Air handlers and furnaces aren't often found in the same home in Gaithersburg. If you rely on a furnace, you most likely shouldn’t need to spend time thinking about an air handler.
Air handlers are often linked with heat pumps and control airflow around your home. Some models also offer backup heating and cooling parts to help the heat pump.
A furnace heats in a different way by pushing warm air into your vents, which circulate it throughout your home. Because furnaces rely on combustion chambers to make warmth, they don't need some of the components you'll spot in a normal air handler.