Service, Tri-Cities
Air Handlers: replacement, repair and care
Installation, replacement, repair and maintenance of the indoor unit that moves the air, sized to your ducts and your outdoor unit.
Chapter 01
What goes wrong indoors
The air handler is the indoor half of the system: a blower, a coil and a cabinet that moves conditioned air through the ducts. When it fails, the symptoms are easy to feel. Rooms get weak airflow, or the house is hotter or colder than the thermostat says, or something clanks in the closet at night. A worn blower motor or a failing capacitor is often behind it.
Two quieter problems do just as much harm. A dirty evaporator coil cuts airflow and can let the coil freeze. A blocked condensate drain backs water into the pan, and in a Richland or Pasco summer that can mean a stained ceiling before anyone notices. Both are worth checking whenever a technician opens the cabinet.
The Air-Tech shop at 325 N Oregon Ave in Pasco, with Trane and Mitsubishi Electric signs beside the Air-Tech sign
How a replacement is sized
A new air handler should be matched to the outdoor unit it works with, to the duct system it feeds and to the house, not copied off the old nameplate. Before any job starts, the team takes the measurements: the size of the home, the duct layout and the capacity of the equipment outside. A unit that is too big short cycles, and one that is too small never catches up.
That is also where the honest conversation happens. If the fault is a motor, the team says so and repairs it. If the cabinet, the coil and the blower are all near the end, they say that too. Air-Tech works on every brand, including air handlers it did not install, and it recommends the right unit rather than the most expensive one.
Chapter 03
How long one lasts
The rule of thumb is around 15 years when maintained, and the maintenance is what earns those years. A clean filter, a clean coil and a clear drain keep the blower from straining and keep moisture out of the cabinet. Neglect the same parts and an air handler can give out well short of that mark.
Watch for the signs of the end: repairs coming closer together, airflow that never quite recovers after a cleaning, water around the base, or a blower that is loud on every start. When you see them, call Air-Tech at (509) 392-2021 for an assessment. The team works from the Pasco shop and serves the whole Tri-Cities.
Licensed and insured. WA contractor licence AIRTESF899MN. Oregon CCB 228495. Call (509) 392-2021.