Question: Are Duo Therm Air Doors as good as they are claimed to be?

At Ulti Group, we understand the importance of making a sound investment in your business, especially with key assets like Ulti Duo Therm Air Door, which can require a considerable capital outlay for your business. We’re often asked about the impact these world-class doors have on energy savings and how they contribute to efficiency in real-world settings. It’s a great question, and we want to be as transparent as possible to support your decision-making. 

We often get asked to provide case studies from our customers, stating the amount of dollars saved in running costs, a percentage of savings in the total amount of electricity used, or other similar questions. At Ulti Group, we love sharing the benefits our customers experience; however, when it comes to gauging cost savings from the Ulti Duo Therm Air Door, there are a few factors that make it challenging to provide exact figures or percentages. Here’s why: 

• Confidentiality: Many of our customers find these details sensitive, so while they do experience energy savings, they aren’t always able to share specifics publicly. 
• Unique Site Variables: Every facility is different! Factors such as: 
  • Refrigeration Condition: The state of your existing refrigeration system can play a large role. Ulti Duo Therm Air Doors help protect against energy loss, but their effectiveness is best maximised when other equipment is operating optimally. 
  • Environmental Factors: Humidity and temperature changes throughout the year also impact energy savings, with certain seasons presenting more challenging conditions. 
  • Other Doorways: Testing the Ulti Duo Therm Air Door on a single doorway is a great starting point, yet it’s important to remember that unprotected doorways may still contribute to energy loss. Full results are usually seen when all doorways are taken into account. 
• Energy Prices: Fluctuations in electricity costs can also affect savings, making it harder to pinpoint an exact percentage across different times or regions. 
• Additional Projects: Many businesses are implementing other energy-saving initiatives alongside replacing their doors, which can make it tough to attribute savings to one factor alone. 

All of these factors, can have a significant effect on any results you might see while undertaking a trial, or from completed installs. It’s important to understand that your new door may not be at fault. We’re committed to helping you see the best results from your investment so our team is here to support you with insights and advice tailored to your specific setup, so you feel confident in the impact these doors can have on your operation.  

 

The Proof 

The following photos were taken at a site in New Zealand, and the client is delighted with the Ulti Duo Therm Air Door that they have. 

 

This photo was taken standing in the doorway with the Ulti Duo Therm Air Door installed, while the door was in the completely open position. To the right is the inside of their freezer, and to the left is an ambient temperature zone. The grey area that you can see in the middle of the photo is the air curtain part of the Ulti Duo Therm Air door, which activates as soon as the door starts going up, and remains active until the door is closed again. As you will see from the next image, this air curtain creates a very effective barrier which keeps the cold air inside your freezer, and the warm air out. 

This is a thermal image of the first photo. You will see a colour chart down the right hand side of the photo, which tells you the range of temperatures which are present in this photo. The blue area represents the cold air within the freezer, while the warmer colours (yellow to red) show the ambient temperature on the other side. Notice the yellow-blue barrier in the middle—the air curtain. As you can see, this has created an effective thermal barrier, preventing that cold air from escaping, and keeping your freezer efficient and temperature-controlled. 

  

A Normal Doorway in a Chilled Environment 

Each time a standard freezer door opens, energy loss occurs, as cold air escapes and warmer air flows in to replace it. This effect happens with any traditional door, making it one of the biggest sources of energy loss in a high-traffic freezer area. Essentially, your doorway acts as an open hole in your wall, allowing temperature fluctuations that impact efficiency and raise costs over time. 

 

What is happening here is the cold air, which is dense and heavy, tumbles out through the doorway, like gravel out of the back of a truck. To compensate for this air movement in the bottom of your doorway, warm air then enters the freezer through the top of your doorway.  The energy loss and ice problems that this two-way energy transfer causes are significant.  

The good news is, our customers who are investing in Ulti Duo Therm Air Doors are now experiencing ice free freezers, and for the first time in a lot of cases. An Ulti Duo Therm Air Door isn’t just another door; it’s scientifically designed to maintain critical temperatures in your freezers, offering unmatched performance and reliability.  

And it’s part of a revolution in the market. At Ulti Group, we offer a full range of Air Doors tailored to specific needs, each one crafted with care and expertise.  

Ready to make your freezer doors work smarter? Make the decision today for an Ulti Air Door and experience the difference first hand. Your team, your customers, and your bottom line will thank you for the investment.