Air Mixer for AHU Applications
$0.00
Stop frozen coils, freeze-stat trips, and wasted energy in your AHU.
EB Air Control is a trusted air mixer manufacturer and supplier that designs compact air mixing solutions for new and retrofit AHU applications. EB Air Control’s compact air mixer blends outside air and return air evenly in just 2 to 3 feet of downstream plenum space. Unlike baffles or high-velocity jets, it delivers full mixing with low pressure drop, so you don’t need a bigger motor or extra cabinet space.
Built for both retrofit projects and new AHU designs, with custom sizing available for your specific unit.
If you’re dealing with frozen coils, rising energy costs, or AHUs that can’t handle new ventilation rates, air stratification may be the underlying problem. EB Air Control can size an air mixer for your specific unit, whether it’s an existing retrofit or a new AHU design.
APPLICATION
An air mixer is used any time an air handling unit brings in two air streams of very different temperatures and needs them blended before they reach the coil. As an outside air return air mixer, it is used in existing AHUs that already show signs of stratification, new AHU installations being designed to avoid the problem from day one, and any enclosure where the two streams need to combine evenly, particularly where the temperature gap between them is large.
Air stratification happens when a poorly designed mixing box lets two air streams of different temperatures travel side by side without blending properly. In winter, this shows up as frozen coils, freeze stat trips, and false sensor readings. In summer, uneven mixing puts extra load on the heat transfer coil and drives up energy bills. As outdoor air ventilation requirements have increased under modern indoor air quality standards, this stratification problem has only gotten more common, which is why an air mixer for HVAC unit retrofits has become a standard fix rather than a specialty item.
Older fixes for this problem, such as glycol additives, high velocity jets, and baffles, generally came with a tradeoff: lower airflow capacity, higher pressure drop, or a bigger motor to compensate. EB Air’s compact air mixer was built specifically to avoid that tradeoff. It is also commonly specified as an air mixer for green buildings and an air mixer for sustainable design projects, since better mixing directly reduces the wasted energy that comes from an AHU working harder than it should.
VIDEO
WORKS
How the Air Mixer Works
This air mixing device uses alternating layers of cold outside air and warm return air passageways. Return air is directed toward the outside air using diverters placed on alternating passageways, so the two streams blend layer by layer across the full cross-section of the plenum rather than staying separated side by side.
Mixing happens through thermal dispersion across thin sheet metal walls inside the mixer, combined with aerodynamic braiding bars that speed up blending within a short distance. Because of this design, the downstream distance needed to fully mix the air is only about 2 to 3 feet, compared to the longer runs that older-style mixing methods typically require. This shorter mixing distance is one of the main reasons this custom AHU air mixer fits into cabinets where space is already tight, without forcing a redesign of the unit.
For applications that need heavier mixing, such as air mixers for rooftop air handlers with wide swings in outdoor temperature, EB Air also offers a VAV Mixer variant. This version churns air at a set speed using its braiders, which is built to handle heavier mixing loads and adjust to changing conditions rather than running at one fixed setting. Noise output can also be addressed at this stage, since acoustical media can be built into the unit where low sound attenuation is a project requirement.
