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Flank The side of a building or of an arch. Flapper Valve The type of valve used in refrigeration compressors which allows gaseous refrigerants to flow in only one direction. Flashing Sheet metal or other thick, impervious material used around roof and wall junctions to protect the joints from water penetration. Flashing Cement See asphalt plastic cement Flat Roof A roof with just enough slope to provide for proper drainage one with a pitch that does not exceed 20 degrees. Float Glass Glass formed by a process of floating the material on a bed of molten metal. It produces a high-optical-quality glass with parallel surfaces, without polishing and grinding. Flood Plain The land adjoining an ocean, river, stream, bay or lake which is likely to be flooded. Extra care must be taken to install outside heating/cooling equipment in these areas. Floor The total horizontal surface of a room or building. Floor Furnace A metal, box-like warm-air furnace installed directly under the floor so that its grilled upper surface is flush with the finished floor of the room above. Floor Joists Horizontal framing member to which flooring is attached. Flow Hood A device that measures airflow quantity Flue A passageway in a chimney for conveying smoke, gases or fumes to the outside air. Any vent or passageway that carries the products of combustion from a furnace. Flue Gas The air exiting from a chimney after combustion and venting from the burner. Flue Lining The tile or pipe inside a chimney. Flute Allows the transfer of liquid refrigerant from the condenser back to the evaporator. Flute Frosting A problem associated with rapid movement of liquid refrigerant at low temperatures from the condenser to the evaporator, causing frost to form on the flute. Fogging A deposit of contamination left on the inside surface of a sealed insulating glass unit due to extremes of temperatures or failed seals. Footing A masonry section, usually concrete, in a rectangular form wider than the bottom of the foundation wall or pier supports. Forced Air Heating and or cooling system that connects to the conditioned space with duct-work that uses air as the moving fluid. The heating or cooling can come from any number of sources. Fouled Tubes Debris or substance which impedes flow or heat transfer. Fouling can be caused by trash, chip scale "flash corrosion", microbio, etc. Foundation That upon which anything is built Foyer An entrance hall in a house. Frame The fixed frame of a window which holds the sash or casement as well as hardware. The load-bearing skeleton of a building. Free Oil "Free" or floating oil on top of a liquid with a higher specific gravity. Free-Tab Shingles Shingles that do not contain factory-applied strips or spots of self-sealing adhesive. French Doors Or Windows A pair of glazed doors that are hinged at the jamb and function as both doors and windows. Freon A trade name for a group of nontoxic, nonflammable refrigerants used in air-conditioning systems. Frieze A horizontal trim piece immediately below the cornice soffit. Front The primary face of a structure, particularly that which contains the principal entrance. Full House Fan A large fan normally located in the ceiling between the top floor and the attic. It is used to pull air through a building to cool it. Full Load Design Design refers to full load conditions. Full load is a chiller running at 100% load capacity, 85°F ECWT, 42-46°F leaving chill water temperature and is the rating of the manufacturer. Fungi A group of organisms that lack chlorophyll, including molds, mildews, yeasts, mushrooms. They receive their nutrition from decomposing organic matter. Some cause disease in humans. These fungi often live in damp conditions within buildings and can produce polluting micro toxins, which are harmful to humans. Furnace That part of the heating system in which the combustion of fossil fuel and transfer of heat occurs. Furring Strips of wood or metal applied to a wall or other surface to even it and normally to serve as a fastening base for finish material. Fuse Safety device in an electric circuit designed to blow or open and stop flow of electricity when current exceeds a predetermined safe amount. A metal strip in an electrical circuit that melts and breaks the circuit when excessive current flows through it. The fuse is designed to break in order to save more expensive electrical components. Fuse Box The container housing the fuses that control the electrical circuits of a structure. Gable The upper portion of a sidewall that comes to a triangular point at the ridge of a sloping roof. Gable Roof A double-sloped roof from the ridge to the eaves the end section appears as an inverted V. Gable Stud A stud which is a component of the framing of the gable end of the framing of the gable end of a structure. Galvanic Action Corrosion action between two metals of different electronic activity. The action is increased in the presence of moisture. GAMA An acronym for Gas Appliance Manufacturers Association. Gambrel Roof A type of roof containing two sloping planes of different pitch on each side of the ridge. The lower plane has a steeper slope than the upper. Contains a gable at each end. Garden Apartments An apartment development of two- or three-story, walk up structures built in a garden-like setting customarily a suburban or rural-urban fringe development. Gas The vapor phase or state of a substance. |