Air Handlers

Air Handlers are used in conjunction with a heat pump (A heat pump consists of a heat pump and an air conditioner) (1) or in mild climates where heating is not required, an air conditioner. The air handler consists of an indoor coil and a blower.

The outside unit heats or warms the indoor coil depending on weather it is in the air conditioning or heat pump mode. The blower the blows indoor air across the coil. This conditioned air is then distributed to the rooms where it is needed.

How A Heat Pump Works

Unlike a furnace, a heat pump doesn’t burn fuel to make heat. It simply uses electricity to move heat from one place to another. A heat pump is an energy efficient way to heat your home in the winter by capturing the heat that is always present in outside air and pumping it into your home. In the summer time, a switch over valve reverses the process. It reverses the flow of refrigerant in order to pull warm air out of your home and transfer it outdoors.

Efficiency Ratings

Heating and cooling unit efficiency is rated by 3 primary methods, SEER, AFUE and HSPF. These allow you to compare the different products of different manufacturers. (All the following assumes no energy loss due to duct or other types of leakage)

SEER - Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating

Used to rate the efficiency of an air conditioner. The higher the SEER, the more efficient the air conditioner. For instance going from a 7 SEER unit to a 14 SEER unit would reduce your cooling bill by 50%.

AFUE

Stands for Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency. It is used in gas furnaces and is a measure of the efficiency of the gas furnace in converting fuel to energy. The higher the rating, the more efficient. As a rule of thumb, an 80 % efficient furnace, converts 80% of the natural gas to heat with the remaining 20% disposed of as combustion by products.

HSPF

Stands for Heating Seasonal Performance Factor. It is used as a measure of efficiency for heat pumps. The higher the number, the more efficient the heat pump.

HEATING AND COOLING - COST COMPARISON
2,500 SQUARE FT HOME - ATLANTA WEATHER

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