Air Conditioner vs Air Handler

There are many parts to an air conditioning system. Two of the major components of the system are the air conditioning unit, which the system is named after, and the air handler. Although there are some systems in which these two components are housed in the same unit, very often they are separated, one on the inside of the house and the other on the outside. But what is the difference between the air conditioning unit and the air handling unit?

The air conditioning system is named after the air conditioning unit because it is here where the air is cooled. The air conditioner uses a simple refrigeration cycle to chill the air. This requires a condenser, which is the main part of the air conditioning unit. But once the air is chilled, it is up to the air handler to distribute it throughout the home or office space. For some home air conditioning systems, the air handling is part of the same unit as the air conditioner, but often the two are separated. Thus, the air conditioner chills the air, and the air handler collects that chilled air in order to distribute it.

Air conditioning units where the condenser coils are housed are usually on the outside of the home so that the heat pulled from the air through the refrigeration cycle can dissipate into the outside environment. On the other hand, the air handler will often be on the inside of the home, centrally located somewhere so that it can distribute chilled air and at the same time collect air to be treated from within the home.

That collected air should be filtered, so it’s often the case that the intake register will be close to the air handler, or sometimes be part of its housing. Inside, fans circulate air, drawing air in through the filtered return register, sending that air to the air conditioning unit outside, and then drawing it back inside to be distributed throughout the house, through the ducts and eventually the vents that service each room.

You might think of the air handler as the heart of the air conditioning system that pumps air here and there. In this analogy, the air conditioning unit treats the air to prepare it to be pumped back into the house, just as the lungs give oxygen to the blood to be pumped through the body. Both parts of the system are very important, and both need to be checked and serviced regularly. At All Day Air Cooling and Heating, our trained technicians can help you maintain and repair all parts of the Air Conditioning System, including the air handler. Be sure to call today: (239) 357-0727.