RTU (Rooftop Unit)

A packaged HVAC unit installed on a building's roof — common on commercial buildings.

An RTU bundles a condenser, evaporator, and air handler into one cabinet on the roof. Ductwork drops directly through the roof into the conditioned space. Common on retail, warehouse, and small commercial.

Capacity is measured in tons — 1 ton = 12,000 BTU/h. Most small commercial RTUs run 3-10 tons.

Related

• MEP — Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing — the three trades that handle the building's systems.
• HVAC CRM software — How FieldKrew handles this for hvac businesses
• Square (Roofing) — A unit of roof measurement equal to 100 square feet — the standard way roofers measure, quote, and order materials.
• Pitch (Roofing) — The slope of a roof, expressed as rise over run — e.g. 6:12 means 6 inches of rise per 12 inches of horizontal run.
• Waste Factor — The percentage of extra material added to an order to account for cuts, valleys, hips, and mistakes during install.
• GFCI (Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter) — An outlet or breaker that shuts off power within milliseconds when it detects a ground fault — required in wet areas by code.