A walk-in refrigerator or freezer can help food service enterprises that need to produce in large quantities and have lots of storage capacity for refrigerated and frozen products. Walk-in refrigerators and freezers are used to keep items chilled or frozen, as well as to safely store large amounts of both raw and cooked food to support daily production activities and inventory preservation.
Walk-in refrigerators and freezers range in size from 15′ x 15′ units to units with hundreds of thousands of square feet of chilled area to keep your food products cool and fresh.
Because of their size, as well as the shipping, installation, maintenance, and energy expenses associated with such vast machines, conduct thorough research before purchasing commercial walk-in freezers. This buying guide will assist you in selecting the best walk-in unit for your business. We’ll go through the characteristics to look for in a unit and the elements to consider when selecting a specific walk-in.
What exactly is a commercial walk-in freezer?
Walk-in Many companies rely on freezers to function. They should keep enormous quantities of food at the proper temperatures. Commercial walk-in freezers assist restaurants and hotels in storing perishable goods, such as meat, for extended periods. Professional cooking causes the availability of ready-to-eat food at all times. As a business owner, you will want to make the most of every dollar you spend. Your chef will appreciate having a walk-in freezer stocked with high-quality goods to produce the greatest dishes for your clients.
What Should You Look For When Purchasing Commercial Walk-In Freezers?
Food Types to Store
The first thing you should think about is the sort of food you intend to store in your walk-in. The temperature range of refrigerators is 35° F to 41° F. They can keep food cold but not frozen. For the latter, you’ll need to invest in a freezer that can store raw meats, and other frozen foods at temps as low as 0° F. A walk-in freezer resembles a walk-in refrigerator in appearance. The only visible difference is that the walk-in freezer has thicker panels and a more powerful refrigeration system to keep temperatures exceptionally low.
Separate walk-in areas for raw and ready-to-eat goods are recommended. This reduces the possibility of cross-contamination. To measure the air temperature, place at least one accurate thermometer in the warmest region of the walk-in cooler. To make cleaning easier, keep shelves at least 6 inches above the floor.
Ventilation
Self-contained walk-ins need enough space for air to flow around the unit. Because there is little room for hot air to move away from the unit because of poor ventilation, the compressor is forced to pull in hotter air and work harder.
The temperature around the compressor should not exceed 80° F. Allow at least 8″ to 10″ of room around your unit’s top, back, and sides. This ensures that the compressor has enough fresh air. If the interior temperature is too high and there is no way to provide enough ventilation, try moving the compressor outside.
Capability
Walk-in refrigerators and freezers are substantially bigger than reach-in refrigerators and freezers. The smallest units, known as step-in units, take up 15 cu. Ft., whereas configurable walk-ins can span up to 400,000 sq. ft. Consider how much food you need to store when determining the size of your walk-in. Every 1 square foot of storage space can hold around 28 lbs of solid food. If you need to keep 50 pounds of chicken, you’ll need around 1.8 cubic feet of room in your walk-in.
Keep in mind that not every square foot of the inside will be usable. You must also consider ventilation, aisle space, shelving, and rack arrangement. If you want to bring in a cart to carry big products, leave 40 inches of aisle space available to accommodate the cart. Overall, you will have 60% to 70% of the interior area to work with.
Establishment
A walk-in refrigerator or freezer will undoubtedly create some disruption during installation, so be prepared. If you currently have a company, the installation may cause disruptions and annoyance to your clients. When your business is closed is the optimum time to plan the installation.
- Indoor Installation
If you intend to put the walk-in indoors, keep in mind that the unit will take up a significant amount of internal space. The size of the space you currently have limited your options when putting a walk-in into an existing enterprise. Self-contained indoor walk-ins will also generate a lot of excess heat to power up the refrigeration system, putting a strain on your HVAC system and making your workers and customers uncomfortable. This may not be the greatest solution if your restaurant is in a humid climate.
- Outdoor Installation
A walk-in refrigerator or freezer positioned outside does not take up much valuable inside space. Outdoor installation is also faster since it eliminates the need to find out how to work around the existing indoor space. Outdoor units, unlike indoor walk-ins, do not generate excess heat in the building. Reception food deliveries are also made much easier because personnel can swiftly put items right into the walk-in from the receiving area.
There are, however, certain unique considerations for an outside installation. An outdoor walk-in must endure the elements, including sun, wind, rain, and the occasional curious animal. Even with a stronger structure, they must have a rain roof to channel rainfall and keep it from entering the walk-in.
A winterizing kit is also required to guarantee that the walk-in works effectively even throughout the winter. They typically include a compressor cover and an interior heater in a winterizing kit to keep the interior temperature above 32° F and prevent its contents from freezing over during the winter.
