Table real estate is essential to the financial success of a restaurant. The more tables turned in a night, the more money the business and employees see in return. But how can you be sure those seats and tables stay full? For starters, creating a warm, welcoming environment in these chilly late winter/early spring days and nights is essential. Customers desire a place where they feel comfortable and often negatively remember restaurants where they had to wear a coat all through dinner.

The options for creating a warm, inviting space range from solutions like space heaters to expensive vestibules. While those options are not always terrible, they do have their troubles. Rather than spending large sums of money on a vestibule or placing a dangerous space heater at the entrance of your restaurant, consider the use of a heated air curtain and all of the benefits it has to offer.

Low-Profile Heated Air Curtains

So, what exactly is a low-profile heated air curtain? While it may be a mouthful to say, it’s very simple to understand. An air curtain is simply a device mounted above the threshold of a door that releases an engineered stream of air in a downward motion. This air stream creates a barrier that separates two environments from each other, prevent the mingling of air contaminants, pollutants, pests and cold air with warm air. A heated air curtain is a type of air curtain that blows off a warm stream of air. Air curtains are available in many options and low-profile air curtains give restaurant owners and other businesses the ability to mount the device in a way that is unseen to the untrained eye. They are less noticeable and less intrusive and still provide the same great functions of a traditional air curtain.

Benefits of a Low-Profile Heated Air Curtain

• Create an Ideal Entrance. One of the great things about a heated air curtain is that it can bring your guests in from the freezing temperatures and into a warm, comfortable environment. There is nothing worse than freezing through an entire dinner. With a heated air curtain, your guests will find comfort the second they enter your restaurant.
• Turn More Tables. We all know that more tables, results in more money. When you are able to fit your guests in a comfortable environment, they will be more likely to return.
• Place Staff Closer to Entrance. With a heated air curtain blocking the cold air from entering your restaurant, restaurant owners are then able to place employees in closer proximity to the door without the guilt of them being exposed to a constant stream of cold, outside air. By placing staff closer to the door, this frees up more space to add additional tables to the valuable dining room real estate that would otherwise be taken up by a hostess stand.
• Effective Functionality. Heated air curtains come in a variety of models but can offer restaurants a unique edge with the low-profile models. These models are specifically created to be nearly unseen and extremely quiet, yet highly effective at the same time.
• Cost Effective. One of the biggest benefits to adding an air curtain is that they can often be a huge money-saver for restaurants. The unique ability that air curtains have to create an invisible barrier between two environments that allows restaurant owners to be in complete control of the temperatures inside the restaurant. When cold air mixes with warm air, it forces unwanted temperature changes, thus making your air conditioning and heating units work in overdrive. By keeping these environments separate and you in control, your energy usage will decrease and the end result will reflect in your energy bill.

Other Heating Solutions

Most restaurants look for a way to maintain a heated entrance. The alternative to a heated air curtain is typically a vestibule. Vestibules often range anywhere from $20,000 to $50,000; which is significantly higher than the cost of a heated air curtain. The typical low-profile air curtain can be purchased for around $1,500, which is a huge savings when compared to the next best alternative.

Are you looking for a way to warm up the entrance to your restaurant? A low-profile, heated air curtain can create that desired setting you’ve been searching for. The experts at Air Door Distributors are ready to assist you in determining the appropriate air curtain for your specific business and needs. Call today at 866-402-1642, click for a live chat or simply fill out our contact form and we will get you the air curtain to best fit your needs.

Food spoilage is a problem most businesses cannot afford to endure over and over. Whether you are faced with a health scare caused by food spoilage or the simple, yet costly loss that comes to pass when food goes bad, there are ways to help keep your food fresh longer.

The Problem

Food spoilage is often caused by a rise in temperature when food needs to remain cold. Anytime warm air is let into refrigerated areas, such as walk-in coolers, the temperature rises leading to a quicker rate of food spoilage. This is an extremely undesired occurrence for any restaurant or food service business.

The Effects

When food spoils rapidly, there are many negative effects on the business.

