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Walk-in Cooler Design Ideas and Options

By Brad Sneed | Published April 26, 2013

Selecting the right walk in cooler for your business can be overwhelming if you don’t know what to look for. The design and placement of a commercial cooler are essential factors to consider. In order to ensure traffic and optimize your profits, you need to have the highest quality equipment available. It is also important to purchase a cooler that is affordable and won’t adversely affect your bottom line in the long run.

There are many features to consider when you choose your cooler. The most important consideration is size. You will need to select the right specifications to fit the space available. Before making a decision, determine whether or not you want a freestanding unit or one that shares one or more walls with a an existing building. You will also need to decide on the depth of the cooler so there is enough capacity for all your stock.

Your walk in cooler should be customized to fit the needs of your business. Do you require a cooler and freezer combination? What temperature will work best for your storage needs? You may want to use a thermostat alarm to ensure temperature balance. Additionally, what shelving system do you need to ensure proper rotation of items as well as easy access? It’s important to utilize the area wisely so that you don’t waste energy cooling empty space.

The items in your cooler should be easy to see and retrieve by your customers as well as your employees. You may want a viewing window, interior lighting or a ramp. Consider the position and opening direction of the doors as well. Our technicians can assist you with selecting the best options. We have 15 years of experience and stay updated on the most current developments. Our efficient coolers have exceptional R-value, which means lower energy costs for you.

We build on the site, so you can have a custom cooler that fits the needs of your business. You will receive assistance during the design stage, and our professionals will provide information on how to maintain your cooler as well. Our technicians understand that a walk in cooler is a serious investment for business owners, and we want to ensure that our customers make the right choices. You can easily find a commercial cooler that is suitable for your location as well as your long-term financial goals.

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Maintaining a Walk In Cooler

By Brad Sneed | Published April 18, 2013

There are many benefits to installing a walk in cooler. We provide high quality coolers that can be designed and built on-site, allowing for the ultimate customization. Our coolers also have an exceptionally high R-value, which means that they are well insulated and will reduce energy costs. With 15 years of experience, we are dedicated to providing the best service possible.

Still, a walk in cooler is a sizable investment. However, with proper care and maintenance, these coolers should last for years. In order to increase the lifespan of a cooler, there are a few critical items that should be attended to regularly.

1. Mind the door. One of the best ways to reduce the amount of energy lost from a cooler is to keep the door shut. The door is obviously a necessary entry point that makes the cooler usable, but leaving the door open for too long will result in a loss of cool air, requiring the system to work harder to compensate. It is also a good idea to check the seal on the door. Any defect may result in a loss of air, reducing the efficiency of the unit.

2. Check the fan. The fan is a critical part of the cooler since it circulates the cool air within the unit. The motor should be checked periodically to ensure that the fan is operating at peak efficiency. It is also helpful to clean the fan from time to time. Fan blades will accumulate debris and condensation, which can produce extra weight that hinders the rotation and requires extra energy to overcome.

3. Keep space clean. Cleanliness is important on many levels, but cleaning the cooler will help ensure that it retains its functionality. In particular, be sure to clean the condensing coils and the evaporator. These two areas can accumulate buildup, which will be detrimental to the efficiency of the unit. It is also important to keep the space outside the cooler clean. Be sure to never stack items on top of the cooler or near the condensing units.

4. Hire a professional. It is always a good idea to have the cooler inspected by a professional in order to check the wires and other components. We pride ourselves on providing this type of long term care, not only giving customers the walk in cooler they need but making sure it operates for years to come.

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What will an inspector look at in your walk in cooler?

By Brad Sneed | Published April 18, 2013

Most convenience stores and supermarkets are constantly looking for effective ways to increase profit while not driving up expenses. If the store sells beer, one way to increase their sales is to install a new beer cave, which are enlarged walk-in coolers designed for shoppers to browse the shelves. These coolers are built to appeal to the customers while keeping the beer at an optimal temperature so the store can deliver the best possible product at the absolute coldest temperature.

Custom-Built Units

Since purchasing a beer cave is an investment for a business, it is important to customize it to suit the client’s needs. This means designing the beer cave to fit the on-site space utilizing custom layouts specific to your location and needs while ensuring the components address your merchandising needs and help to reduce energy costs. Once the beer cave panels have been erected you will need to coordinate with your local refrigeration contractor to run the refrigeration lines and tie in the condensation drain to an adequate location. Your new Beer Cave is Designed to Run at 28 Degrees F which will give you the edge when promoting the coldest beer in town!
Doors

Do the doors close properly? With every walk-in cooler, it is important that the doors maintain a tight seal. If the doors do not seal properly, the cooler will have to work harder to maintain the appropriate temperature. A large gap in the doors could also increase the temperature, making it an unsafe environment to store the product.

Temperature

The cooler needs to be able to hold 28 degrees and should be designed with electric defrost to ensure your evaporator coil remains clear of ice and ensure adequate air flow to your product. There should be at least two separate thermometers verifying the temperature. One thermometer can be the control thermostat while the other simply reads the temperature.

