Reasons to Consider a Variable-Speed Air Handler for Your A/C

Air-conditioning technology has progressed greatly in recent years, with the main goal being better energy efficiency and comfort. One of the main technological innovations is variable-speed technology in HVAC air handlers and blowers. This goes hand-in-hand with multi-stage operation in furnaces and A/C compressors.

Variable-Speed Air Handler

The air handler in a split-system air conditioner or heat pump circulates air inside your home. In climates with cold winters like in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions, the furnace blower often serves as the air handler for the A/C. The air handler blows air across the evaporator coil to extract heat and humidity from the inside air. Before variable-speed technology entered the picture, air handlers and blowers always operated at a single speed — 100 percent. This meant that during hot days they would cycle on and off frequently (also called short-cycling).

A variable-speed air handler adapts its operation to the real-time conditions in your home. When it first kicks on, it typically will run at full blast until the thermostat temperature has been achieved. At that point, the air handler will ratchet back to a more continuous, slower speed.

Benefits of Variable-Speed Operation

• Energy efficiency — Continuous low-level operation not only saves energy over the full-go, stop-and-start operation of a traditional blower motor; the technology behind the variable-speed air handler is inherently more efficient.
• Better comfort — Continuous operation provides improved air circulation in the home.
• Quiet — Continuous low-level operation is quieter than an A/C that short-cycles with a traditional blower motor.
• Improved air filtration and humidity control — With variable-speed operation, your A/C is running more often, which means the air is circulating through the air filter and any dehumidification equipment more often.

All of the benefits of variable-speed operation that apply to home cooling also apply to furnace operation in the winter.

At Sobieski Services, Inc., we strive to help our customers in Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland and New Jersey learn more about energy and home comfort issues — especially involving HVAC and plumbing — so they can save money and live in healthier, more comfortable homes.