How to choose an air curtain?
When selecting air curtains, it is not only the main variable such as door height and width that must be taken into account, but also other factors such as building and climatic conditions.
Other influencing factors are:
- Location of the different doors on the floor, if there is more than one, how they are positioned between them: aligned, facing each other....
- Different floors connected by stairs, escalators or ramps.
- Pressure differences between the outside and inside of the building.
Depending on the climatic conditions, more powerful air curtains with a more powerful jet and more heating power should be chosen to combat the cold and heat, as well as the wind.
When choosing the type of heating, it is important to consider whether hot water is available in the building or what electrical power is available. Curtains with electric heaters or heat pumps, which are more sustainable due to their energy efficiency, can be selected.
Another value to consider when choosing the right air curtain is the type of business: whether it is a shop, a restaurant or belongs to the industrial sector. Depending on the application, you can choose a standard, decorative or industrial air curtain. Decorative air curtains can be customised in every detail.
Finally, the type of installation must be defined. Air curtains can be installed as exposed or recessed air curtains: they can be installed vertically or horizontally.
ADVERSE SITUATIONS
Air curtains can be affected by adverse situations that compromise their optimum performance, so the following situations should be taken into account:
- Buildings with an open space in front which can be affected by strong wind.
- High temperature differences between indoors and outdoors, either due to climatic conditions or because they are cold rooms.
- High pressure differences caused by the stack effect in buildings with more than one storey directly connected to escalators or large halls.
It is necessary to analyse in which of these conditions the project is located in order to adjust it to the client's needs and to achieve the maximum efficiency of the air curtain's functions. For this reason, a team of engineers accompanies the customer from the beginning to the end of the project.
