Tag: compressed air cabinet cooler

NEMA 4X Panel Cooling Challenges

Published on by Russ BowmanLeave a comment

Electronic components don’t like heat, which is kind of ironic, considering they generate so much heat by themselves. Heat causes them to malfunction, and prolonged exposure can shorten their lifespan, or even cause them to fail RIGHT NOW. In any case, it’s important to keep them cool.

The computer that sits on my desk has a little fan in the back. This circulates fairly clean air from our climate-controlled office through the inside, keeping everything working just like it should.

It’d be great if ALL electrical & electronic component enclosures were situated in such ideal environments. Many, though, are subject to HARSH conditions: dust, oil vapor, high humidity, water spray for sanitation, high temperatures, corrosive elements – just to name a few. And EXAIR has panel cooling solutions for ALL of them.

Today, dear reader, we’re going to look at that last one: corrosive elements in the environment. Some of the more popular places where we encounter these are:

  • Paper mills use chemicals that create harsh vapors. If you’ve ever been around a paper mill, you likely know the smell of methyl mercaptan. Whether you know the name or not, it’s the source of that trademark odor that permeates the air for MILES around paper mills, and it’s a byproduct of pulp processing that’s corrosive in wet or humid environments . . .like paper mills.
  • Wastewater treatment plants use highly corrosive chemicals to make clean water out of — let’s just say, not-so-clean water. And, the process releases hydrogen sulfide gas, which is HIGHLY corrosive.
  • Chemical plants: they make corrosive stuff ON PURPOSE. To be fair, those harsh chemicals are used in the production of just about everything in the modern world.
  • Electroplating facilities use some of the strongest acids and bases in their plating solutions, which release harsh & corrosive vapors.
  • Food processing facilities have to wash down entire rooms within their buildings, and some of the sanitizing agents they use create corrosive conditions.

You obviously can’t use fans (like my desktop computer in our clean office environment) for cooling control panels in these environments. Panel air conditioners have filters that can get dirty in a hurry, cooling coils that get fouled and corroded, and electric motors that burn out quicker in harsh environments. These environments are where Cabinet Cooler Systems make the most sense. With no moving parts to wear or electrical components to burn out, they’ll run darn near indefinitely, maintenance free, as long as they’re supplied with clean compressed air. And since 100% of the cold air they make comes from the compressed air supply, when they’re properly installed on a sealed panel, the only thing the components inside are ever exposed to is clean, cold, moisture-free air.

EXAIR NEMA 12 (oil tight, dust tight, indoor duty) and NEMA 4 (splash resistant, indoor/outdoor duty) Cabinet Coolers are made of lightweight and fairly corrosion-resistant aluminum. When harsh corrosive elements are present, though, our NEMA 4X (corrosion resistant, indoor/outdoor duty) Cabinet Coolers are made of type 303 Stainless Steel. When PARTICULARLY corrosive elements are present, we also offer them in type 316 Stainless Steel as well.

EXAIR NEMA 4X Cabinet Coolers are made of Stainless Steel for corrosion resistance in the harshest of conditions.

If you’ve got electric panels in a harsh environment, EXAIR has reliable, durable cooling solutions. If you’d like to find out more, give me a call.

Russ Bowman, CCASS

Application Engineer
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Cabinet Cooler Systems Protect Against Heat Related Failure

Published on by Russ BowmanLeave a comment

Electricity generates heat — there’s no way around it — and heat is bad for electrical and electronic components. Studies show that an 18°F (10°C) rise in operating temperature will cut the average reliability of typical modern electronic components in half. If you’re concerned about the reliability of your equipment, it stands to reason that you should have that same level of concern for what’s protecting it.

Fans in the panel walls that pull outside air through are a cheap & easy way to provide a cooling airflow for the components inside. They work just fine as long as the fan is properly sized, AND the environment is clean enough (remember, anything in the air is going to get inside your panel), AND the ambient temperature doesn’t get too high. Filtering the air being pulled in can help with contamination, but you have to keep an eye on the filter to make sure it doesn’t get clogged. And, in humid areas, fans will draw that humidity (and the potential for condensation) right past all those current carrying devices.

Panel air conditioners are one of the most common methods when fan cooling won’t cut it for any of the above reasons. They solve the problem of humidity, but their cooling capacity is reduced by elevated ambient temperatures. Environmental contaminants can clog the filters and foul the coils, so keeping up on their cleaning & maintenance is crucial.

Heat exchanger type (air-to-air or air-to-water) panel coolers are also subject to failure if they’re not properly maintained. Air-to-water types rely on a refrigerant powered chiller for the water, which has the same drawbacks as a panel air conditioner. It just may not be in proximity to the panel.

Vortex Tube products, like EXAIR’s Cabinet Cooler Systems, have no moving parts to wear or electric motors to burn out. They just need a source of clean compressed air, and they’ll run darn near indefinitely, maintenance free. That’s really all you have to do to prevent their failure — and the failure of the electrical and electronic components in the panel they’re installed on.

Inside, outdoors, high temperature, dirt/dust/humidity, corrosive and classified environments are no problem for EXAIR Cabinet Cooler Systems

If you have an electrical panel with critical equipment in it, you’ve got a lot of options for heat protection. If you want the most durable & reliable method, you’re looking for an EXAIR Cabinet Cooler System. We can help get you the one you need with just a few key pieces of data. You can even use that data to select the right one yourself. If you’d like to find out more, give me a call.

