Cold
rooms lack basic features when they’re initially constructed. Certainly, the
modular panels interlock superbly and the powered refrigeration unit works
efficiently, but everything else feels, well, unfinished. Cold room accessories
and parts (spares) address this concern. Better yet, they transform the empty
space, give it purpose as a high-functioning storage area that can handle any
temperature-sensitive commodity. It all begins with energy conservation.
Sealing Accessories
Tough
polymers produce airtight seals that stop energy leakage. The existing rubber
seals are probably up to the job, but they will wear as time has its way.
Additionally, icy buildups have a habit of forming behind seals until they
distend. Supplementary gaskets reinforce an already formidable thermal barrier.
As for replacement parts, door linings and frame gaskets should always be kept
in stock just in case a fitted seal becomes defective.
Furnishing Benefits
The
furnishings we’re referring to aren’t decorative. They’re utilitarian items, so
some knowledge of the application or storage medium is required before shelves
can be installed. Wire shelving is preferred when packaged food requires an
organized storage medium, for the epoxy-covered grids used in these open
storage units maximize airflow. Similarly, glass-fronted cabinets are the best
option for the pharmaceutics industry.
Spare Parts Deliberation
Parts
fail over time. An overhead light bulb or fluorescent tube ages and blinks off,
but the problem is quickly fixed by keeping a box of replacements handy in a
nearby storeroom. The accessories and
parts strategies of a cold room adopt a comparable approach. Doors, as one
example, place mechanical stress on handles and hinges, so spare parts should
be available in case a faulty door hampers access. Worse yet, a gap may
develop, one that compromises seal integrity, so door parts rank highly in this
scenario.
Miscellaneous Trimmings
Energy
audits dictate the terms of this situation, with the user playing a significant
role in both cause and solution. If the cause of an energy spike is a door
continually opening and closing, the accessory of choice is likely to be a
plastic curtain or a pair of solid sheets of thick plastic. Additional dial
thermostats also fit into this monitoring model, with localized temperature
measurements placing the supplementary gauges in prominent locations around the
sealed chamber.
A
safety net is established when the accessories and parts of a cold room (spares and otherwise) are
accessible. Competent service engineers use this methodology to equip walk-in
units with augmented functions or simply to ensure the cooler can be repaired
as soon as it begins to show signs of a breakdown.
