Air Handler Installation & Service in Nanaimo & Vancouver Island
P3 Mechanical & Electrical installs, repairs, and replaces air handlers — the indoor unit that moves conditioned air through the ducts — for homes and businesses across Nanaimo and central Vancouver Island. A straightforward changeout is normally a single day, and a repair is a much smaller job than a replacement; we put the two side by side in writing before anything is ordered. We do not publish figures — the visit that sets the price costs nothing.
What the air handler actually does
An air handler is a blower, an indoor coil, and a filter slot in one cabinet. In a home with no gas furnace it is the indoor half of the heat pump: it pulls air back through the returns, pushes it out through the supply ducts, and holds the filter everything passes through.
A failing blower looks like an outdoor-unit problem. Weak airflow, a rattle that rises with fan speed, ice on the coil, or water under the cabinet are the usual signs — and a blocked filter causes the same symptoms.
What's included
- Diagnosis of blower, coil, control board, and condensate faults
- Replacement matched to the outdoor unit it works with
- Blower, capacitor, and board repairs where the cabinet is sound
- Condensate pan, trap, pump, and the drain line that keeps water off the floor
- Filter cabinet sizing, so a deeper filter fits
- Airflow and static pressure measured before and after
Pricing & what's covered
Free estimate
We price the job after an in-home visit, once someone has seen what's there.
- One-year warranty on our labour. Equipment and parts are covered separately, under the supplier's or manufacturer's own warranty.
- Licensed in BC: Refrigeration licence LBP0210874. We install and service Mitsubishi Electric, Daikin, Fujitsu, Carrier, Keeprite, Goodman, and Trane equipment.
How it works
Diagnosis — airflow and static pressure first, so a duct problem is not read as a dead blower.
Options in writing — repair or replace, with what each buys you and what it does not.
Installation — old cabinet out, new one in, with the coil, drain, and duct joints sealed.
Verification — airflow rebalanced and a full cycle run before handover.
Frequently asked questions
What is an air handler, and is it the same thing as a furnace?
No. An air handler holds a blower, a coil, and a filter, and circulates air heated or cooled by a heat pump. A furnace burns gas to make its own heat.
Can I keep my old air handler when I replace the outdoor unit?
Sometimes, but check rather than assume. The coil has to match the refrigerant and capacity of the new outdoor unit, and an older fixed-speed blower will not deliver what a variable-speed system expects.
How much does it cost to replace an air handler?
We publish no figures, but a replacement is a far bigger job than a repair to a cabinet that is still sound. Whether the coil, drain, and duct connections can be reused makes most of the difference, and so does matching the unit to the outdoor equipment it has to work with. The visit is free and the number is confirmed in writing first.
Why is water dripping under my air handler?
The coil condenses moisture out of the air, and that water should run through a pan, trap, and drain line. A blocked drain, cracked pan, or failed pump sends it onto the floor instead.
How often should an air handler be serviced?
Once a year: clean the coil, check the blower and capacitor, flush the condensate drain, and confirm the filter is the size the cabinet was built for. A filter left in too long causes most airflow complaints.
Ready to get it fixed?
Call now, or send us the details online and we'll follow up.