Heating and air systems have many components which function together to deliver comfort to your home. For heating, the air handler is an important component of a heat pump system which delivers warm air throughout your home.
Learn how air handlers function with heating and air systems and see why this equipment is so vital to the heating process. If you have questions or need service for your Birmingham, Alabama-area home’s air handler, call Douglas Cooling & Heating today.
What Is an Air Handler in an HVAC System?
An air handler looks very similar to a gas furnace, except these two pieces of equipment function quite differently. Like a furnace, it uses a blower and fan to circulate air into the home.
While air handlers are available with supplemental heating, their primary use is not to generate heat, like a furnace.
Air handlers pair with split system air conditioners or heat pumps. Their main function is to circulate the conditioned air into your home. It connects to the home’s duct system to circulate air. The air handler is the indoor component of the split system and is paired with the outdoor component.
Air handlers look like a big metal box similar to a furnace. They contain a blower, filter compartment, heating or cooling elements, sound attenuators and dampers.
Do I Need an Air Handler for my Heating and Air System?
If your Birmingham, AL area home is equipped with a heat pump, an air handler is a must. The air handler’s job is to move air heated by the heat pump into your home for warmth – without it, your heat pump really wouldn’t do you much good.
New air handler technology offers features such as variable speed blower motors to adjust air speeds and save energy based on your home’s heating needs. This helps you cut heating energy consumption.
Air handlers improve air circulation in the home, benefitting indoor air quality. With an air handler paired with your heat pump, you’ll experience fewer pollutants and allergens inside your living areas.
As a result, your family breathes easier and copes with fewer respiratory illnesses.
Matching Air Handlers for Heating and Air
For best performance and efficiency, indoor and outdoor split system units should be properly matched. These heating and air components are designed to work together, and when one unit isn’t the right fit for the other, performance and efficiency will suffer.
It’s always smart to replace your air handler and your outdoor unit at the same time to ensure a matched heating and air system.
If you purchase a new high-efficiency air handler and do not replace the outdoor heat pump or air conditioner, your new air handler will not offer the efficiency levels you expect.
Non-matching units create more operating stress on the system, driving up energy costs, increasing wear and tear, and causing earlier breakdowns.
Heating and Air Professionals in Birmingham
Get the right air handler your heating and air system needs when you work with Douglas Cooling & Heating. Our NATE-certified technicians are happy to answer any air handler questions you may have.
We want to help you find a perfectly matched heating and air system to deliver the comfort your household needs. So, are you ready to get comfortable? Call Douglas!