• When food is not properly cared for, or when food sees varying degrees of temperatures in a day, it can cause safety concerns for customers and dining patrons. Food contamination is often brought on when air contaminants are free to roam. By leaving your food open to the outside, warmer air, it is more like to contaminate and mold your food supply.
• Health Department. The health department has rules on refrigeration for many reasons. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, “Refrigeration slows bacterial growth. Bacteria exist everywhere in nature. They are in the soil, air, water, and the foods we eat. When they have nutrients (food), moisture, and favorable temperatures, they grow rapidly, increasing in numbers to the point where some types of bacteria can cause illness. Bacteria grow most rapidly in the range of temperatures between 40 and 140 °F, the “Danger Zone,” some doubling in number in as little as 20 minutes. A refrigerator set at 40 °F or below will protect most foods.”

The Solution

Keeping your food stored properly will help reduce the risk of food spoilage. But how can you be sure you are doing everything you need to be doing to address this issue and to enact preventative measures? Adding a low-profile air curtain will help significantly reduce the potential of losing your food supply to spoilage.

Here’s how it works: A low-profile air curtain can be placed above refrigerated areas that, let’s face it, often get left open longer and more frequently than they should. Air curtains create a strong, engineered stream of air that prevents outside air from entering and inside air from exiting, thus resulting in a more stable and consistent air temperature and putting you in absolute control over the temperatures you are seeking to maintain.

The Benefits of an Air Curtain

The benefits of adding an air curtain to your refrigerated areas are great. The use of an air curtain alone has the ability to save any business owner thousands of dollars but when it also has the ability to help prevent restaurant and food supply sources from losing food, it can be a game changer.

• Conserve Energy. One of the most common reasons any business seeks the use of an air curtain is to help conserve energy. The use of an air curtain in your refrigerated area can also serve that same function. When walk-in cooler doors are left open, the cold air tends to mix with the warm air creating a fight of sorts between the two environments and effecting the degrees of temperature in both environments. These constant changes in temperature will reflect on your monthly energy bill. By installing an air curtain in your walk in cooler or freezer, you are eliminating the ability of air transfer and maintaining a steady, constant temperature and allowing your compressors to run less frequently. Yes, air curtains are an added cost but their unique ability to lower other expenses is great. For a one-time cost, you reduce costly expenses of energy each month.
• Make Life Easier for Your Employees. Let’s face it, oftentimes we find ways to make our jobs easier. For example, in high volume kitchens, sometimes it is just quicker and easier to leave the refrigerator doors open. While that may not be the ideal solution, there is a way to allow that while still maintaining your desired temperatures and adhering to safety standards. Adding an air curtain to the threshold of your walk-in cooler or freezer section of your place of business can also make life easier by allow the doors to remain open without sacrificing your costly supply.

Air curtains offer many benefits to business of any kind but when food spoilage is a concern, it is a necessity. The benefits far outweigh other costly and less successful methods.

Are you ready to add an air curtain to your walk-in cooler and freezer sections to help lessen the rate of food spoilage in your place of business? The experts at Air Door Distributors are ready to assist you in determining the appropriate air curtain for your specific business and needs. Call today at 866-402-1642, click for a live chat or simply fill out our contact form and we will get you the air curtain to best fit your needs.

Air Curtains are Available in 3 Main Heating Types

Air curtains are a highly beneficial device to business and building facilities all around the country. From their ability to repel insects to the proficiency in maintaining a desired indoor temperature, the advantages cannot be beat. A heated air curtain can create a uniquely clean, inviting and warm atmosphere for businesses that will gain the attention of any guests who comes through the door. Heated air curtains normally come in three heating types including gas-fired air curtains, electric heated air curtains, and hydronic heated air curtains (hot water / steam heated).

What is a heated air curtain?

An air curtain is a device that is mounted above door thresholds that intakes indoor air and pushes it in a strong, downward direction towards the floor. When installed correctly, an air curtain can create a complete and invisible seal across the door that prevents unwanted substances or weather from entering all while helping to create a stable environment inside.

There is a great amount of options available when faced with the decision to choose an air curtain for your place of business and it can often be an overwhelming task. When you consider what is available, the options can be seemingly endless and knowing what options are available, the device’s functions and capabilities are important.

Types of Heated Air Curtains

There are three main types of heated air curtains to consider, including gas-fired, electric, or hydronic.

