Have you ever asked yourself, "How do air handling units work?" If you haven't, we get it. Most people don't spend much time thinking about heating and air stuff. They push a button, and the air comes on. It works, so they go on about their day. But if you're curious, then read on, because it's knowledge time!
It's a Big Fan, right?
Yeah, kind of.
An air handling unit is pretty much just a big fan that blows air around the house. We could use sophisticated-sounding industry terminology and throw some scientific terms about, but, basically, that's it.
Now, that's not to undersell its importance! An air handling unit is a critical piece of many home HVAC systems. After all, it's the big fan responsible for moving the air around the building, and that's what actually makes interior living comfortable in any season.
The Big Fan Motor
Inside an air handling unit is a
blower powered by an electric motor. As you might suspect, the motor activates the blower when the air handling unit needs to shift air, hot or cold, around the house. There are many different kinds of blowers and motors, but they all do this basic job. If you're in the market for a new air handler, make sure you get one with a good blower and motor.
More Than Just Blowing
Many air handling units feature integrated
evaporator coils to work in a split system. Split systems are very common. Basically, a split system has an interior and exterior components that work in unison to heat or cool or both. An air handling unit with an evaporator coil forms the interior half and it's responsible for transferring heat to the exterior condenser or, in some cases, vice versa.
Anything Else?
Many air handling units come with internal mounts for
electric heat kits. If you want some auxiliary heat for winter, most air handlers give you the option. They tend not to be highly efficient, so don't consider this as a replacement for conventional winter heating.
Now you know how to answer, "How do air handling units work?" Or at least you should. You were paying attention, right? If you weren't, let us know in the comments.
