High speed doors have been the door of choice for many years for temperature control in heavily trafficked doorways but are they always the best choice? A high speed door only provides a seal when closed - Air doors provide a constant seal.
On the surface, this should be a very simple question to answer but there are several factors to consider:-
How often will the doorway be used? Ironically the industry standard is to supply a high speed door for heavy traffic however the more the door opens, the less efficient it is at energy saving.
What are the internal and external temperatures? Air moves much faster with larger temperature variants and therefore more energy will be lost through the doorway.
Is there a second chiller door that closes at night, or only the high speed door?
Air doors provide a constant air barrier that prevents energy loss in the same way as a high speed door but without the air exchange you get when a door opens. They do not however provide quite the same level of seal as a good quality high speed when it is closed, albeit arguably better seal than less expensive doors.
So to answer the first question, it is possible that a high speed door is the best solution however if heavily used then the likelihood that it is not. Depending on the environment and use. it could even be that an Air door and high speed door in combination works best.
The tables below give 2 examples of savings/costs over 3 years based on a typical installation and application (500 openings per day for 12 seconds).
The table below gives an indication on how the operation has a significant effect on the potential cost savings based on the same 2 openings (1000 openings per day for 12 seconds).
The final tables show how just having the door open for 20 seconds at a time, 500 times per day will also drastically effect the energy losses.
Please note that the energy savings are based on typical energy costs and a typical high speed door. They do however illustrate clearly how the operation effects the energy savings for each type of product, allowing for running costs.
High speed door companies make doors for every type of application but it doesn't necessarily mean that they are best solution for your doorway. They might be but before you make a decision contact us to discuss - we work with high speed door companies too and can advise on what product best suits your needs along with the science to prove it.
Contact us today for free, no obligation advice.
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