Roof Top Unit Definition

A rooftop packaged unit or rtu an air handler or air handling unit often abbreviated to ahu is a device used to regulate and circulate air as part of a heating ventilating and air conditioning hvac system.

Roof top unit definition.

They are very popular with retail and industrial properties. A rooftop unit like the name implies is a packaged unit installed on the roof. Packaged unit or rtu rooftop unit an air handling unit defined as either recirculating or once through design created for outdoor installation. The rtu is located on the roof and is therefore a roof top unit.

It stands for roof top unit so now you can guess that this type of hvac equipment lives on the roof. It allows the unit to use outdoor air for cooling provided the ambient air is below a certain temperature and the humidity is below a certain percentage. They most often include internally their own heating and cooling devices. The roof top unit is installed on a mechanical curb that is set onto the roof and flashed in by the roofing contractor.

As the unit is fitted on the rooftop one should have more care as it is exposed to the weather. A split system has an outdoor cabinet and an indoor cabinet with different sets of components. Keep reading to learn more about the rtu hvac system and find out if it may be a good choice for your commercial space. These packaged units contain all air conditioning components including.

It s a self contained unit that provides both heat and air conditioning for certain types of spaces. A package unit is set apart from a split system which is the common type of air conditioner heat pump found in houses. Packaged rooftop units are commonly found in light and large commercial applications. The roof top unit is an outdoor ahu.

As the rtu is mounted on the roof this removes the concern about creating extra space or room for fitting it as is the case for the other types of ahu. The term defined economizer the device is built in or retrofitted to rooftop equipment. Additionally ahu s will often be connected to central plant such as chillers and boilers to provide the heating and cooling but rtu s are self contained and have everything they need all in one unit. Sep 9 2016 2 min read a packaged rooftop unit or rtu is a type of hvac system that contains all the components needed to provide conditioned air in one concise unit.

The rtu is a piece of mechanical equipment that is designed to heat cool ventilate by providing air flow for any combination of the three. Rooftop units are a type of air handler the main difference is that they are usually more compact and they re always installed on the roof so they need to be more robust and weather proof to deal with the sun rain snow wind etc. An enclosed space inside a building or other structure used for airflow.