No. Heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) is decidedly not the same as plumbing, which deals with delivery of potable water into and waste water and effluent away from a building or home, among other tasks. There is some overlapping of skills and equipment.

HVAC, which stands for Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning, is an all-encompassing term when it comes to talking about your heating and cooling system in its entirety. While the world of HVAC might seem complicated, it doesn't have to be confusing for homeowners. Let's break down the basics.

So the answer to this question is: although the term “air conditioning” describes two different types of cooling, it has long since become synonymous with comfort cooling in everyday speech. In that regard, comfort cooling is indeed the same as air conditioning.

Heat load – Typically, comfort cooling systems need to remove a smaller amount of heat produced by human occupancy or office equipment, while industrial process cooling systems must remove heat generated by machinery and other processes, which can be much higher.