EXAIR’s Dual Hazardous Location Cabinet Cooler® Systems provide a powerful, maintenance-free solution for protecting large electrical enclosures in hazardous environments. Designed for classified areas, including Class I Div 1, Groups A, B, C, and D; Class II Div 1, Groups E, F, and G; and Class III, these high-capacity cooling systems prevent sensitive electronics from overheating while eliminating the need for costly air conditioners or panel fans. With cooling capacities up to 5,600 Btu/Hr, Dual Hazardous Location Cabinet Coolers are ideal for oversized control panels, motor control centers, and other electrical enclosures exposed to explosive gas or combustible dust atmospheres.
Dual Hazardous Location Cabinet Cooler Systems use two engineered Cabinet Coolers working together to evenly distribute cold air throughout large enclosures, maintaining safe operating temperatures for critical electrical components. The systems are UL tested for hazardous locations and preserve the enclosure’s integrity by mounting through standard electrical knockouts. Each system includes an automatic drain filter separator to prevent moisture from entering the enclosure, while optional electronic temperature controls are also available. With no moving parts to wear out and no refrigerants to maintain, the systems provide long-lasting, reliable protection in the harshest industrial environments.
Dual Hazardous Location Cabinet Cooler Systems are part of EXAIR’s complete family of Cabinet Cooler® Systems, offering solutions for NEMA 12, 4, 4X, and ATEX-rated enclosures ranging from 1,000 to 5,600 Btu/hr. Whether cooling a small control panel or a large electrical enclosure in a classified area, EXAIR provides engineered cooling solutions for virtually any enclosure cooling challenge.
If you require assistance with sizing, EXAIR does have a Cabinet Cooler Sizing Guide to fill out for us to calculate the total heat load. For our U.S. customers, we are offering a promotion. You will receive an AC Sensor, a $77.50 value, for free as a promotional item from now until the end of August 2026 with a qualified purchase of our Cabinet Coolers. If you have any questions or need more information about our Cabinet Coolers, an Application Engineer can assist you.
Electrical enclosures are the brains of modern manufacturing. When heat builds up inside them, it triggers tripped breakers, blown fuses, and costly component failures.
Standard air conditioners are bulky and require heavy maintenance. EXAIRCabinet Coolers offer a low-maintenance alternative by using vortex tube technology to turn compressed air into cold air.
Compressed air goes in; cold air comes out of the Vortex Tube and is circulated through the enclosure. The Vortex Tube’s hot flow and the warm exhaust from the enclosure are vented through the Cabinet Cooler’s body.
To protect your electronics, you must choose the right cooler size. Sizing requires calculating the total heat load of your enclosure. Here is the step-by-step process to get it right.
The Four Sources of Heat Load
To find the total heat load, you must look at how energy enters or builds up in your panel. The total heat load is determined by adding four main areas together: internal, external, fan, and solar heat loads.
1. Internal Heat Load
The internal load is the heat generated by the inefficiencies of your electrical devices inside the panel. You can calculate this by listing the wattage or volt/amp ratings of your major devices—like VFDs, power supplies, and transformers. Alternatively, you can measure the current internal and external air temperature. The difference between these two can be used to calculate the internal heat load.
2. External Heat Load
External heat enters the panel from the surrounding room or nearby high-heat equipment like ovens. To ensure your electronics stay cool on the hottest day, you must compare the highest expected external air temperature against your maximum desired internal temperature. Most electrical components are designed to operate around 95°F (35°C).
3. Panel Fans
Installing an EXAIR Cabinet Cooler requires sealing all vents and removing old panel fans to allow the system to properly purge hot, humid air. Because you are removing an active, albeit less efficient, cooling device, you must factor that fan back into your equations. You will need to account for either the fan’s flow rate or its physical diameter.
4. Solar Heat Load
Solar heat is an extra thermal load that only applies if your panel is stationed outdoors without cover and under direct sunlight. For outdoor calculations, the color of your enclosure matters significantly; lighter cabinet colors absorb much less heat than darker finishes.
All of these elements can be plugged into our Cabinet Cooler sizing guide, or our online Cabinet Cooler Systems Calculator to give you the total heat load in BTU/hr. Once you have your final BTU/hr requirement, it’s as simple as matching it to the appropriate EXAIR system. EXAIR systems range from small 275 BTU/hr units up to heavy-duty 5,600 BTU/hr systems.
You also need to select the correct NEMA rating for your environment:
NEMA 12: For dust and oil-tight industrial environments.