• Electric. Electric air curtains simply run on electricity like many other appliances you may already be using. While these air curtains do run on electricity, they can still work to help reduce your overall energy usage as they require less energy to run than a traditional heater will. They will also prevent cold air from finding its way in and help to maintain a stable interior temperature which will, in the end, lessen the work for your traditional heater.
• Hydronic (steam or hot water). The definition of hydronic is essentially a heating system in which heat is transported using circulating water. Hydronic air curtains use steam and hot water coils to emit heated air. These types of air curtains are extremely energy efficient as they can tap into an already existing source, however these are highly specialized. Hydronic air curtains are often found in New York and Chicago and in places like hospitals.
• Gas Fired. Gas fired air curtains gain their heating by means of natural gas or propane. These types of air curtains are commonly found in warehouses and other large facilities.

Know the Difference

Deciding to go with a heated air curtain verses an unheated air curtain is also a decision to consider. Standard air curtains are typically used in areas where the chill is necessary to maintain, consider the produce section at your local grocery store, for example. Heated air curtains are commonly found in places where an unwanted chill might occur. Air curtains are known to be 80% – 90% efficient.

Did you know?

Heated air curtains not the same thing as a space heater. A space heater works to heat a small area. A heated air curtain simply emits a strong, engineered force of warm air along a door threshold that works to prevent the entry of outside air, contaminants, dust, and flying insects.

How to decide which type of heated air curtain to install?

Deciding which type of heated air curtain to install in your business can be a tricky task but going in prepared will help make sure your purchase is the right one.

• What type of heating are you already using? It will often be recommended that you use the same type of heating element that your facility is already using. Knowing this ahead of time will help determine if this is the right choice for you. While it may be suggested that you venture down a different path, know your options before making a final decision.
• Consult with the experts. Call and ask questions. If you are unsure of the type of air curtain you should install, always seek wise counsel from an expert. Air Door Distributors is equipped with experts who can help you determine if you need a heated device, which type of heat is most beneficial to your facility, and which model is best suited for your needs.

Heated air curtains offer so many benefits to the businesses in which they are installed. When considering installing one, it is important to weigh your options and know exactly what is available and what is best suited for the space you are installing.

Are you considering adding a heated air door to a threshold of your business? The experts at Air Door Distributors are ready to assist you in determining the appropriate air curtain for your specific business and needs. Call today at 866-402-1642 or fill our contact form.

How a heated air door curtain can help you maintain a stable interior temperature

When running a business, the environment you set will determine the comfortability of employees and customers alike. Their comfort is often attributed to how hard they work for you and to whether or not they will return as a customer or guest.

In these cooler winter months, it seems that all brick and mortar businesses are fighting to maintain a stable interior temperature while being forced to fight the outside temperatures from invading the cozy, comfortable environment they seek to create.

With the addition of a heated air curtain, the ability to maintain a steady temperature inside of your establishment is not only achievable but it can also be done in a simple, hands-free way that leaves you free to tend to other business matters.

What is a heated air door curtain?

A heated air door, or often referred to as a heated air curtain, is not actually a door at all. It is a device that is placed above the threshold of a door that intakes air from an interior space and forces heated air in a strong, downward motion from the top of a door’s entry to the floor. This strong force of air is credited with the ability to stop the transfer of air that moves from outside to inside and visa-versa.

Did you know

An overhead heater is not the same thing as a heated air curtain. According to Wikipedia, “The main differences are:

• Air doors are designed to fully cover the width of a doorway, whereas over-door heaters may be too narrow.
• The fans in an air door are powerful enough to provide an air stream to project across the whole doorway opening. Over-door heaters may have less powerful fans.
• The discharge nozzle on an air door is optimized to provide a uniform air stream across the whole width of the doorway, which may not be the case with over-door heaters.”

Benefits of Maintaining Stable Interior Temperatures

Air curtains stop the transfer of cold air at the threshold of your door helping to keep the desired temperature inside steady. This can lead to a wealth of benefits not only to a business owner but to employees and customer as well.

