How to Clean Your Walk in Cooler (5 Steps!)

Normal maintenance on our walk in coolers is very easy. Well-maintained walk in coolers will experience very few mechanical failures, run efficiently, and last for a long time. It pays to uphold a regular cleaning schedule for your walk in cooler. You can determine how often your walk in cooler needs to be cleaned by the amount of use and how dusty the environment is. To begin with, though, we’ve complied five major guidelines that will help keep your walk in cooler running as efficiently as possible…

MONTHLY:

1. Clean the condenser coil of your condensing unit. First of all, it is considerably safer if you shut off the circuit breaker while you clean. A good way to clean your condensing unit is with a shop-vac (pictured to the left). Not only can you vacuum the surface, but also you can reverse the flow of air to blow deeply imbedded dust out from the center of the coil—blow it out from both directions as best you can. You can then wipe off the housing and compressor with a damp rag. This simple maintenance is the single most important thing you can do for your walk in cooler.

2. Clean the interior of your walk in cooler. Avoid using harsh cleaners that can damage the painted finish over time. Mild soap and water will normally be sufficient, especially if done on a regular basis. Hard water stains can be cleaned with a mixture of white vinegar and water; bleach and water can be used to clean mildew and mold. If you notice any of the caulk seals coming loose, pull them free. You can pick up small tubes of silicone at any hardware store to reseal the joint.

3. Check to make sure that the doors are sealing tightly to your walk in cooler. A visual inspection is all that is normally needed. You should be able to close the door on a dollar bill, and feel resistance when you pull the bill back out. If you need help adjusting your walk in cooler doors, read here!

ANNUALLY:

4. Clean your evaporator coil. Unfortunately, this is a lengthy process, but it is extremely important. Evaporator cleaning solutions are sold at refrigeration wholesalers by the bottle. They are specially formulated to clean the type of sediment that can collect over time in evaporators, and are also very easy to use (specific directions will be on the bottle). To begin, turn off the power to your walk in cooler. The drain tube should be disconnected, and the bottom pan of the evaporator coil can then be unscrewed and removed. Clean and disinfect the inside of the pan and follow the package directions to clean the copper tubing and fins of the coil itself. If you are uncomfortable with these procedures, you can always schedule a preventative maintenance service call with a refrigeration technician.

5. Clean your walk in cooler door gaskets (pictured to the right) with a soft cloth, soap, and water. Repair any small tears with a clear silicone adhesive. To keep them soft and pliable, wipe them down with a vinyl preservative, commonly sold at automotive supply stores. If a gasket should tear beyond repair, it’s worth being replaced—without a gasket, there will be significantly more wear and tear on your walk in cooler’s compressor.

Servicing Your Walk in Cooler

Like all equipment, refrigeration systems can malfunction. If that happens, we understand you need assistance quickly. We know it can be very stressful when your product is no longer staying cold! Who should you call first? Well, that depends…

If within initial 90 day labor period (factory installs only):

Your first call should be to SRC at our toll-free number: 800-521-0398. Our service department will determine if a service call is required and make the arrangements for you. If the failure is over the weekend or during a holiday and you can’t wait to contact us, you can call our installers directly. If the repair falls under our equipment warranty, you will be reimbursed for the straight-time service charges incurred. You will only be responsible for the premium overtime amounts. Make sure you call our service department to inform us of the problem when normal business hours resume.

Beyond the labor warranty period:

Since you will be responsible for the labor portion of the repair, you are free to call any service provider you would like (as well as the original installers). You can also call SRC’s service department and we will gladly coordinate the call for you. If the technician determines that a part or component is defective and you are still within the one-year parts warranty, please have them contact our service department for replacement parts. Compressor motors are covered for a five-year period. Once again, have your technician contact us for instructions.

If you are unsure about your current warranty coverage:

Please call SRC’s service department. We will be happy to pull your job file and explain your existing coverage.

Emerson Climate Technologies Introduces Electronic Unit Controller for Refrigeration Condensing Units

SRC buys quite a few condensing units from Emerson Climate Technologies. They are a business segment of Emerson, one of the world’s leading providers of heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration solutions for residential, industrial, and commercial applications. The group combines best-in-class technology with proven engineering, design, distribution, educational, and monitoring services to provide customized, integrated climate-control solutions for customers worldwide. They recently came out with a new product, and I wanted to post it here! READ THE FULL NEWS STORY HERE.

