Distinguish between a split system and a packaged system in terms of components and installation.

Distinguish between a split system and a packaged system in terms of components and installation.

• A. Split system has an indoor air handler/furnace and outdoor condenser; packaged has all components in a single outdoor cabinet.
• B. Split system places all components outdoors.
• C. Packaged system uses indoor evaporator coils for cooling only.
• D. Split system is only for commercial.

Answer: (A)

The key idea is where the main pieces of the system are located and how they connect to the house. In a split system, the cooling/heating equipment is split into two separate boxes: an indoor air handler (often paired with a furnace in heating climates) that sits inside the home and handles the evaporator coil and air distribution, and an outdoor condenser that houses the compressor and condenser. They are connected by refrigerant lines and wiring, so ducts and a space for the indoor unit are needed. In a packaged system, everything needed for cooling and heating is contained in one outdoor cabinet. The indoor space still uses ducts to deliver conditioned air, but there isn’t a separate indoor air handler or furnace—the entire system operates from the single outdoor unit. That distinction makes the correct description the best answer: split systems separate components indoors and outdoors, while packaged systems place all components in a single outdoor unit.

The key idea is where the main pieces of the system are located and how they connect to the house. In a split system, the cooling/heating equipment is split into two separate boxes: an indoor air handler (often paired with a furnace in heating climates) that sits inside the home and handles the evaporator coil and air distribution, and an outdoor condenser that houses the compressor and condenser. They are connected by refrigerant lines and wiring, so ducts and a space for the indoor unit are needed.

In a packaged system, everything needed for cooling and heating is contained in one outdoor cabinet. The indoor space still uses ducts to deliver conditioned air, but there isn’t a separate indoor air handler or furnace—the entire system operates from the single outdoor unit.

That distinction makes the correct description the best answer: split systems separate components indoors and outdoors, while packaged systems place all components in a single outdoor unit.