Please upgrade your browser to receive the best experience on this website.
Provo, Utah
  • Alpine
  • American Fork
  • Eagle Mountain
  • Helper
  • Herber City
  • Lehi
  • Lindon
  • Mapleton
  • Midway
  • Nephi
  • Orem
  • Payson
  • Pleasant Grove
  • Provo
  • Salem
  • Santaquin
  • Saratoga Springs
  • Spanish Fork
  • Springville
  • Wellington
Contact Us
Chat With Us
jobs
Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning Logo
  • Heating
    • Heating
    • Boilers
    • Furnaces & Air Handlers
    • Furnace Maintenance
    • Furnace Repair Service
    • Furnace Sales & Installation
    • Heat Pumps & Packaged Systems
    • Mini-Split Systems
  • Air Conditioning
    • Air Conditioning
    • AC Repair
    • AC Prices
    • AC Sales & Installation
    • AC Maintenance
    • Solar AC
    • AC Products
    • Heat Pumps & Packaged Systems
    • Mini-Split Systems
  • Plumbing
    • Plumbing
    • Boiler Repair
    • Drain Cleaning
    • Garbage Disposal
    • Gas Lines
    • Leak Detection and Repair
    • Sump Pumps
    • Water Heaters
    • Tank Water Heaters
    • Tankless Water Heaters
    • Water Filters
    • Water Heater Replacement
    • Water Heater Repair
    • Water Softeners
  • Advantage Program
    • Advantage Program
    • Heating & Air Conditioning
    • Water Heater
  • Commercial
    • Commercial
    • Financing Options
    • Products & Equipment
    • Service & Installation
    • Maintenance
    • Expert Planned Service Agreement
    • Free Consultation
  • Other Services
    • Other Services
    • Attic Insulation
    • Duct Cleaning
    • Heat Pumps
    • Indoor Air Quality
    • Serving All Makes & Models
  • Special Offers
  • Financing
  • Service Plans
  • Blog
  • About Us
  • FAQs
801-396-0637
801-396-0637
Schedule Online
Blog

Air conditioner versus air handler: what's the difference?

Published on April 16, 2015
AC-VS-Air-Handler.png

Whether it’s AC repair or total AC system replacement, there are a number of terms within the HVAC industry that can get puzzling for homeowners. Not to mention all of the different pieces of heating and air conditioning equipment that can be used to improve your home’s energy efficiency and air quality. Of course we can’t talk about all of the variations in a single blog post, so we’ll take a look at one of the more common inquiries we see at Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning: what’s the difference between an air conditioner and an air handler?

Air Handlers

An air handler contains the equipment that moves the air throughout your home, called the blower. It is normally located inside the home and works with both the heating and cooling parts of your HVAC system. If you take a quick peep at an air handler, it may closely resemble a furnace. Air handlers can operate with an air conditioner and contains the indoor coil, used to cool and heat your home depending on which system it’s running with.

Air handler vs Heat Pump

Similar to how an air handler works with an air conditioner, an air handler works together with your heat pump. Heat pumps are used to heat and cool you home by transferring heat, rather than generating it, and the air handler assists in moving all that heated or cooled air.

Air handler vs blower

Air handlers are not blowers. This puzzles some of our customers, but it's not too hard to understand and we're happy to explain the difference. An air handler includes the blower, and several other parts in the unit. You may have dampers, filters, mixing chambers and more in an air handler. The blower is just one piece of the pie.

Here’s what you should know about air handlers: if you’re looking for a conventional furnace or air conditioner, you’ll more than likely never need to know what an air handler is because it’s feasible that you won’t need one. However, if you’re in the market for an electric heat pump, it’s helpful to know that an air handler will probably be a part of your home’s HVAC system.

Air Handler vs. Furnace

Air handlers and furnaces aren't often found together. If you have a furnace you won't need to worry about an air handler. Air handlers tend to be paired up with heat pumps and help manage air flow throughout the home. Some air handlers also provide secondary heating and cooling elements to help out the heat pump. A furnace works on a different concept. Instead of an air handler, furnaces have their own blowers that move the warmed air into your ductwork and disperse throughout your home. Since furnaces have combustion chambers and make heat, they don't need some of the parts you'll find in a modern air handler.

Air Conditioners

Air conditioners contain the condenser and are typically situated outside the home. One of the most common misunderstandings about air conditioners is that they cool the existing air in your home. Air conditioners actually take heat from inside your home through a host of pieces inside your system and expel it outside. The removal of heat is what makes the air feel cool, not the addition of cold air.

The warm air inside your home is drawn into the system through return ducts and then pass over a refrigerant coil. As the warm air is blown across the cooled coil, heat is removed. Refrigerant lines then carry the heat outside. Now you’re left with cool, comfortable indoor air that you can enjoy on the hottest of days. And that’s pretty much it. Sure, the equipment is more intricate than that, but the process itself is easy to break down and comprehend.

Understanding all of your home’s heating and cooling pieces for the Provo climate is probably a little idealistic, but there are a number of things that can be helpful to you as a homeowner. If you’d like more information about your current system and whether an air handler or air conditioner is right for your home, give the pros at Service Experts a call at 801-396-0637 or set up a free appointment online today.

Contact Us
Free HVAC for Dummies Book! Learn about air conditioners!
Serving These Communities and More
  • Alpine
  • American Fork
  • Eagle Mountain
  • Helper
  • Herber City
  • Lehi
  • Lindon
  • Mapleton
  • Midway
  • Nephi
  • Orem
  • Payson
  • Pleasant Grove
  • Provo
  • Salem
  • Santaquin
  • Saratoga Springs
  • Spanish Fork
  • Springville
  • Wellington
Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning
222 North Draper LaneProvo, Utah 84601
Sales and Service: 801-396-0637
Employment Inquiries: 801-374-1810
Email: provo@serviceexperts.com
8114026-5501
About Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning
Service Experts Heating and Air Conditioning was established on the basis of offering customers with the best heating and cooling practices in the industry. Since it started, Service Experts in Provo has been focused on community, providing the finest HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning) products and services in the area. If you want more information about your regional HVAC leaders, give us a call at 801-396-0637 or set up an appointment with us using our online form.
Read More
Search Jobs at Service Experts
Sign Up for Deals
Get great advice to help you keep your home comfortable as well as the latest news and offers from Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning.
Required
Required
Required Not a valid email
Receive Newsletter
© 2019 Service Experts LLC. Service Experts and the Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning logo and design are registered or common law trademarks of Service Experts LLC. All Rights Reserved.
*Not applicable to the Advantage Program. See your signed Advantage program Agreement for full details and exclusions. 100% Satisfaction Guarantee is subject to certain restrictions and limitations as set forth in the applicable Terms and Conditions.
Expert Service for All HVAC Brands and Models
  • Lennox
  • Mitsubishi
  • Fresh-Aire UV
  • Honeywell
  • Excalibur
  • DiversiTech
  • Advantage Program Credit Application
  • Jobs
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service
  • Sitemap
  • TOP