Hey Ed, what is the difference between an air handler, a fan coil, and a furnace?

In this edition of "Hey Ed," Ed discusses the differences between air handlers, fan coils, and furnaces.

Hey Ed, what is the difference between an air handler, a fan coil, and a furnace? I like that question very much because this is one of those things that at times can be confusing. I am an advocate for using a term such as an outdoor unit, not a condenser, an indoor coil, not an evaporator, because in this day and age of moving everything to heat pumps, it can get confusing. So if we say outdoor section, indoor section, it becomes much simpler. The same thing can be said when we are talking about a fan coil or a furnace. They are two individual things. A furnace is just that. Generally it is going to burn a fossil fuel, not only, but you can have an electric furnace so you got me there. But when we deal with a fan coil, that is going to be what many people will refer to as an air handler. And the reason that there is a distinction when it comes from me, especially as of late, is if you look in code language, they will use the term air handler and that can mean both a furnace and a fan coil. I think you should know the difference and I think you should start using it. And that is the way I see it.