Serving Carrollton, TX & Surrounding Areas 
Heat pumps and other heating and cooling devices are equipped with many unique parts that must work together to evenly distribute warm air throughout your home. Among the most important of these components is the fan coil unit, which helps regulate the temperature of your home’s indoor air. If you need to have a new fan coil installed in your home, there are many different types to choose from.
What Is a Fan Coil?
Fan coils are traditional heating and cooling devices that provide comfort to homeowners. These systems can come with a painted metal cabinet that fills a certain space or as a recessed unit.
While there are numerous types of fan coils that we can install in your home, the three primary configurations include parallel along your ceiling, low along your wall, and upward along the height of your wall. A fan coil consists of a fan and a heat exchanger. It’s a primary component in a heat pump and outside air conditioner units and is usually connected to a home with the use of a thermostat and ductwork.
How Does a Fan Coil Work?
When a fan coil has been installed in your home, it will help the heat pump supply conditioned air to a zone or room in your home. The three main components of a fan coil are a fan section, a filter, and a heat exchanger. The fan implements forced convection through the heat exchanger, which is how warm air is circulated into your home.
An individual zone thermostat will be coupled directly with the coil’s main fan speed controller, which means that the thermostat will control the speed of this fan. Well-designed units are able to maintain low air pressure drops, which lowers the fan power requirements while also boosting efficiency for quiet operation.
If the fan coil is also equipped with a cooling coil, a drain pan will be included to make sure that condensate is captured. Fan coils are always installed near the interior space so that the air can be conditioned without the need for ample amounts of ductwork.
Fan coil units can be exposed or concealed. If exposed, it could be freestanding, ceiling-mounted, or wall-mounted. These systems usually come with an enclosure that will protect the unit.
As for concealed fan coils, they are often installed in a ceiling. The supply air diffuser is ducted to the fan coil unit, which allows for more flexibility depending on your ceiling layout. The coil will add heat to the air via a heat transfer technique.
If your fan coil unit also comes with a cooling coil, this can be used to dehumidify the air stream that enters the unit. If a fan coil unit is linked to a ducted air conditioning unit, it will use refrigerant within the cooling coil as opposed to chilled coolant.
While fan coil units only have three main components, they are made from many different parts that must work together for conditioned air to be correctly distributed in your home. For instance, the access panel is a removable section of the unit that provides you with access to the system’s electrical and mechanical components.
The fan is a multi-bladed rotor that’s kept fully enclosed to ensure that all air from the inlet is compressed. Most fan coils are encased in a sheet metal box where the components are secured. The coil is a heat exchanger that circulates liquid to cool down or heat up your indoor air.
The majority of fan coils come with a drain pain and filter rack, the latter of which is a space where an air filter can be placed. As for the system’s motor, this is an electrical component that turns the fan assembly.
Different Types of Fan Coils
Each home comes with its own distinct characteristics, which are accommodated by the many types of fan coils available to you. The different types of fan coils include everything from variable-speed fan coils to performance fan coils. At Dring Air Conditioning & Heating, we can help you choose the system that’s the right fit for your home.
Variable-speed fan coils are designed with maximum efficiency in mind. They deliver consistent temperatures and smooth airflow. Because of the different speeds available with this fan, you’ll benefit from better humidity management. This fan coil has the FV4C designation.
Compact fan coils are made to provide homeowners with a more space-saving design. You can pair a compact fan coil with a heat pump or outdoor air conditioner. These systems are outfitted with multi-speed blower motors and space for an air filter to be installed. This fan coil has the FB4C designation.
Multi-speed fan coils are larger units that can be customized to fit in your home’s layout. Along with a multi-speed fan blower that allows for flexible temperature control, these units also come with an all-aluminum coil that’s resistant to corrosion, a washable filter, and an insulated casing. The unit’s drain pan design is sloped, which keeps bacteria and mold buildup at bay. This fan coil has the PF4M designation.
The performance compact fan coil has a smaller design but places the focus on performance. It’s meant to be an outdoor system that offers energy-efficient airflow. Even though these systems are made for compact areas, they accommodate multi-position installation and can be used practically anywhere in your home. This fan coil has the FEM4P or FEM4X designation.
As for the performance multi-family fan coil, it’s built for vertical applications, which means that installation can occur in tight spaces. It’s also outfitted with an efficiency-optimizing thermostatic expansion valve. Consider using it with a two-stage heat and a one-stage cool thermostat. Because of its vertical design, it allows for flush-mounted or wall-hung installation. This fan coil has the FMA4X designation.
There’s a slightly different performance multi-family fan coil that has the FMA4P designation. This device has a fixed-speed fan, which means that the system will turn on when it’s cold and shut off when the thermostat has arrived at the preferred temperature. During the heating process, the air is always moved with the exact same force.
Another multi-family fan coil is the FMA4 variety, which comes in a compact size and can be obtained with a fixed-speed or multi-speed blower motor. It’s equipped with aluminum fin coils and a tin-plated copper tube.
You could also select the cased ceiling fan coil, which has the FM designation. The cased design keeps the coil protected at all times and helps to maximize airflow efficiency. These systems are designed to be paired with an outside unit and are made with a small, horizontal body.
Consider an uncased ceiling fan coil, which has the FMU designation. The only significant difference between the cased and uncased units is the aesthetically appealing design of the former.
When your home is equipped with a heat pump, our team at Dring Air Conditioning & Heating offers comprehensive repair and installation services to make sure that your home is always heated and cooled to your ideal temperature. We also offer a wide selection of air conditioning and furnace services that residents of Carrollton, TX have access to, including repair, maintenance, and installation services. You can rely on our indoor air quality offerings, which extend to air quality testing and installation. Air duct repair and replacement services are also available. To learn more about our heating and cooling services, call Dring Air Conditioning & Heating today.
