If a coolroom is eating into the company energy budget, an all in caps “Keep That Door Shut” sign works wonders. That sign can stay, but we’re going to add a little more potency to this energy savings plan by suggesting a few essential tips. Once armed with this information, every staff member will know exactly how to keep any walk-in cooler in optimal working condition.

Protect Cabinet Gaskets 

Tough elastomers compress reliably when coolroom doors open and close. However, that dependable property wears down over time. Check the gaskets for cracks or signs of wear. Sometimes the seal is exposed to a grimy hand or a slightly corrosive fluid. A milk spill, for example, is harmless, but the sticky, acidic fluid could combine with a dirty stain to weaken the seal. A periodic cleaning routine averts such events.

Refrigeration Unit Maintenance 

Even if the powered compressor is humming happily, it may be gorging on the coolers energy. Refrigerators work as efficient enclosure coolers, but their energy eating habits increase over time. Check the refrigerator coils for dirt and grime deposits. This thick coating can affect cooling efficiency, so arrange for a coil cleaning procedure at least twice a year.

Encourage Airflow Proficiency 

Airflow patterns in an enclosed walk-in cooler are relatively easy to predict. Just make sure all stored commodities are optimally arranged so that airflow dead spots are eliminated. Stack all cans and boxes closely together. Better yet, purchase wireframe storage shelves. These shelving units are designed to promote airflow, to remove potential obstructions from the chilly cabinet.

Working with Unit Capacity 

At the bottom end of the coolroom scale, special reach-in cabinets avoid energy wastage by eliminating the man-sized spaces we employ in walk-in chambers. Use these devices for storing small beverage containers and dairy products. They’re modular appliances, which means each one is equipped with a small power consumption footprint. Then, when the reach-in enclosures are full, turn to the larger walk-in coolers to accommodate a grander storage plan.

The first line of defence crops up at the door and its gaskets. Keep that defence strong by training staff members to make sure the entryway is properly closed after it has been accessed. Clean the seals, the refrigerator coils, and do ensure all airflow obstacles are removed from the coolroom. Many specialist retailers offer proprietary wireframe shelving units for this purpose, so take advantage of these outlets. Finally, incorporate a maintenance service, an expert contractor who will keep the cooling gear in tip-top shape all year around.

Freezers are energy gluttons when they operate inefficiently. They work around-the-clock, so they painfully exaggerate those power consumption figures. The 24/7 refrigeration cycle is as it should be, of course, for there are perishable commodities stored inside the insulated cabinets. Inefficient workings, however, are not welcome in freezer equipment. Here are some useful energy saving tips for restoring workload balance to your freezer.

Operational Transgressions 

Kitchen workers needs access to refrigerated food, but there’s really no excuse for keeping that insulation-critical seal broken for several minutes at a time. Incautiously opened freezer entryways account for around six percent of a freezer’s total energy losses.

Entryway Addendums 

There are rare instances where an insulated chamber’s door must be kept open. Sliding doors in a meat packing facility open their seals to allow pallet jacks and forklift trucks access to frozen joints of meat. In this case, plastic-lined door curtains should be fitted to the entryway as an energy barrier. Similar barriers are available for man-sized freezer doors. Install them if increased foot traffic compromises the seal.

Educate Personnel 

Instead of creating a piecemeal power saving strategy, coordinate the effort by establishing a smart energy saving plan. Train everyone to follow this plan. This approach may take more time, but it pays off in the end. Freezer logistics is one example of this energy management strategy in motion. Trained catering workers draw on this logistics knowledge to fill one walk-in unit to capacity while a backup is left inactive until it’s required.

Scheduled Maintenance 

Dirty refrigeration coils block system airflow. Elsewhere, a poorly aligned thermostat sensor sends false readings back to a controller. Correct these issues by scheduling a maintenance plan. Significant energy savings are recovered when the refrigeration gear is periodically cleaned and tuned.

Become an Airflow Manager

The plastic coated shelves used in walk-in freezers aren’t there for decoration. The design maximises airflow so that chilly air reaches every corner of the freezer chamber. In service of this goal, adopt a commodities storage plan that improves air circulation. Distribute containers evenly, then purchase shelves and tables that act in accordance with this layout policy.

Pages of tips are required to save energy in a hardworking freezer, but they’re easily condensed into a single sheet of paper when an energy management plan is taught. Other than this training, always use Energy Star approved equipment, and protect that rating by initiating a first-rate maintenance program.

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