NEMA 4: For water-resistant, outdoor, or washdown areas.
NEMA 4X: For corrosion-resistant stainless steel environments (food processing/chemical).
By taking precise measurements and calculating your true thermal load, you ensure your control panels stay cool, production keeps running, and you never waste compressed air on an oversized unit.
Electrical panels are the brains of your production line. When they overheat, components trip, machines stop, and downtime costs start ticking away.
To keep these sensitive PLCs and VFDs cool, plants typically rely on traditional Freon-based air conditioners. But is a bulky, mechanical A/C unit actually the best choice for your specific environment?
Let’s look past the initial price tag and run through a quick diagnostic checklist to determine if you should make the switch to an EXAIR Cabinet Cooler.
The 4-Question Diagnostic Checklist
Answer the following questions about your factory floor to see which technology fits best:
1. What does the air look like around your enclosures?
A) Clean and controlled ambient environment. Standard temperature, low dust, no airborne oil mist.
B) Harsh and dirty. Flour dust, metal shavings, lint, slurry, or heavy ambient oil mist. Uncontrolled shop temperatures.
2. How much physical vibration or shock does the panel experience?
A) Minimal. The panel is isolated on a concrete floor or far away from heavy machinery.
B) Significant. The panel is mounted directly to a stamping press, vibrating conveyor, or heavy CNC machine. Lots of vibration and/or shock loading.
3. How often does your team perform preventative maintenance on electronics?
A) Regularly. We have dedicated HVAC technicians or maintenance shifts with time to clean filters and coils weekly.
B) Rarely. We are short-staffed; maintenance is reactive, and filters only get changed when something breaks.
4. What is your primary financial bottleneck?
A) Monthly utility bills. We monitor direct electrical consumption aggressively.
B) Unscheduled downtime and CapEx budget. A single hour of unexpected line stoppage costs us thousands, and upfront equipment budgets are tight.
Should You Switch?
If you answered mostly A’s: Stick with Freon A/C
If your factory floor mirrors a clean room, experiences zero vibration, and you have the staff to clean filters constantly, a traditional Freon A/C unit makes sense. It is highly efficient at pulling direct electricity to drive a closed refrigeration cycle, making it cost-effective from a pure utility perspective in mild environments.
If you answered mostly B’s: You Should Switch to EXAIR
If your environment is tough, dirty, or vibrating, a Freon system is a ticking time bomb. You should switch to a Cabinet Cooler immediately for three core reasons:
Zero Moving Parts: Traditional A/C units rely on compressors, fans, and evaporators that fail under constant industrial vibration. EXAIR Cabinet Coolers utilize a vortex tube to turn compressed air into cold air with zero moving parts. Nothing to wear out, nothing to break.
The “Dirty Filter” Trap: In dusty or oily plants, Freon condenser coils clog fast. When they clog, the unit stops cooling, the panel trips, and your line goes down. EXAIR systems maintain a slight positive pressure inside the cabinet, constantly purging dirty ambient air out of the panel, keeping it clean while cooling it.
Drastic Maintenance Reduction: Instead of paying for certified HVAC technicians, reclaiming refrigerant, and degreasing coils, the only maintenance an EXAIR system requires is replacing a simple compressed air filter element a couple of times a year.
The True Cost Breakdown (1,700 BTU/hr. System)
Many plant managers hesitate to switch because compressed air is an expensive utility. However, when you look at the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) over the lifetime of the hardware, the math shifts dramatically:
Cost Element
Freon Air Conditioner
EXAIR Cabinet Cooler System
Initial Purchase Cost
~$2,500.00 (Lasts ~3-5 years)
~$750.00 (Lasts 15-20 years)
Amortized Hardware/Year
$500.00 / yr
$37.50 / yr
Annual Maintenance & Parts
~$320.00 / yr (Coil cleaning/filters)
~$0.00 (Standard filter changes)
Annual Utility/Energy Cost
~$56.00 / yr (Direct electricity)
~$338.00 / yr (With thermostat control)
Total Annualized TCO
$924.00 / year
$379.50 / year
Pro-Tip for Maximum Efficiency: To keep your compressed air costs low, never run a Cabinet Cooler continuously. Always use an EXAIR Thermostat and Solenoid Valve kit. This ensures the cooler only consumes air when the internal panel temperature ticks past a safe threshold (like 95°F), cutting air consumption by up to 70%.
Ready to stop dealing with failed panel A/C units?