Cleanliness

Every piece of product is required to be stored at least six inches off the floor for most municipalities. This ensures that the floor is clean and dry.  This also allows for positive air flow below and through your product.   A cooler that has moisture on the floor is unsafe and can lead to trip hazards which could come back to haunt you when your beer cave has been poorly designed. The visibility under all shelving is necessary to make sure that any problem can be detected and fixed as soon as possible.

Hardware

All inspectors look at the hardware within the cooler. There needs to be enough light inside to both see the product and see the shopping area. Shelving needs to be of a restaurant quality and must reflect the NSF #7 food safety stamp. This type of shelving may cost a bit more, but they hold up under the constant usage and can be kept to a noticeably high level of cleanliness, in addition many aftermarket shelving solutions develop rust when they are used in walk in cooler environments.

These are a few of the points of design and the health inspection that should take highest priority when anyone is designing the perfect walk-in cooler for a store. These are important areas for the customer, too. Cold, clean, well-lit beer caves that look well-organized with shiny shelving will definitely appeal to anyone looking for their favorite brew and cause them to continually reappear to restock their own personal caves at home.

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Walk In Cooler and Walk In Freezer Refrigeration Sizing

By Brad Sneed | Published April 3, 2012

We have received many comments and questions about the “correct” size of refrigeration for walk in coolers and walk in freezers.  For many the answer is whatever the walk in manufacturer included.  The answer to that answer is MAYBE…  Many times people on the Internet are looking for the cheapest deal on the street and if that previous answer is the one you are going with then most likely you are getting just that the “cheapest deal on the Internet”.  The reason people buy these is to save money and say they received the best deal… in reality you receive a “cheap” upfront price and your electric bill makes up the rest.

There are many reputable companies on the Internet who size and provide adequate refrigeration there in you will receive a competitive price and your refrigeration system will work efficiently.  On the other side of the coin you will receive and undersized system that will work well in the winter and struggle to maintain in the summer months.  So here are a few tips when dealing with an online company who you are interested in purchasing a refrigeration system from.

  • Make sure they size the refrigeration to run in your ambient temperature
  • Make Sure they verify the Location of the Equipment
  • Make Sure they size the system so that it is a balanced system
  • Make sure they allow for your humidity
  • Make sure they allow for your elevation

Clear as mud?  Let us explain a little further… When we are contacted either by e-mail or by phone we want to make sure we are providing the equipment that works for you in your location.  We begin by determining the available space that you have where the walk in cooler or freezer will ultimately be installed.  Next we determine the use of the walk in rather it be a glass display walk in cooler for beverage or a display freezer or back room storage walk in cooler or freezer.  Next we determine where you are located, the refrigeration systems that we size for El Paso Texas is much different from the refrigeration sizing for a project in Maine.  The reason is Ambient Temperature, the El Paso refrigeration system will be operating in 110 degree plus while the condensing unit for the Maine walk in will be operating in at worst case 90 degree ambient temperatures, thus your refrigeration requirement is less if you live in Maine.

Another pitfall is system balance or the BTUH capacity of the condensing unit in relation to the BTUH capacity of the evaporator coil which refrigerates and circulates the air inside the walk in.  Many times to reduce costs the evaporator will be listed as a “matched” or equivalent evaporator.  Many time this means you are getting an evaporator that is undersized.  Yes it still moves air and yes it still cools the walk in however it may or may not include enough coil displacement to effectively allow for total expansion of the liquid to gas which give the coil its cooling effect.  The result is a coil that cools inefficiently an in worst case scenario sends liquid back to the condensing unit causing valve failure in the compressor!!

Humidity is another concern, why you may ask.  In applications as in lower Louisiana for instance many times people call complaining of sweating glass doors on their walk in cooler.  Yes they will sweat if the dew-point in the operating environment is reached more specifically if the dew point is reached on the surface of the glass door.  This is accelerated when applying cold air to the inside of the glass display door while the outside of the glass door has a high relative humidity.  This is a result of a humid operating environment when the store is opened up for fresh air or if the commercial air-conditioning system is bringing in fresh air and not effectively drying that air out you will have condensation on the glass doors.  A general rule of thumb is as follows you must operate your glass doors in a store environment that is +/- 37 degrees lower than the operating temperature inside the store with no more that 60%RH.  As the store humidity increases the operating temperature of the walk-in must too increase to lessen the dew point on the surface of the glass.  To prevent such occurrences one can choose to go one of two ways First Make sure your air conditioning system is doing its job by never letting the humidity in the store reach more than 65% or the fail safe proven remedy is use heated glass doors.  The second is more expensive to operate and a more expensive glass package however you will never deal with doors sweating.  The first solution saves you operating capital and reduces the cost of your glass door package!

Elevation… its on the floor right?  Wrong!!  air quality or more specifically density declines or becomes less dense at higher elevations well refrigeration works off of pressure at higher elevations you will need more refrigeration capacity!  This is called d-rating the BTUH capacity to achieve a system that is designed to work at higher elevations.

