By: Jason Maxwell
Submitted: 2010-10-20 04:10:39 | Word Count: 456
Walk-in freezers differ from model to model. Walk-in freezers vary in volume of storage and cooling technology, compared with residential refrigerators. These commercial refrigeration units offer much bigger storage space for the provision of food.
A good model of a walk-in freezer is one with a combination box, where there are freezer compartments as well as cooler compartments. The freezer is made with its own door so that the warm air does not flow in from the cooking area. Cameras are also present to monitor the interior spaces.
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Think about these things to help you decide, think of what you intend to store in your refrigeration unit, visualize the number of shelves you need to store all your products, and imagine the area that you require for such storage. If your restaurant is not really big and you are particular with fresh meat and produce, then maybe you dont really need a walk-in freezer. You just need a chest freezer to store frozen desserts such as ice cream.
The floor should be insulated with four inches of insulation material. Galvanized iron was the old standard set by the National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) for walk-in freezer floors but it was replaced by steel, which is tougher but more expensive. As opposed to steel floors, one reason for the upgrade was that galvanized floors are prone to rusts and dents, which is not sanitary for the storage of food products. The traffic of carts and shelves can cause the galvanized floor to bend out of shape over time. Steel is better because it is resistant to rust and has a higher tensile strength than galvanized iron.
There are walk-in coolers that are fitted with their own floor assembly. But the disadvantage is they just offer 3 inches of ground slab. Thats unfortunate because the floors take up from 20 to 25% of the total cost. Nonetheless, it can save more energy because it takes lesser power to raise the temperature. Thus, in the long run, walk-in coolers with floors are more efficient energy savers.
An alternative to the metal floors would be installing beforehand rigid foam building insulation on the walls and floors then thick quarry tiles are layered above the insulation. You can even finish it with safety seamless vinyl flooring materials. Otherwise you can use waterproof boards for finishing.
While the choice of flooring for the walk-in coolers may become expensive but it would afford safety and prevent food spillage if the obstacle of steep and slippery ramps is eliminated.