Russ Bowman, CCASS

Application Engineer
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Resources for Finding the Right Cabinet Cooler System

Published on by John BallLeave a comment
From right to left: Small NEMA 12, Large NEMA 12, Large NEMA 4X

During the warmer weather, electrical panels will start to feel the “heat.”  Freon-based coolers can be less effective in higher ambient conditions; and opening the electrical panels to have a fan blowing air inside creates a dangerous hazard.  To reduce loss in production and premature equipment failures, it is important to keep electrical components cool.  The EXAIR Cabinet Cooler Systems are an easy choice for consistent, long-lasting results. 

Cabinet Coolers are powered by Vortex technology, which uses compressed air to generate cold air flow.  They do not have any moving parts to wear.  They do not require any Freon or a refrigerant compressor that can fail.  They require very little to no maintenance to keep them operating for a long time.  EXAIR offers a variety of types and cooling capacities to work inside some of the toughest of conditions.  We range from 275 to 5,600 BTU/hr (80 – 1641 Watts) of cooling power.  They are easy to install, and EXAIR has several ways that can help you start using our Cabinet Cooler Systems. 

At the start, we do have a Cabinet Cooler Sizing Guide to help determine the total heat load.  This can be sent to us for calculations and recommendations.  We also have a Cabinet Cooler System Calculator on our website if you wish to tackle this yourself. 

EXAIR does an excellent job of helping our customers purchase a Cabinet Cooler System.  We use multiple methods to make sure that you are getting the correct information and the best out of our system.  So, if it is your first time ordering a system, here are some areas to help you quickly and easily install your new unit. 

We have our Installation Guides on our website for instructions and troubleshooting.  If you are more visual, like I am, we also have informal videos to give some tips and tricks.  Here is a list: 

How to install a Cold Air Distribution Kit

How to install Side Mount Kit

The Electronic Temperature Controller upgrade

Using the Cabinet Cooler Sizing Guide

Measuring internal and external air temperatures

Installing the Dual Hardware Kit for Dual Cabinet Coolers

Installing NEMA 4/4X Cabinet Coolers

Connecting the Thermostat to the Solenoid Valve

Resetting the thermostat

If you still have any questions, you can reach us by phone at 800-903-9247 or contact us through Chat.  An Application Engineer is waiting to help you.  For our U.S. customers from now until the end of August 2026 with qualified purchases, you will receive an AC Sensor for free, a $77.50 value, as a promotional item.  As I mentioned above, EXAIR has a number of ways to assist you from start to finish.

John Ball
Application Engineer
Email: johnball@exair.com
Twitter: @EXAIR_jb

EXAIR High Temperature Cabinet Coolers for Extreme Environments

Published on by Al WooffittLeave a comment

EXAIR‘s High Temperature Cabinet Cooler Systems prevent electrical panel failures in extreme environments where ambient temperatures reach up to 200°F (93°C). Traditional cooling methods like fans or standard air conditioners fail when positioned near intense heat sources. EXAIR’s specialized vortex-tube-powered coolers deliver reliable thermal protection to ensure your operations keep running smoothly without catastrophic heat downtime.

Industrial electrical cabinets often face brutal environments. Standard electronics are designed to operate optimally around 95°F (35°C). However, when control panels are installed near high-heat infrastructure, internal components quickly bake and fail. Typical problem areas include:

  • Boiler rooms
  • Furnaces and foundries
  • Industrial ovens
  • Steam lines and casting operations

Standard cabinet coolers struggle when ambient temperatures exceed 125°F (52°C). For these ultra-hot zones, a heavy-duty solution is required.

EXAIR High Temperature Cabinet Coolers use advanced vortex tube technology to turn ordinary compressed air into a clean, cold air stream. In the video below, you can see this cooling effect in action. All of this is achieved without the need for refrigerants or moving parts.

Some key benefits of Vortex Tube technology are:

  • Zero Moving Parts: No fans, motors, or bearings to wear out or clog from ambient dust.
  • No Refrigerants: Eliminates Freon leaks, compressors, and complex chemical maintenance.
  • Instant Installation: Mounts in minutes through a standard electrical knockout.
  • Continuous Integrity: Available in NEMA 12 (dust-tight), NEMA 4 (splash-resistant), and NEMA 4X (corrosion-resistant stainless steel) ratings to maintain your enclosure’s structural seal.

Precise and Efficient Temperature Control

Compressed air is a valuable resource, and EXAIR systems are optimized to ensure it isn’t wasted.

  • Thermostat-Controlled Systems: These configurations use an adjustable mechanical thermostat factory-set to 95°F (35°C). The cooler only activates when the interior temperature hits critical levels, automatically shutting off once cooled.
  • Electronic Temperature Control (ETC): For precision applications, the EXAIR Electronic Temperature Control system utilizes a digital LED readout and a quick-response thermocouple to manage internal environment settings accurately down to the degree.

Choosing the right unit depends on your specific cabinet dimensions and internal heat loads. High-temperature models start at cooling capacities of 1,000 BTU/hr and can scale up significantly to handle heavy component loads.

To avoid guesswork, you can use the online EXAIR Cabinet Cooler Calculator to input your panel’s dimensions and temperatures. The tool will automatically determine if a high-temperature system is required and identify the exact BTU capacity you need. Or if you would like an Application Engineer to assist you, feel free to give us a call at 1-800-903-9247!

Al Wooffitt
Application Engineer

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