Questions About an Attic Air Handler

What Is an Air Handler?

• A central air-conditioning system has a unit installed outside, called a condenser, and a unit installed inside, called an air handler. The air handler is responsible for circulating conditioned air in your home. If you have a heat pump, the air handler circulates cool air in summer and warm air in winter. A fan forces air from the air handler through a system of ducts that deliver conditioned air to rooms in occupied spaces.

Why Install in Attics?

• When there are space constraints in the occupied areas of a house, attics are often used to house air handlers. This frees space in areas, such as closets, where air handlers are commonly installed. Since handlers and ductwork are supposed to be sealed systems, attic temperatures should not influence heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems adversely, which should make attics ideal locations. However, leaks do occur in sealed systems because of improper installation or because of deterioration over time.

What Are Some Problems?

• When ductwork in an attic leaks, the conditioned air that was intended for living spaces leaks into the attic and decreases the air handler’s efficiency, making it work overtime. If ducts are insufficiently insulated, the air handler must mitigate heating and cooling losses by running longer to maintain comfortable temperatures. Attic installations require air handlers to generate cool air in the hottest location of the house in summer and warm air in the coolest location of the house in winter.

What Are Some Solutions?

• Accurate Home Inspection Services in Pennsylvania recommends installing an air handler unit inside a closet within a home’s thermal envelope and not in an attic. If it must be installed in an attic, duct joints must be sealed and double-insulated to minimize air leaks. Return ducts must be sealed where they enter the attic. Supply ductwork must be enclosed in a soffit below the attic ceiling to run the length of a home’s center hallway.