Difference Between Furnace And Air Handler

Some models also provide secondary heating and cooling parts to help out the heat pump.

Difference between furnace and air handler. If you have a furnace you probably don t need to think about an air handler. The two main components that you should consider are efficiency and comfort level. In gas and oil furnaces the flames heat a component called the heat exchanger a sealed chamber that warms the air around it. Now that you know the difference you ll want to know what you should be looking for in either.

Air handlers tend to be paired up with heat pumps and help manage air flow throughout the building. With the latest variable speed air. Air quality to maintain air quality both furnaces and air handlers have filters that capture dust and other impurities out of the air. In electric furnaces this is simply a matter of the exposure of the heating elements to the open air.

For homes with both a furnace and central air conditioning the furnace s blower acts as the air handler for the air conditioning system. Air handlers can have heating strips within their system but that is mainly used to assist the heat pump in extreme colds. That s what makes an air handler different from a furnace. This is why it can be confusing to tell the difference between the two.

The primary difference between forced air and central air systems then is that central air conditioning specifically refers to a cooling system. Air handlers and furnaces aren t often found together.