Difference Between Furnace And Air Handler

Air handlers can have heating strips within their system but that is mainly used to assist the heat pump in extreme colds.

Difference between furnace and air handler. Some models also provide secondary heating and cooling parts to help out the heat pump. With the latest variable speed air. That s what makes an air handler different from a furnace. Now that you know the difference you ll want to know what you should be looking for in either.

The two main components that you should consider are efficiency and comfort level. For homes with both a furnace and central air conditioning the furnace s blower acts as the air handler for the air conditioning system. In electric furnaces this is simply a matter of the exposure of the heating elements to the open air. Air handlers tend to be paired up with heat pumps and help manage air flow throughout the building.

The primary difference between forced air and central air systems then is that central air conditioning specifically refers to a cooling system. This is why it can be confusing to tell the difference between the two. If you have a furnace you probably don t need to think about an air handler. In gas and oil furnaces the flames heat a component called the heat exchanger a sealed chamber that warms the air around it.

In fact the two systems can look so similar you may think you have an electric furnace when in actuality you have an air handler. Air handlers and furnaces aren t often found together.