Rooftop Make-Up Air Units
Commercial kitchens, manufacturing plants, and warehouses exhaust thousands of CFM through hoods, process vents, and local exhaust systems. That air has to come back in tempered and filtered, or the building goes negative and energy costs climb.
Packaged rooftop make-up air units consolidate heating, cooling, filtration, and supply air into a single weatherized cabinet mounted on the roof curb. We carry four manufacturer lines covering 800 to 130,000 CFM with gas heat, mechanical cooling, and evaporative cooling configurations.
A manufacturer-agnostic distributor matches the package to your exhaust load and climate zone, not to a single product catalog. North American manufacturers, factory warranties, and application engineering support from load calculation through startup.
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Packaged Rooftop MUA Configurations From 800 to 130,000 CFM
Rooftop make-up air packages range from filtered-only supply fans for warehouses and distribution centers to fully configured systems with gas heat, mechanical cooling, and modulating controls for commercial kitchens and process-intensive manufacturing environments.
CFM requirements, tempering method, and construction ratings determine which package fits the application.
| Manufacturer | Product Lines | CFM Range | Heating | Cooling |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AbsolutAire | V-Series, AA-Series, R-Series | 800 – 130,000 | Direct-fired gas, electric, steam, hot water coil | DX, evaporative, chilled water |
| FloAire | SA Modular, RTU-FA DOAS | 400 – 22,000 | Direct/indirect gas, electric | DX, evaporative, chilled water |
| Hartzell | Series 78V / 78H | 7,100 – 23,500 | Direct-fired gas | None integrated |
| Canarm | SIS / SIG Series | 2,300 – 12,500 | None (filtered supply only) | None integrated |
Spray booths and industrial laundries typically fall into the high-CFM gas-fired configurations, while grocery and retail environments often start with filtered supply units and add heating or cooling modules as the application demands.
Rooftop Make-Up Air Unit vs Standard RTU
A standard RTU mixes return air with outdoor air for space comfort conditioning. A rooftop make-up air unit delivers 100% outdoor air to replace what exhaust systems remove. The make-up air unit is sized to the exhaust volume, not the cooling load, and conditions the incoming air before it enters the space.
Key differences:
- RTU handles space heating and cooling with mixed air
- MUA handles ventilation air volume with 100% outdoor air
- Where both run together, the MUA replaces exhausted air while a separate RTU or split system handles the space load
Heated and cooled make-up air configurations allow year-round operation in a single rooftop package.
Applications that need both gas heat and mechanical cooling in one cabinet can evaluate direct gas-fired units with DX cooling.
Not sure what size unit your application needs?
Use our free tool to estimate the CFM and capacity for your project.
Supporting Components for Rooftop MUA Installations
The packaged unit is the core of the system, but the installation requires supporting air-side components. We supply everything alongside the unit so it specs together from a single source.
- Roof-mounted exhaust and supply fans
- Backdraft and control dampers
- Intake louvers
- Roof curbs and equipment rails
- Gravity relief ventilators
Specifying these components together avoids mismatched airflow and simplifies procurement, whether the project calls for a packaged rooftop unit or a dedicated outdoor air system.
Evaluating whether your project needs a packaged rooftop unit or a dedicated outdoor air system?
Run the numbers on your ventilation load before you spec.
Authorized MUA Rooftop Unit Suppliers
We are the official distributors for the top American companies that make rooftop air conditioning units. We’ll be pleased to provide the ideal make-up air unit for your application as authorized representatives.
For a fast quote on the best commercial rooftop hvac units for the application contact us now.
Specify the Right Rooftop Make-Up Air Unit
Several manufacturer lines means the spec matches the exhaust load, the climate zone, and the construction requirements of the application.
A restaurant kitchen running 5,000 CFM through a Type I hood and a chemical plant exhausting 50,000 CFM through process vents need different packages.
We carry both and everything in between.
Every unit ships from a US factory with the manufacturer’s full warranty.
FAQ
What is the difference between a DOAS and an RTU?
A DOAS (dedicated outdoor air system) conditions 100% outdoor air for ventilation, similar to an MUA unit. A standard RTU mixes return and outdoor air primarily for space heating and cooling. DOAS units typically include energy recovery and precise humidity control that standard rooftop packages do not offer.
What size rooftop MUA unit do I need?
Size the MUA to match or slightly exceed the total exhaust volume. A restaurant with a 4,000 CFM kitchen hood needs at least 4,000 CFM of replacement air. Add tempering capacity based on your climate zone’s design-day temperatures. Your equipment distributor can run the load calculation for a precise recommendation.
Can a rooftop MUA unit provide both heating and cooling?
Yes. Fully packaged rooftop MUA units can include gas-fired heating sections and mechanical cooling sections in the same cabinet. This allows a single unit to temper outdoor air year-round, delivering heated supply in winter and cooled supply in summer without requiring separate seasonal equipment.