I guess to sum it all up in a tightly little package sizing refrigeration takes into account a lot of variables and IF you do not take these into account you can end up with a huge mess once your system is installed and the seasons begin to change!!  We hope this helps to clear up some of the confusion if you would like more information give us a call we will be happy to help 877-843-0183

 

Stay Cool!!  The Staff at JayComp…

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You Want to Buy a Walk In Cooler Are They All The Same How Do I Choose?

By Brad Sneed | Published February 29, 2012

Many People have Questions, We have answers!!

Walk In Coolers from a novice perspective,  an insulated box with metal or wood covering on the inside and outside for protection and an insulating element on the interior to create a barrier for heat and cold transfer.  That is were simplicity ends!  There are many factors to be considered when purchasing a Walk In Cooler!  A Few of these Include:

Walk In Cooler Walk In Freezer Food Service Walk In Cooler

Exploded View

  • Efficiency
  • Structural Integrity
  • Return On Your Investment
  • Ratings and Codes Required by Local Inspectors

Walk In Coolers in the early days were derived from the use of fiber glass insulation, cork, sand, polystyrene blocks, some have even used dried grass to insulate their walls and then covered

them with anything from plywood to formed and bent metal panels. Since those days there have been some dramatic changes!!!

 

Efficiency:

Efficiency is a diverse topic, some may think of efficiency as easy on the bank account in the short term others look at efficiency as speed of installation,  reduced energy costs through the use of modern insulation solutions and durable long lasting seals to ensure the panels do no leak you expensive refrigerated air.  Whatever your prospective Efficiency is the Key to your Business energy costs are ever increasing and polyurethane insulation is the most efficient energy saving insulation available today.  Other Solutions like fiber glass, and styrene have been replaced by high efficiency polyurethane injected walk in panels.  Although a little more expensive in the upfront costs the advantages of polyurethane insulation over polystyrene and fiber glass insulation pays you back very quickly and continues to pay you back over the life of the product.

Structural Integrity:

Structural Integrity is something that should be considered when purchasing a Walk In Cooler or Freezer!  There are two types of walk in panel construction in the industry today “soft-nose” and “wood-frame” construction.  Soft nose construction utilizes the inner material to secure its fastening system to the adjoining panel through the use of adhesive sealants or cam lock tension devices shown below utilize a hardened steel cam locking system that extends past the wall of the panel and hooks into the adjoining panel to pull the panels together securely.

Walk in Cooler Cam Lock, Cam Locking Device,

Cam Lock Fastener for Walk In Coolers

Wood frame panels are

framed from either high density rail or wood and those cam locking devices are mounted into the rails  then secured the metal coverings and finally injected with polyurethane foam.  Soft nose panels have the cams secured by the low density foam and once installed many times are unable to be remodeled or reinstalled in new locations.  This poses a large problem when the thought of remodeling comes up for discussion!

When using a wood frame box this allows great flexibility in angled walk in coolers glass door openings for merchandising doors {we will discuss this in the glass door segment} greater walk inheight and expanded panel span capabilities to allow for deeper walk in cooler footprints!

Many times when talking with customers after a few years in operation their business expands.  The big question is what do we do with the walk in cooler the next big question is soft-nose or wood frame?  If the customer answers wood frame our answer is no problem we can add on, modify, or relocate the existing walk in cooler.  The reason for this is wood frame has structural integrity that soft nose does not provide and redesigning the existing walk in to fit new demands is very easy to accomplish!  If the customers answers soft nose… it is time for a new walk in panel system if you plan to reconfigure…

 

Return on Investment:

Money spent to achieve greater money returned in the future!  How is this important when choosing a walk in cooler or freezer, the answer very simply is… OPERATING COSTS!  If you purchase a polyurethane wood frame walk in cooler you have made a long term investment that will return that investment to you in the for of Energy Savings!  Polyurethane is approximately 30% more efficient than any other insulating medium in the panel market today.  Not only does the insulation properties reduce the heat transfer into your walk in cooler it also allows you to utilize a smaller refrigeration system which will enable you to use less electricity while still maintaining and effective walk in cooler interior temperature.  The result is lower amp draw reduced energy usage and did you mention someday you may want to remodel and enlarge the walk in cooler…  you can expand these coolers by adding additional panels and or add new doors or add an angle to the cooler to wrap around a new wall.  At any rate a few new panels are far less expensive than buying a walk in.  Huge savings!!

Ratings and Codes Required by Local Inspectors:

Ratings and Code Requirements are on the RISE!!!   With new energy codes, health codes and structural codes being implemented every day you should be aware when purchasing a walk in cooler NOT all coolers make the grade.  Do you live in California?  If so did you know there are only a handful of walk in panel manufacturers who qualify to install in California?  Code requires box integrity as well as UL Ratings, NSF Ratings, CUL Ratings, and seismic ratings.  If you want to spend A LOT of money purchase a walk in cooler that does not comply with local code, after you have put all of your hard earned money into developing a project and installing all of the necessary equipment let an inspector walk in and ask “where are your panel tags”.  Now it is time to remove the walk in and replace it with one that your inspector will approve. 

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