5 Best Residential Air Curtains for Home (2021) | Learning Metrics

Home air curtains (or wind curtains) are specialized HVAC devices that separate conditioned air from unconditioned air.

Air curtains also keep insects, flies, smoke and dust out of the doorway.

We can all agree that running an air conditioner is pretty much useless if we have an open door. All the cool air will escape and the hot summer air will enter the room. That would be a waste.

That's why we close doors and windows when we turn on the air conditioning. But what if we have to open that door?

Here's the deal:

Take a restaurant, for example. The air conditioning inside works great, but every time a new customer opens the door, the cool air conditioning leaves the restaurant. Hot air, flies, mosquitoes, dust and smoke enter the restaurant.

The purpose of installing the air curtain on the door is to create an invisible but effective barrier to keep the indoor air cold and clean. In short, it protects the work already done by the air conditioner:

The air curtain keeps the interior conditioned and cleaned. It retains cold air in summer and warm air in winter.

The vertically moving air will keep hot/cold outside air out and protect us from smoke, dust, fumes and insects.

Before we look at the best air curtains for home and industrial use, let's review a quick buying guide:

Air Curtain Buying Guide

Before you start comparing different air doors, you really need to know one thing:

How wide should your air curtain be?

Most manufacturers offer standard 36" air curtains for the home. These are the most popular residential air doors. Wider models (they go up to 72") are more suitable for residential use .

Here's a trick question: what's the difference between a residential and commercial air door?

Specification wise, there is literally no difference. The only difference is that commercial air conditioning door curtains are wider than residential curtains, because restaurant or store doors are usually wider than your doorway. the House.

4 Factors to Check Before Buying Air Doors

All residential air curtains will maintain the air conditioning inside the house quite well. However, some will be brilliant at doing so, look great and use less energy than others.

The 4 key specifications to check when considering an air curtain are:

Airflow (the most important spec by far). Higher airflow is better to ensure that even the strongest winged flies don't enter the area. These are also the most efficient unlike high temperature between inside and outside.Anything over 800 CFM (cubic meters of air per hour) is considered excellent airflow.Noise levels.Obviously we want the door to air is completely noticeable. Quiet units (below 55dB) are preferred. Power. Be sure to check what the power is. electricity bill will also be higher. Width available. If you have 48" wide doors and the air curtain offered is 36" wide, you have a problem yourself (about 12" wide, actually). Always check if you can obtain a sufficiently large model.

With these things in mind, we can check out a list of the best residential air curtains currently on the market:

Comparison of the 5 best air curtains for the home

#1 Awoco FM3509L/YM – Best Overall Specs and Multiple Widths Available

Awoco is the #1 brand in air curtains. Awoco is inspired by German electrical and HVAC engineering. They have the widest range of exceptionally well engineered models available. The best FM3509L/YM models range from 36 inch residential air curtains to 72 inch wide residential air curtains.

What really matters, however, are the specs. Awoco has managed to create a high flow air curtain with very low noise levels. On the high setting, the airflow is 907 CFM with a level 52 dB quiet noise rating. This makes it both one of the most powerful air curtains and, at the same time, one of the quietest.

What is not negligible is also the lower than average power consumption. The powerful Awoco motor managed to create an airflow of 907 CFM with only 300 W of power. That is quite impressive Having a well-oiled, high-output motor also explains why the FM3509L/YM is so quiet.

With the magnetic door switch (provided in the package), you can do the installation of the Awoco air curtain or make the installation easier for the installer:

Awoco FM3509L/YM is the best overall air curtain. Quiet, high airflow, low power consumption and easy to install magnetic door switch, and it's available in just about any width.

The high setting is best for the hottest (or coldest) days. However, you can also save energy while still getting 742 CFM of airflow by switching to the low setting.

Awoco is very easy to install. It comes with a special magnetic switch, which makes installation so easy that anyone with a toolbox can do it. You can get it in the following widths: 36", 42", 48", 60" or 72".

True to German engineering standard, the Awoco will run for 5,000 hours non-stop without trouble. The motor is very reliable; the fan wheels are even made of high-tech ABS material. a very meticulously designed, powerful and simple to use air curtain that is well deserving of the #1 spots.

#2 DuraSteel Aerial Titan-1 – The Most Powerful Residential Air Curtain

DuraSteel Aerial Titan-1 has a reputation for being the Titan that it is. It is the most powerful industrial air curtain that can exceed 1000 CFM airflow at a remarkable air velocity of 3150 FPM (feet per minute).

The power in itself positions it as the best industrial air curtain. It is exceptionally needed in places where it is vital to keep the air clean and conditioned. Meat processing, laboratories, kitchens, freezers are just a few examples of its use.

