TL;DR
An economizer is a damper-and-control assembly on commercial HVAC equipment that opens to outside air for free cooling whenever outdoor conditions are cooler or drier than the return air, cutting compressor runtime. Found mostly on rooftop units, it modulates outdoor and return dampers based on dry-bulb or enthalpy comparisons.
What it means
An economizer is a damper-and-control assembly on commercial HVAC equipment that opens to outside air for free cooling whenever outdoor conditions are cooler or drier than the return air, cutting compressor runtime. Found mostly on rooftop units, it modulates outdoor and return dampers based on dry-bulb or enthalpy comparisons. Stuck dampers and failed sensors are endemic — studies find a large share inoperative — which is why energy codes now require fault-detection diagnostics on new units.
Where it sits in the glossary
Economizer is part of the Trade jargon group inside the ProFix Directory glossary. Browse every term in this category from the glossary index.
Why Ohio homeowners should know it
This is a term Ohio homeowners encounter when reading contractor quotes, hiring paperwork, or inspection reports. Understanding it well enough to ask one good follow-up question is usually all the protection a homeowner needs.
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ProFix tools that touch this term
See also
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