Louver Q and A with Sales Management Solutions

Posted on October 20, 2020 by Aire Technologies

Our newest line of air management products, Louvers, have been available since the start of 2020 and naturally there may be some questions about them. Our Engineered Sales Consultant and Louver Product Specialist Justin Burke sat down with one of our Manufacturer Reps, Sales Management Solutions (SMS), to answer some questions and provide some clarity on the newest product offerings from Aire Technologies.

Questions:

Why would you put a motor on a louver and why do you want an adjustable louver?

a. Adjustable louvers act as a combo louver AND damper. Can be manually controlled with a hand quadrant, but if they are inaccessible or tied to a fan system, you need a motor. There are 2 sets of blades – one set is stationary.

Are stationary louvers or combination/adjustable louvers more popular?

a. Stationary

Are actuators typically installed in the airstream, or out of it?

a. In the airstream – “internal mount”

If the power fails, do the blades stop open, or closed?

a. Typical wiring would have them fail closed, but you can invert them and have them power closed, and fail open.
Is it spec’d that the blades should fail open, or closed? ATI will do some research to determine this.

Are all motorized louvers drainable?

a. You can order them either way. Specs do not generally call them out to be drainable or not. The drainable profile helps with keeping water out so the test data behind the drainable profile is typically better than models that do not drain water through a gutter (in meeting CFM requirements).

Can these be wired into a control panel?

a. Yes, they can. An electrician would perform this.

How are louvers installed?

a. Non-hurricane rated products do not have stringent rules on installation. Screws, anchor clips, and a water-tight caulking are generally used.

Should you be requesting a flange to provide the material to anchor to the wall?

a. No, anchoring is usually done on the back portion. The flange provides a more aesthetically appealing look on the install. It also acts as an extra water repellent.

Will it ever be spec’d to have a flange, or is it merely for aesthetic purposes?

a. Yes, it would/could be spec’d.

Could you sell the flange add-on as something that protects the integrity of the masonry by keeping water flow off of it?

a. Yes. A bottom flange has a curve on it, which pushes the water away from the wall.

How deep are the (optional) sleeves that attach to the louver?

a. There are 4 different options – 8, 10, 12, 14, or 16” standard options.

How do the anchor clips work (on the hurricane rated model for Dade County)?

a. There are set installation instructions on the website for this specific product.

How do you choose one style of blade vs another, ie storm resistant/drainable?

a. This is tied to the performance data behind the louver. One of the deciding factors is the profile of the blade.

Why is the free area important in the louver testing data (on AMCA rated products)?

a. It affects how well air flows through the product. The more free area available, the easier air can flow through the louver.

What are the finish options available on louvers?

a. Mill finish is standard. Where the product needs to be painted, the surface can be powder-coated in many colors. A sample color chart is available. ATI can offer powder coat finishes compliant to AAMA standards.

Why do some louvers have minimum and maximum sizes?

a. Hurricane rated products are limited to what sizes were tested. Other product sizes are based on manufacturing capabilities of single sections. However, if a larger size is needed, multi-sections can be done.

Click Here to browse our line of available louvers for more detailed information and specifications. Should you have additional question or inquires about our louvers or any ATI product you can reach us through our Contact Page or by calling 1-855-258-3033.

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