KEY FEATURES
- Compact design built for retrofit AHUs where cabinet space is limited
- Low pressure drop operation, even compared to standard mixing methods
- Rapid air blending within approximately 2 to 3 feet of downstream space
- Custom sizing available to match existing or new AHU cabinets
- Optional acoustical media for projects with low sound attenuation requirements
- Suitable for both new AHU builds and existing system retrofits
- Available VAV Mixer configuration for heavier mixing loads
BENEFITS
- Helps reduce energy waste caused by uneven air mixing and air stratification
- Protects coils from freeze damage and the freeze stat trips that come with it
- Improves coil efficiency, since evenly mixed air transfers heat more predictably
- Lowers equipment downtime caused by frozen or damaged coils
- Improves indoor comfort and air quality by keeping ventilation air properly blended
- Fits inside most existing AHU cabinets, avoiding the extra downstream space that older mixing methods needed
SPECIFICATIONS
| Specification | Detail |
| Product type | Compact plenum air mixer for AHU systems |
| Mixing method | Alternating cold (O/A) and warm (R/A) passageway layers with diverters |
| Mixing technology | Thermal dispersion across thin sheet metal walls, aerodynamic braiding bars |
| Downstream space required | Approximately 2 to 3 feet |
| Available variant | VAV Mixer, for heavier mixing loads with adjustable control |
| Noise control | Optional acoustical media for low sound attenuation requirements |
| Pressure drop | Low, compared to high-velocity jet and baffle-style mixers |
| Material construction | Contact factory for project-specific specifications |
| Gauge thickness | Contact factory for project-specific specifications |
| Available sizes | Custom-sized to fit existing or new AHU cabinets |
| Face velocity range | Contact factory for project-specific specifications |
| Operating temperature range | Contact factory for project-specific specifications |
| AHU compatibility | Fits most standard and custom AHU cabinet designs |
| Custom dimensions | Available on request for non-standard cabinet sizes |
| Typical applications | Existing AHUs with stratification issues, new AHU builds, rooftop air handlers |
Air Mixer vs Traditional Solutions
Before purpose-built air mixers became common, facility teams tried several ways to deal with stratification: glycol additives to keep coils from freezing, high velocity jets, dampers, and baffles to force the air streams together. Each of these came at a cost, usually in the form of higher pressure drop, a bigger motor to compensate, or more downstream space to let the air settle before it reached the coil. An air mixing device takes a different approach, blending the two streams gradually across the full cross-section of the plenum instead of forcing them through a narrow, high-velocity chamber.
| Feature | Air Mixer | Baffles | High Velocity Jets |
| Pressure drop | Low | Higher | Higher |
| Energy efficiency | High | Moderate | Moderate |
| Coil protection | Excellent | Limited | Limited |
| Downstream space | 2 to 3 ft | More | More |
| Retrofit friendly | Yes | Often difficult | Often difficult |
Price: Very Economical and no annual maintenance.
For facility teams comparing options, this is usually the deciding factor: an air mixer solves the stratification problem without the capacity and energy tradeoffs that older fixes came with.
Air Mixer Flow Diagram
WHY CHOOSE US
Why Choose EB Air Control as Your Air Mixer Manufacturer?
- Trusted air mixer manufacturer and supplier with over 27 years of combined HVAC design and manufacturing experience.
- Custom-built air mixer sizing for each AHU, not just standard sizes
- Low pressure drop design, engineered and tested before it reaches your project
- Retrofit-friendly installation that fits most existing AHU cabinets without a redesign
- Direct factory engineering support for sizing, noise attenuation, and VAV Mixer configurations
- Manufactured in North America, with experience solving stratification problems across a wide range of building types and climates
FAQs
Q1. What is an air mixer used for?
An air mixer is used inside an air handling unit to blend outside air and return air evenly before it reaches the heating or cooling coil, which prevents air stratification, coil freeze-ups, and uneven temperature control.
Q2. What is air stratification and why does it matter?
Air stratification happens when two air streams of different temperatures travel through an AHU plenum without mixing properly. In winter, this can freeze coils and trip freeze stats, and in summer it adds extra load to the coil, which drives up energy costs.
Q3. How is an air mixer different from dampers, baffles, or high velocity jets?
Older methods like baffles and high velocity jets force air through a narrow chamber, which increases pressure drop and often needs a larger motor. An air mixer blends air gradually across the full plenum cross-section, which keeps pressure drop low and needs far less downstream space.
Q4. How much space does an air mixer need inside the AHU?
A properly designed air mixing device typically needs only about 2 to 3 feet of downstream distance to fully mix the air, compared to the longer runs older mixing methods usually require.
Q5. Can an air mixer be used for a retrofit project?
Yes. EB Air’s compact air mixer is commonly used as a retrofit air mixer in existing AHU cabinets where stratification has become a problem, without requiring a full redesign of the unit.
Q6. Does EB Air offer a heavier mixing option?
Yes. The VAV Mixer variant is built for heavier mixing loads and adjusts to changing conditions using its braiders, making it suited for applications like rooftop air handlers with large outdoor temperature swings.
Q7. Is the air mixer noisy?
Not by design. Acoustical media can be built into the unit where low sound attenuation is required, so noise output can be addressed as part of the initial sizing and configuration.
Q8. What info do you need to size one?
To size an air mixer for your project, EB Air will need your AHU model or plenum dimensions, design CFM, outside air and return air temperatures, and any space or sound constraints. Send over your project details, and our team will provide a spec.
BROCHURE
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