Having a properly working air conditioning system is always crucial whether you are at home or at your workplace. The long hot summers often bring unbearable heat, and sweat stains are not the only inconvenience that can stem from the constant swelter. We all know that the hot weather can have negative effects on our health, how can it make us sluggish and how can it have an unwanted impact on our everyday work or other routines, so installing a proper Air conditioning system is always a good idea.
The question still remains, though: Air handlers or air conditioners?
Air Handler
Air handlers contain the so-called blower, a component that moves the air throughout your home. It is usually set inside the house and does both the cooling and heating features of your system. A handler (let it may be American Standard, Goodman, Rheem or Trane air handlers) will usually resemble a furnace. They can run with either a heat pump or an air conditioner, and it contains an indoor coil that you can use to cool or heat your home, depending on which system it’s running with.
Handlers – besides the blower and the heating and cooling elements – also contain filter racks and chambers, sound attenuators and damplers.
The main thing about handlers is that if you are searching for a typical furnace or conventional air conditioning system or related services, you may never need to know what it really is because you probably won’t need one. However, if you are thinking about buying an electric heat pump, then it’s really helpful if you are familiar with air handlers because they will probably be a part of your home’s heating ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system.
Air conditioners
Air conditioners contain the condenser and are usually set outside your home. It’s a common misconception that air conditioners cool the existing air inside your home or a room. These AC systems actually pull out the heat from the room thanks to a host of pieces in the system and expel it outside. So what really makes the air cold is not the addition of cold air but the removal of the heat.
From a more technical perspective, the warm air inside the house is drawn into the AC system through return ducts, after that, the air goes over a refrigerant coil. As the system blows the warm air across the cool coil, heat is removed. These refrigerant lines then carry the heat outside. Now, all is left is the cool air you can enjoy in your home on the hottest days. Sure, the system is much more complex than the description above, but this is the easiest way to describe how to whole process works.
Conclusion
Understanding how your home’s heating and cooling systems work are pretty crucial when it comes to HVAC system maintenance. Choosing between air handlers or classic air conditioning may boil down to personal preference or your personal needs. If you don’t want to buy an electric heat pump, my might just be better off with an air conditioning system. But, if you are thinking about getting one, maybe handlers are more for you.
Whichever option you choose, ensure proper and regular maintenance, because only then will your systems work at their peak at all times.
