Can you mix heat pump and air handler?

A heat pump that uses one and an air handling unit that uses the other cannot work together.

How does an air handler work with a heat pump?

In heating mode, the air handler works in reverse, acting as a heat pump. It draws in cool air from the home, blows it across the warm evaporator coil, and then blows the heated air throughout the home. The cooled refrigerant travels to the outdoor heat pump, which warms it up again using outdoor heat.

Can you run a heat pump without a compressor?

Its job is to pump the lifeblood of your heat pump (aka, refrigerant) throughout the system. Without a compressor, you’ve got a dead heat pump that can’t provide cool or warm air.

Where should a heat pump condenser be installed?

Typically, the best location for a heat pump condenser is a shady area, away from direct sunlight. The condenser also needs to be installed directly on the side of or behind the home, away from any shrubbery or vegetation (which could interfere with airflow.)

Can you mix air handler and condenser?

If you combine a condensing unit with an air handler (or furnace) it wasn’t designed to work with, in the best case the result will be reduced operating efficiency. In the worst case, the mismatched system may not work at all. Or, it may appear to run initially and then fail after a short time.

Do I need an air handler with a heat pump?

If you are in the market for a new HVAC system, and you are considering a conventional gas furnace and air conditioner, you most likely will not need an air handler. On the other hand, if you are considering an electric heat pump, an air handler will probably be part of your purchase.

How do you wire a heat pump to an air handler?

Quote from the video:
Quote from Youtube video: So it's a complete circuit. So you have your your r touching y here it gets connected. Here your indoor air handler it comes out to the heat pump goes into the defrost.

How does a heat pump and furnace work together?

A furnace creates heat that is distributed throughout a home, but a heat pump absorbs heat energy from the outside air (even in cold temperatures) and transfers it to the indoor air.

What is the difference between an air handler and a condenser?

The condensing unit aka “the air conditioner” is found outside the home. A condenser’s major components are a compressor and a condenser coil. Instead of blowing conditioned air throughout the home like the air handler does, an air conditioner’s main function is to remove heat from within the home.

Where should an outdoor condensing unit not be located?

The condenser should always go outside of your home and not in an attic, basement, garage, or crawl space.

How far should condensing unit be from house?

The general rule of thumb is to have at least one foot (or 12 inches) of clearance on each side of your air conditioner. Your air conditioner’s manufacturer may have specific clearance recommendations, but they’ll generally recommend between 12 and 24 inches.

Why you should not install a heat pump in your attic?

Heat pumps can only operate to a certain point before they are no longer capable of providing the heating that the home needs; if you locate the part of the system that distributes the hot air to your home in the attic, it will lose its effectiveness much faster than if the unit was properly located within the heated …

Where should you not put a heat pump?

Outdoor Heat Pump Unit



Keep it directly on the side of or behind the home, and don’t place it too close to any shrubbery or vegetation (this can easily create airflow problems).

How far should heat pump be from house?

When installing a heat pump, you need a clearance of an average of 12 to 24 inches (one to two feet) in all directions, but you can place it as far away as 100 feet from the house.

How much wall space do you need for a heat pump?

Professional air conditioning installation experts always recommend installing outdoor heat pumps about two feet (24 inches) away from walls and other obstructions, including plants and shrubs, rocks and other such things. Doing this allows the condenser to work efficiently without putting extra stress on the unit.

How high should a heat pump be off the ground?

4 to 8 inches

Heat Pumps should be elevated 4 to 8 inches above ground level to keep coils clear of snow and ice and to allow for proper drainage.

What size heat pump do I need for a 1500 square foot house?

For a 1,500 sq ft home, you would need about 45,000 BTU heat pump. Let’s convert that to tons and kWs; that’s 3.75 tons (about 4 tons) and about 13 kW. In short, you would need about a 4-ton mini-split heat pump for a 1,500 sq ft home.

What size heat pump do I need for a 2000 square foot house?

Heat pump size guide

Home size (in square feet) Heat pump size (in tons) Heat pump size (in BTUs)
1,000 square feet 2 tons 24,000 BTUs
1,500 square feet 3 tons 36,000 BTUs
2,000 square feet 4 tons 48,000 BTUs
2,500 square feet 5 tons 60,000 BTUs

Is it better to oversize or undersize a heat pump?

Overall, an undersized heat pump is better than an oversized one. An undersized heat pump will take longer to change the temperature. But, the unit won’t be as loud and will last longer. An oversized heat pump will turn on and off more frequently, which will use more electricity.

How many square feet does a 3.5 ton heat pump cover?

Heat Pump by the Ton

Heat Pump Size Square footage forHot Climate(Zone 1&2) Square footage forWarm Climate(Zone 3)
2.5 ton 1,000-1,300 sq ft 1,200-1,500 sq ft
3 ton 1,300-1,600 sq ft 1,500-1,800 sq ft
3.5 ton 1,600-1,800 sq ft 1,800-2,000 sq ft
4 ton 1,800-2,000 sq ft 2,000-2,400 sq ft