Functions of an Air Handling Unit and its Components

Air handling unit manufacturers

Getting an idea about how air handling units work and how to maintain them can help in sustaining a healthier and more comfortable indoor atmosphere. Generally, an air handling unit is used in combination with heating and cooling systems to condition and maintain the flow of air inside a house or a building. They are connected to the building's ductwork that accumulates exhausted air from inside the building and dispenses the conditioned air in return. Air handling unit manufacturers fabricate these complex units with a varied specification for diverse consumer needs.

A single air handling unit is a combination of different components. The total functionality of these AHUs cannot be described in a single sentence as these units are made up of many components, each having a different role to perform. If you own a business that sells and maintains AHUs, it is important that you are well acquainted with their functioning to notify it to your customers. Here is a brief discussion on the functionality of AHU components.

Blower

This is the most important part of any air handling unit. Its role is to recycle the air inside the building. The blower collects the air which is then conditioned (heated or cooled) and then released back into the building. In larger buildings and spaces, air handler components may have several blowers or fans for improved functionality.

Conditioning Elements

The second important gears of an air handler are the elements that aid the cooling or heating of air. For heating systems, heating coils are used and cooling coils are used to cool the oil in the air-conditioning systems. Hot water, steam, and cold water are some other conditioning elements that are used for this purpose.

Filters

Another important component of AHUs is the filter. Apart from conditioning the air, it operates to clean or filter the air present in a building. Air handling units are installed with filters that remove dust and other unwanted particles from the air maintain its freshness. The main purpose of filters function is to boost the overall life of an air handling unit.

Humidifier/Dehumidifier

Humidifiers and Dehumidifiers present in the air handling units control and regulate the level of humidity in the indoor air. In the absence of these components, the air may become extremely damp due to constant cooling or dry due to continuous heating. A wide range of humidifiers that include vaporizers and ultrasonic humidifiers are present in different units.

Dampers and Mixing Chambers

Dampers are located inside the mixing chamber of an air handling unit. This entire set up is used to mix air from the outside of the building and exhaust air from the inside of the building so as to condition the air quickly and easily.

Conclusion

Apart from the above-stated components heat recovery devices, sound attenuators and vibration isolators, smoke detectors, duct pressure control devices and sensor are some other components that are fitted into air handling units to perform different functions which help in increasing the efficiency of the system and enhancing the quality of indoor air. A point to be noted is that though air handling units come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and installation types their basic functionality remains the same.

Asmita is a writer who has very good experience in writing articles & blogs. Since last few years her writing passion & knowledge is educating about industrial equipments.