According to ASHRAE (American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers), "The effectiveness of air curtains in preventing entryway infiltration typically ranges from 60 to 80 percent." When working in, say, a clean kitchen, you really want to keep that number close to or even above 80%, because no customer wants to see a fly in their soup.

Titan-1 achieves this through the power of airflow alone. The incredible 1177 CFM of airflow may be too much for a home, but it's exactly what you need to keep a clean kitchen , well, clean. No fly or insect will be able to withstand this airflow.

DuraSteel Aerial Titan-1 installed above a cafe door. It's a beast, the most powerful residential air curtain.

There's only one downside, but it's a big deal: DuraSteel Aerial Titan-1 is as loud as it is powerful. It will reach noise levels of up to 65dB at a low setting, and at a setting high, it will reach 69 dB. This is quite a high noise level for an HVAC device.

Obviously, all that airflow and power produces a lot of noise. That's why the Titan-1 is a preferable choice for residential use where the environment is already noisy. Imagine a kitchen full of chefs and waiters calling orders or a carpentry. Having a 69 dB air door won't bother them at all. Don't put it on jazz club doors, though.

Overall, the Titan-1 is an industrial beast that's best for keeping places clean and tidy. It's available in 36", 40" or 48" widths.

#3 Global Industrial FM-1209-2 - Top Rated by Customers

Global Industrial FM-1209-2 is a simple air curtain with excellent specifications and affordable price. It is not difficult to see why the trio of simple, affordable and quality specifications are popular with customers.

In fact, the Global Industrial FM-1209-2 is the highest rated air door on Amazon with a rating of 4.9/5. Most people praise how well it can keep flies out.

It has two settings: the high setting with an airflow of 815 CFM and the low setting with an airflow of 670 CFM. This is not the strongest air curtain airflow, but most people either own a bar or want to install one in their home.

Global Industries FM-1209-2 is a simple and powerful enough air curtain for most people. You can easily control it with the remote control.

The remote is a nice addition. Obviously you only have 3 settings to choose from (HI/LOW/OFF) but using the remote is just a bit more convenient than pulling out a ladder and doing it manually.

It has average power consumption for an air conditioning door curtain and medium to low noise levels (maximum is 56 dB).

Simple, easy to use with a remote, good specs and, as you'll see, affordable. The FM-1209-2 is a nice, solid choice for people who like to own HVAC units without the hassle.

#4 Strongway B072DY5T7L - The Cheapest Air Curtain Under $200

Strongway is the cheapest way. Their B072DY5T7L model can produce over 800 CFM of airflow (which is exactly what most of us need) and costs less than $200.

You can mount it 8 feet above the door; it has 2 settings and an OFF (HI/LOW/OFF) switch. It is just as useful as more expensive models for keeping flies, insects and smoke away. .

Sure, it doesn't have record-breaking specs, but if you're looking for a quick and economical way to create an air curtain between indoors and outdoors, the Strongway is the way to go.

Strongway B072DY5T7L is the cheapest air curtain on the market. It is capable of creating a strong airflow of 816 CFM and costs less than $100.

The mere fact that it weighs 34 pounds can tell you something about reliability. Of course, with inexpensive HVAC units, reliability has to be addressed. generally by high quality materials.

One very bad thing, however, is that the Strongway B072DY5T7L is powered by a 345W motor. This means electricity costs will be higher than average. produce an airflow of 907 CFM with only 300W. The Strongway, in comparison, produces 816 CFM with 345W.

Not being as energy efficient means you could be paying more than you would like due to the higher electric bill. Right now, yes, the air curtain can cost less than $200, but below average energy efficiency can add $10 or even $20 to your annual electricity bill. This is definitely something to consider when choosing the right air curtain.

#5 Maxwell MASF036-N1 – Quietest air curtain on the market

Last but not least is the Maxwell MASF036-N1. It is not the strongest air curtain, not the most powerful. However, it has a certain quality which is very important in choosing a curtain air conditioning door:

The sound of silence.

With noise levels of 49/52 dB, it is the quietest air curtain and perfect for home use. If you don't like hearing constant low noise, the Maxwell MASF036-N1 might even be the smartest choice for you. It's as quiet as a cat.

Maxwell MASF036-N1 is the quietest air curtain with low levels of 49/52 decibels.

Still, we can't get past the fact that it has low airflow. At top speed, the maximum airflow reaches 647 CFM. This is, however, about 200 CFM below average .It's not ideal, but that explains why it can be so quiet.The fan should blow less air.

What's great is that this home air curtain is also available in wider models. You can choose from 36", 39", 48" or 60". Especially the 60" is nice to have for balcony doors which are generally wider.

Need advice for your situation?

If you did not find a suitable air curtain from the above list, please feel free to comment on your specific situation. It does not matter whether you are looking for an industrial or residential air curtain. We will try to help you in any way. way.

I hope this helps you.