A hydronic air handler is a blower cabinet containing a hot-water coil that heats a home's air using water from a boiler or high-output water heater instead of a gas burner. A pump circulates hot water through the coil, and the blower pushes air across it and through the ductwork, delivering forced-air heat without combustion in the cabinet.
Why it matters to you
In Lower Mainland homes and townhomes where space or venting is tight, a hydronic air handler lets one gas appliance handle both space heating and domestic hot water. It can also be paired with a cooling coil or heat pump for summer comfort.
Practical guidance
Keep the air handler's filter changed on schedule and have the coil, pump, and water-side components inspected along with the boiler or water heater that supplies them. Ask whether the system's water heater is sized for both heating and household hot water demand.