Air curtains, versatile in their applications
Air curtains, versatile in their applications, find use in a variety of settings such as shops, offices, restaurants, hospitals, cold storage rooms, and industrial places. They serve to maintain indoor air quality, prevent the entry of insects and dust, and regulate the temperature balance between the interior and exterior environments.
Introduction
When you step through the doorway of a shopping mall, restaurant, or hospital, you may notice a distinct sensation of air, which is the air curtain at work, ensuring a comfortable environment.
As an AC Expert or HVAC expert in Bangladesh, I faced a common question many people ask: “Where are air curtains used, and why are they important?”
Air Curtain always plays a vital role in our lives. It can save energy, control indoor air quality, customer comfort, and protect insects from outside weather. It is more effective in hot and humid climates with rush weather in Bangladesh, where the air conditioning system costs are high and insects and dust are constant challenges. Here is are suitable air curtain.
In this content, I will clarify where air curtains are used, why they are essential, how they work, and their advantages and disadvantages so that you can understand the role of the modern air control system.
🌀 What Is an Air Curtain?
An Air curtain is an air control electric device, it’s installed above the doorway to provide strong and powerful air downward. This downward air creates an ‘invisible air barrier’, a term used to describe the air flow that separates the indoor and outdoor environments, preventing the exchange of air and other elements.
This air barrier helps keep cool or conditioned air inside and blocks unwanted elements from outside, such as:
- Hot or cold outdoor air.
- Dust, fumes, smoke.
- Flying insects.
- Odors or humidity.
Air curtains are used in shops, restaurants, and factories where doors stay open, but people still need to keep the inside cool, clean, and comfortable.
How Does an Air Curtain Work?
An air curtain works by blowing fast-moving air from the top of the doorway. Motor-driven built-in fan pushes the air downward, and it creates an invisible air barrier. It helps to keep cool air inside the room and stop hot air, dust, and insect and rush air from outside.
When an air curtain is installed correctly in a door, it stops outside air from mixing with indoor air. It helps the air conditioner work more efficiently and keeps the room cool and comfortable. A premium quality air curtain can hardly protect against odor in the weather from outside.
In restaurants, an air curtain is placed above the main entrance or doorway, and it helps stop insects and hot air from outside. It also allows customers to walk in and out freely without needing to open or close the door.
Where Are Air Curtains Used?
Air curtains are used in various places where it is needed to maintain good weather or maintain healthy weather. Here are listed where it is essential to use that:
1. Commercial Buildings and Retail Shops
Air curtains are widely used in shopping malls, showrooms, boutiques, corporate offices, and supermarkets.
Why:
- To keep cool air inside when the doors are open.
- To stop dust, insects, and outside smoke or exhaust from entering the store.
- To save electricity by helping the air conditioner run for less time.
Example: When you enter a shop or shopping mall in Dhaka city then your customers, despite frequent entry, they are need to air curtain to keep consistent cooling.
2. Restaurants and Cafés
In a restaurant or café, where hygiene is of utmost importance, an air curtain plays a crucial role in preventing the entry of flies, mosquitoes, and odors, thereby ensuring a clean and comfortable environment.
Why:
- Prevents flies, mosquitoes, and odors from entering.
- To keep the air-conditioned area comfortable.
- Improves customer comfort by stopping heat and cooking odors from spreading from the kitchen to the dining area.
Many restaurant owners in Bangladesh often ask, “Where are air curtains used in hospitality businesses?” The answer is straightforward; they are mainly used at main entrances and kitchen doors to maintain comfort and hygiene.
3. Hospitals and Healthcare Facilities
Hospitals require clean, sterile environments. Air curtains play a vital role in a hygienic environment.
Why used:
- It can control proper air pressure between clean and non-clean areas.
- It stops polluted air, dust, or germs from entering operating rooms or ICUs.
- It can reduce the spread of bacteria between hospital corridors and patient wards.
Example: In Dhaka Medical Hospital are used air curtain to separate ICU entrances and surgical rooms for hygiene and safety.
4. Cold Storage and Refrigerated Areas
In cold rooms, meat storage, and ice cream factories, air curtains are beneficial.
Why:
- It can keep the right temperature when doors are often opened.
- Reduce energy loss and lower the workload on the compressor.
- Stop warm and humid air from entering, which helps prevent frost buildup inside.
Result: Better temperature stability and reduced electricity bills.
5. Industrial and Manufacturing Units
Air curtains are widely used in factories, production floors, and assembly lines.
Purpose:
- It can divide different temperatures.
- It can stop insects or contaminants from entering production areas.
- It reduces cross-contamination in packaging or food-processing plants.
For industrial purposes, the air curtains are often larger, more potent than those used in commercial spaces.
6. Hotels, Banks, and Corporate Offices
In large organizations, air curtains are used to maintain comfort and professionalism.
