Should Thickness Matter in Plastic Strip Curtains for Coolrooms?
14 February 2019
To create a flexible doorway, one that’ll wholly protect a coolroom, the barrier material must demonstrate one primary feature. Dropping from threshold ceiling to the floor, from the entryway’s left side all the way to the right frame edge, the chosen material has to hang straight. Thick enough to assure a straight-edged seal, transparent vinyl plastic strip curtains use their dense materials to prevent cross-contamination incidents. Reinforced PVC Density Sticking with flexible PVC (Poly-Vinyl Chloride), this rugged plastic stays straight and hard-wearing as long as it’s manufactured in thick rolls. If the plastic’s thickness drops well below 1mm, well, the […]
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Common Problems and Issues in Commercial Freezers
29 January 2019
There’s no getting around the issue, even though top-of-the-line commercial freezers come together rapidly to deliver advanced cooling features, they can still fall foul of a nasty system defect. In all likelihood, the problem will have developed elsewhere, and now it’s impacting your expensive coolroom. Let’s get to grips with the problem by identifying and then addressing common commercial freezer issues before they seriously undermine system functionality. Unique Commercial System Malfunctions Singularly vexing problems create system damaging gremlins in commercial freezers. Pulling its way through a frosty chamber, a pallet jack or heavy catering trolley is on the move. That’s […]
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Quality Coolroom Installation: What Makes Up a Good and Reliable Installer?
15 January 2019
On paper at least, expert coolroom installation teams deliver industry-superior solutions that exceed the expectations of demanding clients. More accurately, the cold room installer is involved with the project from start to finish, from concept stage to the moment the equipment is finally commissioned. What qualities best describe one of those master system installers? Experienced, of course, elite industry professionals command several key system-installing talents. Team Rendered Multidisciplinary Talents As stated above, optimal solutions are made possible by an approach that’s actioned as soon as the project starts. For a less-than-stellar group of installation engineers, that attitude is sadly missing. […]
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Quality Freezer Installation: An Essential Fastfood Restaurant Kitchen Equipment
13 December 2018
Fast food restaurants might not install fancy frills, but they do enforce the same food-safe regulations as any elegant eatery. Behind the swinging kitchen doors, the catering equipment is just as clean and just as functional, so the gear inside a diner is far from that, far from junk. Equipped with the latest and greatest refrigeration systems, fast food restaurants keep their burgers safely frozen. Buying In the Cold Storage Equipment Short-order cooks are busy frying up the burger meat. Fryers are nearby, sizzling with onion rings. The aromas in the kitchen are making the customers hungry, so an employee […]
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Important Things to Keep in Mind When Dismantling a Coolroom
03 December 2018
Hygiene, that’s the very first word and thought that comes to mind when dismantling a coolroom. Procedures have to be discussed and managed, then the operation begins. Are the old insulation panels recyclable? For newer materials, that’s an option. However, older materials, including fibreglass, are not normally recyclable. They absorb moisture. Wet and falling apart, the glassy insulation needs to be disposed of properly. Obey Proper Disposal Procedures The first matter of concern is a properly enforced disposal procedure. Older insulation panels need to be scrapped according to all national and international guidelines. For fibreglass, incidentally, it’s okay to just […]
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Is There a Recommended Thickness for PVC Plastic Strip Curtains?
16 November 2018
Because of the cold application areas and visibility issues, PVC curtain thickness is decided by a “Goldilocks” styled design approach. If the material is too thick, it becomes opaque. An approaching member of staff can’t see what’s going on beyond the plastic strips. Furthermore, the material becomes rigid and hard to push aside when it’s so dense. Manufactured too thin, though, then the curtains no longer insulate or isolate. Coolroom PVC Curtains: The Goldilocks Width Not to be confused with bear-filled fairy tales or astronomy, the goal is to produce a curtain that’s not too thick or too thin. The […]
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Electricity Saving Tips for Coolrooms
23 October 2018
Shut the coolroom door, that’s the first and most obvious electricity conserving tip. Ultimately, there’s a knock-on effect taking place inside that freezer or cold storage unit, after all. If there are thermally-based losses inside what should be a sealed chamber, then the refrigeration unit is forced to work harder. Working flat-out, that system part then consumes more electrical power. Like energy-eating dominos, the knock-on effect spreads. Tip 1. Keep the Coolroom Door Closed Some folk get so caught up in their duties, they just forget the latest energy-saving memo. Put posters up on the walls, all around the door. […]
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Why Do Freezer Doors Use Magnets to Close?
11 October 2018
Door magnets are added to freezers because cooling equipment has a flaw. Correction, it’s not a system flaw, just a simple law of physics, one that’s not always easy to remedy. A sealed enclosure by design, freezers trap air. Consequently, a positive system pressure develops because of the refrigeration unit. Left unattended, positive pressure causes the dreaded “door pop-open effect.” Door magnets prevent such seal breaking incidents from occurring. Freezer Door Magnets Sturdy but simple discrete magnets line a freezer door. There’s a blocky magnetic core, which mates with a flat plate on the swinging door. On another unit, the […]
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Small Coolroom Design Principles
09 October 2018
Asked to design a small coolroom, a sealed chamber that will efficiently store its perishable contents at a consistently low temperature, an installation team swings into action. There are questions to ask, answers to determine, and design principles to rule every decision. Keeping energy expenditure low, the expected cold room load is sought out, probably from the asset manager, the person who’s responsible for the site’s day-to-day runnings. Dimensional Requirements Standard Operating Procedure (SOF) says the small coolroom will have set dimensional parameters. The size of the refrigeration unit, its fan-assisted throughput and refrigerant cooling power, is rated to work […]
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Different Types of High Thermal Insulation Materials for Commercial Freezers and Coolrooms
28 September 2018
How many system-critical components are there inside a modern commercial freezer? Which key engineering element impacts coolroom efficiency the most? A powerful but energy efficient refrigeration unit is essential, naturally enough. Then there’s the environmentally safe refrigerant to examine, plus a properly sealed door. Just as important as any one of those features, high-thermal insulation materials prevent energy losses. Consulting a Thermography Expert Did you know that special services can actually “see” where the heat losses on an insulated coolroom wall are going? They use special thermal imaging cameras to generate infra-red pictures of the heat loss zones. Using this […]
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Commercial Coolroom and Freezer Doors Safety and Maintenance Guide
01 September 2018
Employees don’t always stop to think about coolroom safety issues, nor do they pause when they’re accessing a freezer door for the millionth time. Maybe they should. Maybe they need to stop, take stock of matters, and read the laminated door safety guide, the one that’s stapled to a wall next to the commercial coolroom they’re accessing. To begin with, is everyone aware of the door access protocols? Door Opening Protocols In an office setting, workers close doors out of a sense of politeness. Proprietary aside, there may even be an office memo asking the staff to close the doors. […]
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Proper Temperature Control inside Coolrooms to Avoid Food Contamination
27 August 2018
Perishable coolroom contents cannot abide contamination. Besieged by these taste and freshness tainting markers, consumable products incur nasty little question marks above their poorly cooled containers. Is a bad taste the worst issue here? Or has a harmful bacteria spread? Like the Schrodinger’s cat thought experiment, there’s no real way to know without further action. However, by proactively controlling coolroom temperature, we can regain control of this potentially health-jeopardizing situation. What is Proper Temperature Control Shrugging off the uncertainties, and thoughts of cruelly trapped cats, we begin by establishing coolroom baselines. The thermostat keeps the thermal envelope constant. If the […]
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