; in some cases, they hire more companies to achieve the same goal faster.
What is refrigeration?
The easiest explanation would be that refrigeration is the cooling of a unit or a space. Refrigeration systems are designed for cooling immediate areas. How do they work? These systems usually consist of a network of pipes, filled with a cooling agent.
This one usually works in such a way to force gas to transform into a liquid, hence creating a cooling effect inside a refrigerator or a room that serves this purpose.
The process is constantly repeated with the help of a compressor that has the task to pump up the pressure and temperature with the help of which the process is repeated, and cooling is achieved over a period of time. For this to be a constant process the cooling agent needs to flow through the network of pipes continually.
This is also the principle based on which your kitchen refrigerator works. So, its aim is not only to cool but also to freeze things.
So, what is the difference between these two?
The first difference is in the fact that HVAC is a more complex system since it is a system that serves more than one purpose. As opposed to refrigeration, which only cools. The second difference is in complexity. HVAC is more complex due to the fact we’ve stated earlier.
HVAC equipment is an area of production that is being actively developed. The need to install such systems has become an integral element not only in the design and construction of office buildings or shopping centers – you can increasingly find residential building projects in which the design solution for the installation of air conditioning systems is provided.
Modern stationary air conditioners are also called split systems, due to their design feature – they consist of two parts: the indoor unit is located in the room inside, and the outdoor unit outside. Moreover, some models of split systems can not only cool the air in the room but also heat it, i.e. work in winter-summer mode.
How the air conditioner heats up, in which models this option is available and which parameters influence the choice – this you need to discover by doing some internet searching yourself.
Are these systems worth installing for heating purposes?
Data analysis shows that it would be useful to use these as a heating device for a country house, or if no gas is supplied to the apartment, and like the heat, you have to choose between diesel fuel, coal, and liquefied gas or electricity source… Also, such a heating option can be considered by homeowners without stoves.
It should be noted that it is more cost-effective to use split heating systems in regions with mild winters, as models that can operate at low temperatures are more expensive and require special maintenance. If cold weather prevails or if domestic mains gas is brought into the house, heating the home via an air conditioning system will have few advantages.
Final Word
This article has explained both the differences and the basics you should know about these two systems. But, in the end, it is also very obvious that refrigeration is an integral part of HVAC systems since these are made to serve multiple purposes.