Why:
- It can lessen the outside noise and prevent outdoor pollution from the lobby.
- Keep the cooled space comfortable for both customers and staff.
- Give a modern and energy-efficient impression to visitors.
It may frequently install decorative stainless-steel air curtains that match their interior aesthetics in hotels and other places.
7. Pharmacies and Laboratories
These facilities demand strict temperature and air-quality control.
Air curtains are used:
- To prevent dust and bacteria from entering controlled environments.
- To help maintain air pressure in storage areas.
This is crucial for medicine safety, chemical stability, and regulatory compliance.
8. Entrances of Cold and Hot Zones (HVAC Zoning)
In HVAC systems design, air curtains are often used to separate areas with different temperatures, for example, between a loading dock and a cold storage warehouse.
This ensures:
- Better temperature zoning.
- Energy efficiency.
- Comfort for workers.
9. Clean Rooms and Data Centers
Clean rooms and server rooms need constant fresh environmental control. An Air curtain helps maintain:
- Dust-free zones
- Constant temperature
- Controlled humidity
They also work as an extra air barrier, adding to door seals or filters to keep indoor air clean and temperature stable.
Types of Air Curtains
| Type | Description | Common Use |
|---|---|---|
| Commercial Air Curtain | Compact, elegant design for small doors (shops, offices) | Retail, restaurants |
| Industrial Air Curtain | High-velocity, heavy-duty models | Factories, warehouses |
| Cold Storage Air Curtain | Designed for low temperatures | Refrigeration rooms |
| Heated Air Curtain | Equipped with heating elements for cold climates | Cold-weather entryways |
| Horizontal/Vertical Mounted | Flexible installation styles | Depends on door design |
Benefits of Using Air Curtains
- Energy Savings: Reduce the tremendous air losses.
- Comfort: Keep the indoor temperature stable.
- Hygiene & Cleanliness: Blocks dust, odours, insects, and smoke.
- Uninterrupted Traffic Flow: People can enter freely without doors closing.
- Noise Reduction: It can provide a barrier against outdoor noise.
- Improved Safety: Prevents fumes or gases from entering.
Pros and Cons of Air Curtains
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Saves energy and loses air cool. | Slightly higher installation cost |
| Prevents insects, dust, and odors | Requires power supply and maintenance |
| Enhances customer comfort | Can be noisy if poorly installed |
| Improves hygiene and cleanliness | Needs regular filter cleaning |
Professional Advice for an Air Curtain
- Choose the right air curtains with sufficient airflow (m³/h) according to your doorway height and width.
- Always install the right height (regularly 7–10 feet) for maximum efficiency.
- Quarterly servicing is needed, like cleaning filters, fan blades, and motors.
- For large doorways, consider multiple air curtains side-by-side.
- If your building has a central air conditioner (AC), then use an air curtain together with automatic door sensors to save energy and keep the indoor temperature steady.
People Also Ask
Where is air curtains used in daily life?
Air curtains are installed at the entrances or doors of shops, malls, offices, hospitals, restaurants, and cold storage facilities to prevent outside air, insects, and dust from entering while keeping conditioned air inside.
Why is air curtains used in hospitals?
If you want to keep clean and sterile of Hospital then you have to install an Air curtain. It can protect the bacteria and germs from spreading through the air and maintain the right temperature in the Hospital.
Are air curtains necessary in restaurants?
Yes. It can protect the flies and hot air from outside in the dining areas and maintain a comfortable and hygienic environment.
Where are air curtains installed in industries?
It is installed at the loading docks, warehouse doors, and production areas to control dust, humidity, and temperature in good weather.
Do air curtains save electricity?
Absolutely right, right or yes, an air curtain saves energy. You can buy energy energy-efficient Air curtain, by minimizes the air exchange between indoors and outdoors, reducing the load on air conditioners, saving 15–30% on energy costs in many cases.
Maintenance Tips for Air Curtains
- Clean the intake grill and fan blades every month.
- Lubricate motor bearings if required.
- Check electrical wiring and airflow direction periodically.
- Ensure mounting bolts are tight to avoid vibration noise.
- Replace filters every 6–12 months, depending on usage.
Conclusion
So, where are air curtains used? Air Curtain is used everywhere where you want to keep indoor space comfortable, maintain good weather, save energy, and stop dust or insects from outside. From shopping malls and restaurants to hospitals, cold storage rooms, and factories, air curtains are becoming a standard part of modern HVAC systems in Bangladesh. Improve hygiene and lower electricity bills.
If you do the proper installation and maintenance, then the air curtain works more efficiently, improves hygiene, and lowers electricity bills.
As an AC technician, I always recommend using air curtains at commercial entrances and in temperature-controlled areas to keep indoor air clean and protect your HVAC system.