• Lower energy usage and costs. Maintaining a steady temperature leads to lower energy usage and lower costs by lessening the work a traditional heater would otherwise have to perform.
• Take the chill out of the air. Adding a heated air curtain to all entry doors will help keep the chill from winter weather from creeping in upon your employees and guests by eliminating its means of entry.
• Happier environment. Nothing is more satisfying than escaping frigid temperatures and entering into a warm room. Customers will feel comfortable and more likely to stay longer than they would if they were being constantly met with an unwanted chill.
• Easy to maintain. With just a simple, occasional filter change, air curtains are relatively easy to maintain.

Who can benefit from heated air curtains?

Heated air curtains come in a variety of sizes and can be used to benefit a variety of business.

• Loading docks are busy places full of hard working employees, but hard work often slows down when temperatures drop. A heated air curtain will help keep employees warm and less likely to get sick.
• Building Lobbies. Building lobbies are a great place to add a heated air curtain for the winter months. As doors tend to open and close in a constant flow, building lobbies are often cold spaces. By adding a heated air curtain, the chilly air will be unable to enter, leaving the space warm and inviting.
• The addition of a heated air in a restaurant is such a beneficial addition! This small, unintrusive and often unnoticeable device has a unique ability to allow dining patrons the enjoyment of dining in a warm space while still being able to enjoy the outdoor areas that restaurants often seek to make aesthetically pleasing.
• Coffee Houses. Coffee houses are oftentimes smaller spaces, leaving them to take in quite a bit of colder temperatures each time their door opens. The addition of a heated air curtain will help create a warm, inviting environment for guests. When customers are comfortable, they are more likely to stay longer and return again.

Heated air curtains are a benefit to nearly any business that installs them. They can create and maintain a stable environment for your customers and employees all while adding to your savings.

If you are looking to maintain a stable interior temperature for your business during these cold winter months, the experts at Air Door Distributors are ready to assist you in determining the appropriate air curtain for your specific business and needs, whatever they may be. Call today at 866-402-1642 or fill our contact form.

Low-profile air curtains offer added benefits to traditional air curtains for small businesses.

Low-profile air curtains are the perfect solution for businesses operating in small spaces.

Any brick-and-mortar with doors and windows will face many of the same obstacles no matter the size of the facility. From keeping outdoor temps from creeping in, to keeping pests at bay, air curtains run a long list of benefits that appeal that will help combat those year-round issues and keep both customers and business owners happy and comfortable. But let’s face it, most business owners don’t want a noisy, intrusive piece of metal hanging in the center of their small brick-and-mortar and that’s definitely not something that customers want to look at during a quiet outing. This is where low-profile air curtain units come in. These air curtains, which are available in several models, come in a variety of sizes and installation options that make it easy to fit the needs of any business. Low-profile units are made specifically to fit in small spaces without being intrusive to customers while serving the same useful purpose as a standard air curtain.

Manufactured by top-of-the-line brands like Mars Air and Berner, low-profile units are available in unheated, electric, steam and hot water. These customer-facing, sleek devices are made to fit a range of needs all while fulfilling the many benefits air curtains are known for.

Low-profile air curtains are designed to meet the needs that business owners and customers desire from traditional air curtains, but they also serve the functional needs of smaller businesses that operate in tighter workspaces.

Benefits of a Low-Profile Air Curtain

• Noise Reduction. Often times when we think of air curtains we imagine the sound that often accompanies large pieces of equipment. However, low profile air curtains are made to be just that — discreet. Small business spaces, like art galleries and coffee houses, often seek to offer customers a quiet ambience but can still benefit from the use of an air curtain. Advanced technology in low-profile units help offer the same useful benefits of a traditional air curtain with a quieter output making it the perfect option for smaller spaces.
• More Aesthetically Pleasing. If you are inviting customers into your place of business for the last thing you want is a large obstruction hanging from your door. Air curtains that are designed specifically for these tight spaces are more aesthetically pleasing simply because they are made to fit these spaces and they offer a more inviting and cozy environment both aesthetically and environmentally. If you have low ceilings or clearance areas, these can be placed in a manner that is nearly unnoticeable.
• Eliminate Door Obstructions. No matter what type of business you are running or what sort of facility you are operating out of, it is always important to keep doors free of obstruction for safety purposes and often for visual aesthetic purposes as well. Low-profile air curtains are rarely seen by the unknowing eye and are placed to be completely out of the way. They can help maintain a specified temperature even when doors are left open allowing your passageways to be completely unobstructed.

