HVAC 101
Your System, Explained
Every part, number, and either-or decision in your heating and cooling system, explained the way we'd explain it across your kitchen table. No jargon left undefined, no sales pitch attached.
Browse the LibraryComponents
The parts inside your system: what each one does, where it lives, and how it fails.
What Is a Condenser?
The condenser is your AC's outdoor unit, the half that releases indoor heat outside. What's inside it, why airflow clearance matters, and the trouble signs.
Read the ExplainerWhat Is an Evaporator Coil?
The evaporator coil is where your AC actually cools and dries the air. Why coils freeze, what ice means, and how to keep yours healthy in Louisiana humidity.
Read the ExplainerWhat Is an Air Handler?
Your air handler is the indoor half of your AC: blower, coil, and filter in one cabinet. What it does, how it differs from a furnace, and Acadiana care tips.
Read the ExplainerWhat Is an AC Capacitor?
An AC capacitor gives your system's motors their starting jolt, and Louisiana heat is hard on them. Failure signs, causes, and when to call a pro.
Read the ExplainerWhat Is an AC Compressor?
The compressor is the pump that moves refrigerant through your AC and its most expensive part. How it works, how it fails, and when replacement wins.
Read the ExplainerWhat Is a Contactor?
A contactor is the switch that sends power to your AC's compressor and fan. What the clicking means, why one sticks, and when it becomes an emergency.
Read the ExplainerWhat Is a Blower Motor?
The blower motor moves every bit of air your system delivers. Failure signs, why a clogged filter shuts it down, and why variable speed suits Louisiana.
Read the ExplainerWhat Is a TXV?
A TXV meters exactly how much refrigerant flows into your evaporator coil. Why a failing valve mimics other AC problems and gets misdiagnosed so often.
Read the ExplainerWhat Does Refrigerant Do?
Refrigerant carries heat from your indoor air to the outdoors, and it never gets used up. Why low refrigerant always means a leak, plus R-22 to R-454B.
Read the ExplainerWhat Is a Condensate Drain Line?
The condensate drain line carries away the water your AC pulls from Louisiana's humid air. Why it clogs so fast here, the vinegar trick, and DIY limits.
Read the ExplainerWhat Is a Mini Split?
A mini split is a ductless AC and heating system: one outdoor unit, slim indoor units, no ductwork. How they work and where they fit in Louisiana homes.
Read the ExplainerWhat Is Geothermal HVAC?
Geothermal HVAC trades heat with the steady ground under your yard instead of the summer air. How it works, and why South Louisiana suits it so well.
Read the ExplainerConcepts
The numbers and terms on every quote and spec sheet, translated into plain English.
What Is a Ton of Cooling?
One ton of cooling removes 12,000 BTU of heat per hour. What that means for sizing your Louisiana home's AC, and why bigger isn't better here.
Read the ExplainerWhat Is HSPF2?
HSPF2 rates how efficiently a heat pump heats, the winter twin of SEER2. What the numbers mean, and why Louisiana buyers should weight cooling first.
Read the ExplainerComparisons
The either-or decisions Louisiana homeowners actually face, argued straight.
Heat Pump vs. Furnace in Louisiana
For most South Louisiana homes a heat pump wins: mild winters, one system for both seasons. And an honest look at when a gas furnace still makes sense.
Read the ExplainerSingle-Stage vs. Variable-Speed AC
Single-stage, two-stage, or variable-speed AC: how each one runs, and why longer, lower cycles win the humidity fight in a Louisiana cooling season.
Read the ExplainerWhy we wrote these: an informed homeowner makes better decisions and gets taken advantage of less. Every explainer ends the same honest way, with what you can check yourself and when to call a professional. When you want numbers instead of definitions, our calculators and published price tables are one click away.
Still Have Questions?
That's what we're here for. Call (337) 893-5646 and ask for a plain answer, or schedule a visit and we'll look at your actual system.