Controller Simplifies Setup While Decreasing Number of Costly Callbacks and Time-Intensive Repairs for Contractors

ST. LOUIS, July 25, 2011 – Emerson Climate Technologies, Inc., a business of Emerson (NYSE: EMR) is pleased to announce the launch of its new Electronic Unit Controller for Copeland® condensing units with low pressure controls. The first-of-its-kind unit controller represents Emerson’s continuing commitment to enhance condensing unit and commercial refrigeration system performance with innovative technology.

Emerson’s Electronic Unit Controller is an integrated electronic pressure control solution to replace traditional mechanical low-pressure control switches, while enabling a smarter condensing unit.  Electronic pressure-sensing accuracy maintains a tighter low-pressure control tolerance than mechanical controls to help decrease costly callbacks, while the easy-to use LED interface allows field setup time to be reduced to less than one minute.   “The Electronic Unit Controller from Emerson was easy to install and set,” said Dan Whitten, General Manager of Rosetown Central Refrigeration & Air Conditioning Ltd. “Our technician was very impressed by the accuracy of the pressure readings compared to his service gauges.” In addition to providing precise control, the Electronic Unit Controller features built-in system protection to prevent costly compressor failure and improve operator uptime.

To help contractors more quickly and accurately troubleshoot and diagnose field issues, the Electronic Unit Controller shows current suction pressure, plus stores alarm occurrence codes, discharge temperature trips, and service run time information, all displayed on a large, easy-to-read LED panel.  The controller also features smart fan cycling control through mid-coil temperature sensing on all dual-fan units.

For more information on the Electronic Unit Controller available from Emerson Climate Technologies, read here!

Walk in Cooler Leaking Water (Drainage System Malfunctions & More)

(Read here for more general information about walk in cooler drainage systems.)

If your walk in cooler is leaking water, there are two main sources to check…

1) The Evaporator Coil Drainage System

When the compressor is operating, the copper tubing and fins in the housing of the coil are colder than the air inside your walk in cooler. As air is forced through the coil by the fan motor, moisture will collect on these fins. This moisture will form droplets and fall into the bottom pan (this is part of the evaporator coil assembly). From there it will be directed into a drain hose, and eventually into the bucket, floor drain, or electric hot pan.

a) If the drain line becomes plugged or obstructed at any point, water will back up and spill over the edges of the coil. If this is the problem, the walk in cooler will need to be shut down so you can clean out the obstruction.

b) If the coil assembly is not pitched back towards the drain hose, water can pool in the front of the drain pan and leak from screw holes. Drain pans generally have a pitch designed into them, but if the walk in cooler itself is not level or pitched forward, it can defeat this design feature. Recheck if the walk in cooler is leveled properly. If more drain pitch is required, the evaporator coil assembly can be shimmed (allowing the water to flow freely back to the drain).

2) General Air Leaks

Whenever the cold air inside the walk in cooler meets the warmer outside air, moisture will form. Thus, if a floor or ceiling seam is not sealed properly, you may notice condensation or water droplets on your walls or floor. Your walk in cooler should be as level as possible—its seams will be tighter and the doors will shut more securely. Use a 100% silicone caulk to seal any seams where you notice condensation. (Read here for more information on caulking.)

When installed in a non air-conditioned warehouse, some walk in coolers will develop condensation on the outside of the walls or entry doors when the weather is warm and/or humid. Unfortunately, there is little that can be done to alleviate this situation. Sometimes, air movement in the form of a floor or ceiling fan can help reduce or eliminate the problem.

Caulking Information: How to Make Your Cooler Airtight

Walk in Cooler Panels

Normally wall and ceiling panels will lock together tight and not require caulking—the only exception is when it is difficult to get the box completely level and square. In that case, caulk any walk in cooler panels that are not entirely tight to prevent air infiltration.