Did you know?

The benefits of a traditional door curtain hold true with even low-profile units. These units put off a stream of engineered air that creates a seal between two different areas offering a unique way to maintain two separate environments while keeping doors open.

Why is an air curtain a smart choice?

• Reduce energy cost and consumption. The engineered seal created by air curtains will help separate outside and inside air, thus reducing the amount of energy used to maintain desired temperatures.
• Keep bugs out. Air curtains are known for their unique ability to keep bugs from entering through the air stream and forcing them to stay out of areas where customers gather.

Low-profile air curtains are an excellent addition to any coffee house, gallery, small restaurant, deli or other businesses that occupy small spaces. These devices are essential in preventing temperature fluctuations, repelling insects and increasing energy savings.

Are you looking to improve the quality of your business? Adding a low-profile air curtain to your small business will help keep employees and customers comfortable all while keeping your workspace clean and bug-free. The experts at Air Door Distributors are ready to assist you in determining the appropriate air curtain for your specific business and needs. Call today at 866-402-1642 or fill our contact form.

Air Curtains at loading docks can increase savings and productivity!

Using air curtains help business owners to reduce dramatic temperature changes on their loading docks while increasing productivity.

Loading docks equate to hard work and long days filled with heavy, physical labor that can wear out the most fit and dedicated employees. Keeping your employees comfortable and team morale high during these coming winter months can be grueling but it is something that many employers strive to do. Warehouse and loading dock doors are often left open, increasing dramatic temperature changes and allowing insects and unwanted contaminants in. One of the best things loading dock employers can do to keep their employees comfortable and productive is add an air curtain – also referred to as an air door – to those large loading dock doors.

How does an air curtain work?

Air curtains offer businesses a unique way to gain control of air flow. When placed over a loading dock door, air curtains create a strong engineered stream of air that helps to create a seal or barrier between two different environments. This barrier seals in the inside air and prevents the outside air, as well as contaminants and insects, from entering.

The use of an air curtain offers many benefits to both employers, employees and customers. Air curtains have been around for many years but they are growing in popularity thanks to their cost affordability, the savings generated and the overall success of these products.

If you are considering going this route to improve working conditions and savings for your loading dock, consider these benefits:

Improve Hazardous Working Conditions

Cold weather often brings with it hazardous working conditions, including snow, sleet, ice and rain. These conditions can make loading docks a dangerous place to work if they are not properly maintained and managed. By installing a heated air curtain at loading dock doors, those areas will remain ice free and provide a safer transition as workers move from indoors to out. Heated air curtains can also help keep pipes from freezing when temperatures take a rapid fall.

Keep Employees Warm and Healthy

Fall and winter are not only the seasons for cooler weather, falling leaves and some of our favorite holidays, these seasons also bring on a lot of sickness; and we all know sickness means missed work days. As employees pass from indoors to the outdoors to load and unload materials, they are more susceptible to winter colds because colds tend to replicate in the cooler weather. By keeping the area as regulated as possible it will keep employees healthy, thus resulting in less sick days and steady production.

Keep Momentum Moving

Cold weather slows us all down and that is the last thing a busy loading dock needs. Adding a heated air curtain during these colder months will allow employees to keep the momentum moving in a productive manner by helping to regulate their body temperature and prevent them from getting too cold. When employees are comfortable, they will not lose time trying to warm up or, in the hotter months, cool down.

Unobstructed Flow

Loading docks can be dangerous places when proper care isn’t taken. The ability to move about while handling large loads is essential to maintaining good work flow as well as safety. Air curtains are added above doorways in a way that leaves the area free for traffic flow.

Save Energy

One of the greatest benefits for any business to add an air curtain is the added energy savings. Loading docks tend to have large bay doors that remain open during loading and unloading times, thus releasing large amounts of indoor air. This creates a battle of temperature control where the indoor air is released and the outdoor air enters and energy is kicked into high gear to maintain the desired temperature. Adding an air curtain will help keep you in control and will put the battle victory in your hands. The strong force of air put out by the air curtain will create a seal or barrier of sorts that will block the outside air from entering and will keep the inside air in, helping to maintain a steady temperature.

