The Necessity of Proper Gasketing for Maintenance of Walk-in Freezers

09 January 2017

We’ve touched briefly upon gaskets when discussing walk-in freezers, but now it’s time to properly study this system necessity. Join us as we hover a critical eye over sealing technology as it relates to walk-ins, the subzero realms that can’t preserve their arctic interiors without a leak deterring mechanism. The necessity of proper gasketing for the maintenance of walk-in freezers begins here and now with a visual inspection.

Inspecting Gaskets for Damage 

Pliable extrusion act as an interface between the door, its frame, and the frosty space beyond. As such, it’s classed as a mechanically active product. Hinged doors close tightly and compress the gasket. Sliding doors brush abrasively past the seal while sliding home. The inner environment is protected, obviously, but time and repetitive action work against the hardened rubber to cause wear. Inspect the gasket for tears and general wear. A long and ragged tear can fold back upon itself and create a sliver of space, a leakage path. Energy escapes through the tear and the newly widened pathway. General wear is harder to spot. The losses are proportionally smaller, but they will accumulate over time, so check and recheck the seal.

Establish High Sealing Standards 

Polymer design technology tends to promote materials that can withstand high temperatures, but those same designs also accommodate lower temperature extremes. An optimally manufactured walk-in freezer gasket takes this principle and uses it to produce pliable rubbers that will compress but not crack when the thermostat calls for a deep frost. Weigh the low-temperature performance rating of extruded PVC, ABS, and other relevant polymer families before selecting the ideal candidate, one that will exhibit its full range of mechanical capabilities over a selected coldness spread.

Preventative Maintenance Turns the Corner

As extrusion engineering refines the production of seals, new problems rear their ugly heads. The specially tailored rubber remains mechanically intact when other tough plastics become brittle, but what about that cleverly extruded profile? It’s the perfect sheltered spot for bacteria to prosper, so turn the edge over and clean it thoroughly. Extruded gasketing products compress more efficiently and therefore create a better seal, but they also need to be regularly wiped down with an antibiotic agent.

Old style seals were built of fallible rubber pads. The evolution of the walk-in freezer has seen this inefficient solution fall away as newly extruded gaskets create next generation sealing solutions. Still, as advanced as these materials undoubtedly are, they still require a preventative maintenance check, a timely inspection that ascertains mechanical and material integrity.

Mark Connelly
C&M Coolroom Services
E-mail: markconnelly@cmcoolrooms.com.au
Mobile: 0412 536 315

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