Commonly confused with air conditioners or furnaces, air handlers are an important part of split systems. Knowing what an air handler is, as well as how it works, can help you determine if split systems are a good fit for your home.
What is an Air Handler?
An air handler is the indoor part of a split system that circulates heated or cooled air throughout the home. Its job is solely to deliver air that has been either heated or cooled by your system throughout the home. These systems consist of evaporator coils, blower motors, filters, and, occasionally, heat strips.
While air handlers are great at circulating air throughout the home, they’re most often found in electric units. This means that if your home is heated by a furnace, for example, you won’t need an air handler. Instead, your furnace likely has its own blower within the system to circulate heated air throughout your home.
How Do Air Handler Systems Work?
Split systems have two key parts that work together in order to bring both heating and cooling to your home: the air handler, and the outdoor unit, such as a heat pump or air conditioner. The outdoor unit supplies your indoor unit, the air handler, with heated or cooled air that your air handler can then distribute evenly throughout the home.
Unlike your home’s HVAC system, your air handler is installed inside and works with your HVAC system to deliver air throughout the home.
Why Do You Need an Air Handler?
If you have or are interested in a split HVAC system, you’ll need an air handler to ensure that conditioned air reaches all areas of your home. Without an air handler, your heated and cooled air would not be able to reach all of the rooms within your home.
Replacing an Existing Air Handler
When your home’s air handler is no longer performing as it used to and it’s time to have it replaced, ensure that you contact a professional to perform the replacement. Opting to replace the system yourself can result in installing air handlers that don’t match up well with the outdoor unit. This can lead to inefficient heating and cooling, as well as serious energy bill increases.
When you get in touch with a professional, they’ll be able to match your split system as closely as possible to a new air handler. Choosing a professional for your air handler replacement can save you from frustrating and expensive mistakes.
Contact Edwards Royal Comfort for Air Handler Services
Edwards Royal Comfort knows that the world of heating, air conditioning, and indoor air quality systems can become confusing for a homeowner. That’s why we’re here to help answer any question you might have about air handlers or anything else HVAC-related. Get in touch with our team of professionals today to schedule an appointment for air handler replacement or split HVAC system installation, or to ask us any questions you may have.