The Science of Comfort

Your Premier Source for All Things HVAC

What Is a Drop Box?

Posted by Ryan Compton on March 18, 2025 at 9:00 AM
Ryan Compton
Find me on:

A Simple Approach to Air Distribution for Large Spaces

In the world of air distribution, a drop box is a plenum with multiple air outlets that is connected directly to an air handling unit (AHU) by a short run of ductwork. A drop box can be an effective way to deliver a substantial volume of conditioned air to large, enclosed spaces.

Price’s Drop Box with High-Capacity Drum Louvers with four-way airflow pattern Price’s Drop Box with High-Capacity Drum Louvers with six-way airflow pattern
Price’s Drop Box with High-Capacity Drum Louvers with adjustable four-way (left) and six-way (right) airflow patterns

Typically located directly below an AHU, the drop box is usually equipped with four to six air outlets that distribute air equally in all directions. Since the duct run between the AHU and drop box is short and the air volumes are large, turbulence and air velocities can be high. A well-designed drop box will have sturdy construction to handle these conditions and optimized internal geometries to minimize any turbulence. This ensures that airflow can be effectively distributed while keeping pressure drop and self-generated noise to a minimum.

It is common for drop boxes to use high-capacity drum louvers as their air outlets. These robust devices are already designed for large air volumes and have adjustable blades to control airflow patterns horizontally and a rotatable drum to adjust airflow patterns vertically. This provides flexibility to fine-tune airflow patterns to achieve excellent air distribution for different spaces and operating conditions.

Large factory with drop boxes installed in ceiling
Drop boxes are ideal for large, enclosed spaces such as manufacturing plants

With long throws and minimal ductwork, drop boxes are a simple and cost-effective solution for a variety of applications, including warehouses, large retail stores and manufacturing facilities

For more information about how you can use drop boxes in your next project, check out our brochure or contact our team at GRD@priceindustries.com.

 

Ryan Compton Ryan Compton is Application Engineering Manager for Price's GRD team. He is based out of Price's headquarters in Winnipeg, MB. Click here to connect with him on LinkedIn.

New call-to-action

Topics: GRD, HVAC Fundamentals, HVAC, Engineering, Design Engineering

At Price, when we say “the sky is the limit,” we actually mean it.

Our customers have come to count on a consistent and ever-increasing stream of new products and enhancements.  Price has a large team of experienced and talented engineers who are consistently working on breakthrough ideas.  We are not afraid to move into whole new product categories if we believe we have a contribution to make.

  • Research & Innovation
  • Technical Tours
  • Training Classes
  • Targeted Discussions
  • Mock-up Testing
  • Custom Solutions & Specials
  • Custom Finishes
  • Computational Fluid Dynamics
  • Virtual Reality

Subscribe to Email Updates

Recent Posts