Which is the Best Electric Air Handler for You?

Electric air handlers are the part of your HVAC system responsible for moving air to produce the temperature you set on your thermostat. Electric air handlers are also known as air handling units or AHU. They may seem simple – they consist of a fan, coils, and a filter – all put together in a box. However inside the anatomy gets complicated.

Electric air handlers are suited for both residential and commercial purposes. But their structure, shape, and size differ. Fan and blower coils are the smallest and simplest parts within the AHU. Simple AHUs may only have a single control to provide single-zone functionality. The AHU filter prevents the coils from getting dirty.

Packaged AHUs are ideal for placing on the rooftop of smaller buildings for commercial operations. These air-handling units consist of fans, coils, filters, and dampers – all in one casing. These work for delivering single-zone temperatures.

Packaged AHUs can come with large variable air volumes when multi-zones are needed (i.e. front and back of a restaurant). These range in flow rate from the smallest covering 1000 cubic feet per minute (CFM) to the largest delivering up to 30,000 CFM. The experts at A1Kelowna Heating and Cooling can advise you on what would work best for your space.

Modular AHUs are flexible in that they can be assembled at the factory or on-site. The customer chooses the individual components such as fans, coils, accessories, casings, and filters needed to best fit any space constraints and comfort standards.

Custom AHUs are available in any configuration; these can be tailor-made to suit user needs. They can be enhanced to be more sturdy or robust – ideal for institutional or industrial applications with harsh weather conditions. Custom AHUs can be built for specific performance and function. They can be designed with walkways and service areas within them, or with skid-mounted equipment like pumps or heat exchangers. Given the construction quality, custom AHUs offer the highest durability.