Don’t wait for the heat of summer to trip your critical control panels. You can absolutely be proactive about mitigating heat. Review EXAIR’s Cabinet Cooler Calculator to size the exact BTU/hr. unit your panel needs. You can also speak directly with an application engineer to make the switch. Give us a call today or schedule a meeting with one of our Application Engineers who can walk you through the sizing and selection process in just a few minutes.
Neal Raker, Application Engineering / International Sales Manager nealraker@exair.com
Heat, dirt, and moisture are natural enemies of electrical and electronic gear. Dirt and moisture are relatively easy to eliminate as dangers: just seal up the enclosure so they can’t get in. Heat, though, is a real “apex predator.” Whether the enclosure is sealed or not, the components inside will generate heat if they’re energized. And no matter what, the enclosure will get as hot as its surroundings in time, as long as the Second Law of Thermodynamics is in effect (spoiler alert: it’s immutable.)
So how do you keep the components in those panels cool? If the environment is clean enough and the temperature and humidity aren’t too high, fans can circulate cooling air from the environment through the panel. These are readily commercially available starting under $100.00, and generally won’t cost any more than about $50.00 a year in operating costs(electricity). If the environment is climate controlled and relatively free of contaminants, you can’t beat them. If you’re on a desktop computer, and it hasn’t burned out, there’s your proof.
Many, if not most, industrial panels, though, are in areas where fan cooling just won’t cut it. Not only will those aforementioned natural enemies like dirt & moisture be allowed in, they’ll be DRAGGED in. Luckily, modern technology presents us with a number of options, depending on the particulars of the environment. The following are some details on “the usual suspects”, and a table with total cost of ownership:
Panel air conditioners work on the refrigerant cycle and are capable of the highest cooling capacities of the methods detailed here. They’re also the most expensive, with a typical annual cost of over $1,100.00.
Aside from the high cost, they can be maintenance intensive and prone to failure, especially in dirty or oily environments. Their cooling capacity is also adversely affected by higher ambient temperatures.
Air-to-air heat exchangers transfer heat continuously through a sealed, hollow tube by vaporizing and condensing a refrigerant-type fluid. Instead of using compressors with electric motors and other mechanical components with lots of moving parts, they rely on capillary action to effect the phase changes. They can’t cool below ambient temperature, but they are the least expensive of these, coming in at around $370.00 in annual cost.
*Hot air (inside the panel) causes refrigerant in heat pipe to flash to a gas. *Cold air (from the environment) causes the refrigerant to condense to a liquid.
Liquid-to-air heat exchangers work an awful lot like a car radiator: they circulate liquid (usually a water/glycol mix, like anti-freeze) through a heat exchanger/heat sink inside the panel and then through a heat exchanger outside the panel. Like the fan and refrigerant-based coolers, their cooling performance drops as the ambient temperature rises, except for the ones that use chilled water. In facilities that already have chilled water, that might not be a big deal, but if you need one that comes with the chiller, they can get pretty expensive. And, you still have the maintenance & durability issues that come with any refrigerant-operated cooler. Liquid-to-air systems can run as low as ~$425.00 a year in total cost, for the ones that don’t need chilled water.
Thermoelectric coolers use the Peltier effect: when voltage is applied to two electrodes connected to a semiconductor, heat is transferred from one side to the other. Their compact design with no moving parts makes them popular for high-performance gaming computers (like the one my son spends WAY too much time on), small coolers (wine experts like them because they don’t cause any vibration which can affect the wine’s quality), and certain lab, medical, and laser cooling equipment. They have a limited cooling capacity, and because electric current generates heat, that gets added to the overall heat dissipation. The annual cost for these is around $950.00.
EXAIR Cabinet Cooler Systems can be installed in minutes, have no moving parts to wear, no electric motors to burn out, aren’t affected by environmental contaminants or humidity. In fact, of all the methods available for panel cooling, they have the widest range of where they can be used:
They do require an adequate supply of compressed air, which makes up the bulk of their total cost of ownership, which is around $410.00 a year.
I’ve mentioned cost of ownership several times, so I had better get to what that means: it’s the cost of the equipment itself and installation (spread across the effective life of the equipment), plus the annual maintenance & operating costs. Here’s a table with a comparison of the panel cooling options above:
If you have electrical or electronic panels that need heat protection RIGHT NOW, we can help. ALL of our systems are in stock and available for same-day shipment. We can even help out with determining which one is right for your needs with the information from our Sizing Guide, or you can do it yourself with our online calculator. If you want some help with it, give me a call.
Russ Bowman, CCASS
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