What is an Air Handler?
What is an Air Handler?
Air handlers are components that work with your home’s heating and cooling system. They are usually installed along with a heat pump or air conditioner.
These systems move air throughout your house to keep you comfortable at all times. They can be all-electric, or use a gas furnace as an additional source of heat.
Cooling
Air handlers are an important part of your home’s HVAC system. They work in conjunction with air conditioners and heat pumps to circulate conditioned air through your home.
An air handler is a metal cabinet that contains a fan motor and blower. It also has an evaporator coil that conditions and recirculates conditioned air.
It contains filters to keep treated air from becoming clogged with dirt and debris. This keeps the evaporator coil clean and prevents it from accumulating dust, which can affect the performance of your AC unit.
Depending on your heating and cooling systems, you may not need an air handler. For example, if you have a furnace that includes a filter, blower, and fan, you don’t need an air handler.
If you aren’t sure whether an air handler is right for your system, have a professional evaluate it. A technician can look at the size of your heating and cooling system as well as the dimensions of your home to determine if an air handler is the best fit.
Heating
Heating is the process or equipment involved in generating heat and keeping a building warm. This is often done with a furnace that uses oil, gas, or electricity to burn.
A furnace creates and distributes this heat through its blower, which essentially circulates the air throughout the home. This means that a furnace will typically not require an air handler.
However, air handlers may work in conjunction with heat pumps to transport hot air into the house. These types of appliances are more efficient and can be a better alternative to furnaces for some homes.
Whether you need an air handler or not will depend on your system type, size of your home, and temperature of the area you live in. You can also consider the energy efficiency standards set by the US Energy Information Administration for heating and cooling systems in different regions.
Ventilation
Ventilation refers to the process of bringing new, fresh air into a building. It is essential to the health and safety of residents and for preserving the building’s structures.
The air handler in an HVAC system works with the outdoor condenser or heat pump to make cooling and heating cycles happen. It contains a coil, a fan, and the controls required to operate an air conditioning system.
When in cooling mode, the indoor air handler draws warm, moist air from the home and blows it across the cold evaporator coil to remove heat. It then blows the cooled air throughout the ductwork of the home.
The captured heat is then transferred to the outdoor condenser or heat pump where it is dissipated, and the refrigerant returns to the evaporator coil for another cycle. In heating mode, the air handler draws cool, dry air from the home and blows it across a warm evaporator coil. The captured heat is then transferred to the outdoor heat pump, which uses outdoor heat to warm the refrigerant.
Controls
An air handler is the indoor component of a split system that delivers warm or cool air through ductwork that connects to an outdoor unit (a condenser or heat pump). It may be located in an attic, basement or a dedicated closet.
A blower motor moves air through the ducts, while an evaporator coil helps to cool your home by removing humidity from indoor air that passes over it. Other electronic and electrical components do the rest to provide a more comfortable experience.
The best way to describe an air handler is to say that it’s a big air pump with some smart features. One of the most impressive parts is a fan monitoring control that tells the blower fan which direction to turn. Another clever trick is a patented heat transfer device that uses a fan and heat exchanger to cool your room temperature while minimizing the amount of electricity used. In the end, the most important thing to remember is that an air handler can make your home feel more comfortable while reducing energy costs and your carbon footprint.
Batesville Electric Heating & Air
https://www.batesvilleelectric.com/ACRepair
What is an Air Handler? Air handlers are components that work with your home’s heating and cooling system. They are usually installed along with a heat pump or air conditioner. These systems move air throughout your house to keep you comfortable at all times. They can be all-electric, or use a gas furnace as an…