Choosing an air curtain for your loading dock doors can only offer positive results. You will want to make sure you are choosing the correct make, model and performance type to fit the door you will be servicing.

Are you ready to improve air quality, steady production through the winter months, and increase energy savings in your loading dock? Call today to speak to one of the experts at Air Door Distributors who is waiting to assist you in determining the appropriate air curtain for your loading dock doors.

For more information or for help selecting the ideal curtain for your business, call today at 866-402-1642 or please complete our contact form.

Gain control of your indoor climate with the use of an overhead air curtain.

Stop fighting outside temperatures and add an overhead air curtain to your brick-and-mortar.

Have you ever walked into a building from the freezing cold and felt a blast of warm air? That defining line from where the cold air ends and the warm air begins is drawn by the use of an air curtain. Winter is just around the corner and businesses will soon be faced with the challenge of keeping their environment comfortable as the outside temperatures begin to plummet. While there are various options to consider when it comes to climate control, the addition of an overhead air curtain simply makes the most sense.

Why use an overhead air curtain to help with climate control?

Overhead air curtains are typically installed horizontally, across the opening of a doorway. They are uniquely designed to send a constant flow of air from an overhead space to create a seal or barrier as a means to separate two spaces from each other. This seal of separation provides many benefits to business owners and other users ranging from climate and insect control to employee and customer comfort. The most commonly used type of air curtain is an overhead air curtain. These remain extremely popular because they can be placed in just about any place of business.

Did you know?

All casinos located in Las Vegas are equipped with air curtains to increase energy savings and climate control. If you’ve ever been, you know that Vegas is hot but the casinos are not!

Air Curtains as an Alternative to Vestibules for Climate Control

According to Consulting-Specifying Engineering Magazine, “Air Movement and Control Association International Inc. (AMCA International) announced that the 2015 version of the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) will contain a provision enabling air curtains to be considered as an alternative to vestibules. For compliance, air curtains have to be tested in accordance with ANSI/AMCA Standard 220, and be installed in accordance with manufacturer’s instructions.”

Other Benefits of Adding an Overhead Air Curtain

One of the biggest benefits to adding an overhead air curtain to your business or building is the ability to increase climate control. With climate control comes comfort for your customers and employees, but this small addition can benefit other areas of your business as well.

• Comfort Control. Nobody wants to be forced to wear a coat while enjoying a nice dinner. Air curtains release a strong, engineered force of air that prevents cold air from entering and warm air from exiting. According to Total Home Supply, “depending on weather conditions, the blast of air is forced either straight down, or in the case of strong wind conditions, at a slightly outward angle.” This separation will help keep customers in your establishment comfortable.
• Options. Air curtains are available in both heated and unheated options, giving business owners the option to create the ideal environment. Choosing an overhead air curtain also gives business owners the opportunity to choose a product that is unseen by the masses. From color options to the Phantom Series, there are many overhead options to choose from.
• Cost Control. Adding an air curtain to your overhead doors can help dramatically decrease energy costs associated with heating and cooling. By using an engineered force of air, this barrier-creating mechanism keeps unwanted air, either hot or cold, outside and helps maintain the desired air temperature inside. This helps maintain a desired temperature and keeps your air conditioner or heater from working overtime and fighting the outside temperature.
• Less Expensive than Alternatives. Across the country, many building codes require business and building owners to install vestibules in their brick-and-mortars to assist with climate control, but vestibules come a hefty price tag. Air curtains, which are significantly less expensive, offer the same function and also meets many of the same qualifications. This option will save money and meet requirements that building owners are looking to meet.
• Ease. When compared to alternative routes, like vestibules, that assist with climate control, overhead air doors are quite simple. After a simple consultation to ensure you are selecting the correct product, installation is done for you. From there, they work with the flip of a switch. This is much easier than undergoing the construction associated with a vestibule addition and it is significantly simpler than having to worry about adjusting the thermostat constantly when battling outdoor weather.

Are you considering adding an air door to your overhead doors? The benefits of an air curtain are great and the ability to control the interior climate of your business make this the perfect addition to any brick-and-mortar business. The experts at Air Door Distributors are waiting to assist you in determining the appropriate air curtain for your warehouse.

For more information, call today at 866-402-1642 or fill our contact form.