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Load Calculation and System Design Flashcards

6 cards from real HVAC practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.

Read the first 6 Load Calculation and System Design flashcards as text

  1. What does Manual J refer to in residential HVAC design?

    Answer: The ACCA standard for residential heating and cooling load calculations

    Manual J (published by ACCA) is the industry-standard method for calculating residential heating and cooling loads to properly size HVAC equipment.

  2. What unit is used to measure the cooling capacity of HVAC equipment in the US?

    Answer: BTU/hr or tons

    Cooling capacity in the US is rated in BTU/hr or tons (1 ton = 12,000 BTU/hr), describing how much heat the system can remove per hour.

  3. What are 'design conditions' used for in HVAC load calculations?

    Answer: The outdoor temperature and humidity values used to size equipment for the worst-case weather scenario

    Design conditions are the outdoor temperature and humidity values (typically the 99% heating and 1% cooling design temperatures for a location) used to calculate peak heating and cooling loads.

  4. What is the 'U-factor' of a building assembly?

    Answer: The overall heat transfer coefficient (inverse of total R-value) of a building assembly

    The U-factor is the overall heat transfer coefficient of a building assembly (wall, window, roof), calculated as 1 divided by the total R-value; lower U-factors indicate better insulation.

  5. What is 'infiltration' in the context of building load calculations?

    Answer: Uncontrolled air leakage into and out of a building through gaps and cracks

    Infiltration is uncontrolled air leakage through envelope gaps (around windows, doors, penetrations), which adds to heating and cooling loads depending on season.

  6. What is 'sensible heat' versus 'latent heat' in HVAC load analysis?

    Answer: Sensible heat changes air temperature; latent heat changes air moisture content without changing temperature

    Sensible heat causes a measurable temperature change, while latent heat is the energy associated with moisture (phase change) that does not change the dry-bulb temperature.