Check with your local health and safety boards to see if there are any extra laws regarding the usage and maintenance of outdoor walk-ins. Special components may be required in some areas for devices operated in hot settings.
Requirements for Upkeep
The stainless steel outside structure is the most durable and easiest to maintain. Although the aluminum exterior shell is less expensive, it dents readily and is more difficult to clean. Galvalume-coated sheet metal, which is tougher than aluminum yet has a rust-resistant covering, might be a good compromise (enamel coatings are available as well but not as prevalent). Compressor/condenser units should be located in conveniently accessible regions, and several distant units should be clustered together to simplify maintenance and service. Preventative maintenance for walk-in refrigeration systems includes maintaining optimum airflow and ventilation areas, as well as periodic condenser coil cleaning by a licensed technician.
Usability
Because a walk-in refrigerator or freezer is a costly investment, you want your kitchen staff to make the most of it. Walk-ins must be quick and simple to configure, with an easy-to-read temperature display to assist you in frequently monitoring the interior temperature. The functioning of the door must also be smooth and straightforward. A walk-in door that takes too long or requires too much effort to open and close might waste a lot of valuable food prep time.
Consumption of Energy
Walk-ins use a lot of energy, especially when they are not properly constructed and maintained. When used as a cooler, small 5′ x 6′ walk-ins normally incorporate a 1/2 hp compressor and should be able to maintain a 35° F (or lower) box temperature. When used as a freezer, walk-ins should have a 1 hp compressor and be able to maintain a box temperature as low as -10° F. These compressors are typically powered by 115/60/1 voltage. Larger units often need correspondingly larger compressors, which might be 208/220V/1 or 3 phase.
Choosing a unit with high-density, foamed-in-place polyurethane insulation can improve its efficiency. To eliminate air leaks, the walls, ceiling, and floor must be properly insulated, with thermal breaks for the floor under each wall. A well-organized rack and shelf configuration can also provide optimal ventilation.
For an energy-efficient walk-in, LED lighting is also preferable. LED bulbs consume up to 90% less energy than incandescent bulbs and produce far less heat than fluorescent lamps. They do not require heating to get full brightness and are safer for food since they do not contain mercury.
Regular maintenance is also required. Make a cleaning schedule for workers to follow to keep the walk-in and its components in good condition. Cleaning and maintenance responsibilities include maintaining the door in excellent shape by cleaning dirt and debris and replacing gaskets when they show symptoms of wear and tear. Dust must also be kept away from the condenser coils, which can block them and put additional pressure on the system.
Additions
1. Strip Drapes
Strip curtains are overlapping strips of transparent or colored PVC that are draped over the entrance to offer an additional barrier between the chilly air within and the hot air and insects outside. These are especially beneficial if you need to keep the door open for extended periods, such as when delivering bulk materials on a cart on a weekly or monthly basis.
2. Additional Air Circulation System
To complement a unit’s compressor, an air circulation system that allows a walk-in to take in cold outside air when the outside temperature is cooler than the internal box temperature is offered. A pressure relief valve is another alternative. It is meant to reduce the minor vacuum formed when warmer air enters a walk-in freezer and expands when the door is closed, making it harder for employees to open the unit.
3. Steps
Ramps are handy for transporting carts into the walk-in unit’s interior.
4. Shelves
Shelves make it easier to organize your refrigerated things. Look for epoxy-coated wire shelves. These are more robust and resistant to corrosion and water damage. Shelves must be set at least 6 inches from the ground.
5. Thermometers
Thermometers allow you to monitor the temperature inside your walk-in. You should also set numerous thermometers in crucial places of the interior to ensure that safe and consistent temperatures are maintained throughout.
A data logger is another possibility. A data logger monitors the temperature and humidity levels in your walk-in at certain time intervals. The data is then organized by the gadget into a spreadsheet, which can be accessed online and downloaded to your computer before being presented to a health inspector. In contrast to the error-prone manual tracking done by human staff, this is an accurate and simple approach to logging your walk-in data.
6. Security Systems
New walk-in refrigerators and freezers may have alarm systems that alert you when something goes wrong. For example, if the door is left open for an extended length of time, an alarm will ring to notify you that it must be closed. When the unit senses a rapid temperature rise, it may also sound an alert. Some of the more expensive models may even call or text you to notify you if something goes wrong.
7. Nonslip Tape
The floor of a walk-in unit can become slippery, but this is easily remedied by putting non-skid tape to keep employees from slipping on the surface.
Final Words
After finishing this essay, you will have learned everything there is to know about walk-in freezers. You may make a secure purchase knowing that your selection will be the finest one for your needs.