Heating and Cooling Systems Flashcards

Flashcards reviewing key vocabulary and concepts related to heating and cooling systems, including conventional systems, geothermal systems, and related components.

Electrical Heating System

A system that uses electricity to produce thermal energy for heating.

Forced-Air Heating System

A system that moves hot air through ducts to heat a building.

Hot Water Heating System

A system that uses hot water to heat a building, typically through radiators.

Furnace

Part of a forced-air system that warms the air before it is circulated.

Cold Air Return

Ducts that return cooler air from the rooms back to the furnace for reheating.

Exhaust System

Part of the heating system that releases gases such as carbon dioxide outside.

Compressor (in cooling system)

A component that compresses refrigerant gas, increasing its temperature.

Refrigerant

A substance used in cooling systems that absorbs and releases thermal energy as it changes state.

Thermostat

A device that controls the temperature in a heating or cooling system.

Bimetallic Strip

A strip made of two different metals that expand and contract at different rates, used in thermostats.

Mercury Switch

A switch that uses mercury to complete a circuit based on temperature changes, used in thermostats.

Geothermal System

A system that transfers thermal energy from the Earth's crust to heat or cool a building.