The only panel seams you need to caulk will be at the floor and ceiling perimeter joints. Apply a generous bead with the silicone we have provided, and using a caulking tool or even your finger, smooth the bead out so that good adhesion is made to both surfaces. Clean up can be performed with mineral spirits. Leave the doors of your cabinet open until the silicone cures and the vinegar-like smell diminishes.

Display Doors

If your walk in cooler includes display doors, run a bead of silicone around the entire inside perimeter of the frame after installation. If the gap is too large for silicone, stuff fiberglass insulation or backer rod to fill the joint instead. The same applies for glass viewing windows. Make sure they are well sealed prior to the window trim being secured.

Refrigeration

All refrigeration or electrical lines penetrating the walls or ceiling need to be sealed. In addition, the inside of all electrical conduits must be sealed prior to entering the walk in cooler. This will help avoid future electrical problems by preventing moisture from collecting inside the conduit. Not all electricians are familiar with this possibility, so it never hurts to remind your contractor.

If You See Moisture…

When your walk in cooler is in operation, if you see any water droplets running down the wall panels or water pooling onto the floor, it indicates warm air is entering the walk in cooler causing moisture and condensation to form. Determine the source of the air leak and seal properly.

What About Larger Gaps?

If you needed to shim your walk in cooler during installation to compensate for an uneven floor, you may be faced with gaps larger than silicone caulk alone can seal.

Minimal expansion spray foam can be purchased at any hardware store or building center. It is sold under various brand names in convenient aerosol dispensing cans. You may need several cans depending on the size of your walk in cooler. The directions on the can will give you an idea of the product coverage.

First, install whatever type of finish trim you had planned for the outside of the walk in cooler. There are many possibilities (for example: vinyl cove base, tile, or wood molding). Having this in place will prevent the spray foam from expanding all over the outside flooring.

Now you can apply the foam underneath the wall panels from the inside of the walk in cooler. If you are unfamiliar working with this product, test spray a small amount into an empty box, and get a feel for how much it expands. This will give you an idea of how much to apply. Apply masking tape over the inside perimeter of the floor if you wish to protect the surface. After the product has finished expanding and has cured, it can be trimmed flush with the wall panel with a sharp knife. You will be left with an air tight seal, and can now finish it off with whatever base trim you choose.

Pictures/Examples

It’s always great when customers send SRC pictures of their new walk in coolers (before, during, and after installation!)… But from those pictures, I actually couldn’t find one specifically of the caulking process. Instead, through Google, I found a good example of caulking here. If you scroll a bit farther than halfway down the page, you’ll see a heading called “Plywood and Seams Finished.” Ken writes, “Finished layering the inside with plywood, and then caulked all the seams. Decided to use basic painters caulking, since I had a lot of it on hand.” There are several good, up-close pictures posted!

New Refrigeration Condenser from Heatcraft Helps Supermarkets

One of SRC Refrigeration‘s main suppliers of refrigeration and refrigeration products is Heatcraft. Heatcraft manufactures evaporators, condensers, and other top-quality refrigeration products for their five market-leading brands: Bohn, Larkin, Climate Control, Chandler and InterLink. Many products are custom-built so they can satisfy the individual customer’s needs. No wonder they sell to more than 70 countries worldwide!

The news story I wanted to share is actually from late May, but still plenty relevant and cool (pun intended)…

STONE MOUNTAIN, GA – MAY 18, 2011 – Heatcraft Refrigeration Products, a leader in commercial refrigeration, introduces its new air-cooled condenser featuring microchannel coil technology. This latest refrigeration solution includes an environmentally friendly design that lowers refrigerant charge by more than 70 percent, helping grocers significantly reduce their impact on the environment and save operating costs.

“In today’s marketplace, supermarkets want more than just a well-made piece of equipment,” said Subodh Sharma, Marketing Director for Heatcraft North America. “They want quality refrigeration solutions that can help decrease energy consumption and provide cost savings. Our new air-cooled condenser was developed with these business goals in mind.”

Equipped with a variable speed EC motor that helps maximize energy efficiency, the new condenser also includes an all-aluminum microchannel coil design that offers improved corrosion resistance for a longer-lasting, more durable product – even in coastal environments. It also features an innovative sound reduction technology that lowers sound pressure by more than 50 percent, resulting in a quieter product.

READ MORE HERE…