My central air quit cooling and originally they wre replacing the coil, now they're replacing the "air handler
Question:I promise I'm not a ditz, but because I just purchased the home, and a home warranty it covering it, I want to make sure they do everything they need to do. The contractor came out and said there was a leak in the coil, it was 10 SEER and now will need to be replace with a 13 SEER. He also said that it looked like my heating element was laying on the bottom of the furnace. Now they're replacing the "air handler". When I spoke to the contractor and asked about the heating element in furnace and the new air handler, he said the air handler is the furnace. So does the handler contain the heathing element and the coil? Everything I've found online speaks about the air handler as related to the cooling system. This guy isn't leaving my with a broken heating element to get another visit out of me come fall is he?
Answers:
the evaporator coil or a-coil and the electric heating elements are all part of the air handler...they should be able to just fix the element as it has a small hole on the backside of air handler that holds it up on most units...this should not be a reason to replace air handler as this is very easy to fix, unless the unit has rusted down very badly.he should also be able to put a 13 seer a-coil in the air handler you have...
You are using terms that are a little confusing. The parts of an AC system are the compressor, the coiled unit that sits outside, and the evaporator, that is in the plenum, the large ducts next to the furnace, if you have a furnace or air handler if you don't. When replacing the compressor, the evaporator needs to be changed too and vice versa because they work together. A heating element is not part of a normal AC system. If you have one usually its because you have a heat pump not AC or you live in a very mild climate and need very little heat.
Sounds to me like they got into the air handler/furnace and found more problems than just a bad coil. Now they are replacing the entire unit due to economics.
Air handler, inside unit, furnace, blah, blah. People call them differnt things in different areas of the country. Basically it's a box that contains a blower motor, evaporator coil, and any heating elements or gas burners options to provide heat.
Sometimes they are two boxes stacked (screwed together) on top of each other. In that case, some people refer to the unit with blower motor in it as the "air handler" and the unit with heating elements or gas burner in it as the "furnace".
If your getting a new unit you should be just fine. If he was going to screw you, he wouldn't have messed with the heating elements in the summer. He would have just tucked them out of the way and waited for you to call again in the winter to more $ out of you. Don't let the wording confuse you. He sounds like he knows what he's doing.
Sounds like at the very least, you are getting a new evaporator coil and furnace. The only component left that could be replaced in your system is the condensing unit / heat pump that sits outside. Unless of course, they are replacing the evap coil AND condensing unit. Then I would say you are in a good place, as you'll have an entirely new heating and air-conditioning system for the most part. Hopefully they are replacing your copper line set also, since the system wouldn't hold it's charge in the first place.
air handler is another term for fan blower.
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