So you’re ready to expand your refrigeration capacity. Sounds easy enough, right? It is if you take the time to work with a refrigeration supplier that can customize a unit to fit your operation’s specific needs.
When designing a “box,” manufacturers generally work from the inside out. By knowing what kind and how much food you need to store, they can maximize the space.
Jean-Pierre Gingras of Norbec Systems Inc. says you need a cooler if you’re storing prepared food.
The cooler’s job is to hold its contents at a set temperature, which is ideal for restaurants where food is prepared in a central kitchen and then stored in satellite kitchens for later use.
If your operation involves advance cooking of large quantities of soup or sauce, a cooler will not do the job. This means you will also need a freezer.
According to Gingras, there are two reasons you should not use a cooler to decrease the temperature of food.
“Doing so puts too much demand on the system, which can compromise performance by pulling more power than the system has,” he explains. “Secondly, you shouldn’t put warm product beside cold (product). It can lead to contamination of both and is a big food safety no-no.”
Gingras suggests putting warm product through a blast chiller before placing it in the cooler.
STORAGE CAPACITY
Storage capacity requirements can be easily determined by looking at the basic framework of the operation.
“Storage capacity needs can be affected by location,” says Richard Yeomans of Canadian Curtis Refrigeration Inc. “For example, (a) restaurant in northern Ontario will (likely) need larger storage because deliveries will be less frequent.
The size of the establishment also affects storage capacity.
According to Yeomans, a typical 100-seat restaurant should have two eight-foot by 10-foot side by side “boxes” – one a cooler, the other a freezer.
Inside, shelves typically surround the perimeter and there’s a valley in the middle. The width of the valley will depend on what you are moving in and out. For instance, boxes of lettuce are quite large, so you will need enough space for easy maneuverability.
Within this standard interior design, there are options. If you have fewer square feet, you can always increase the height of the room to add an extra tier of shelving in the walk-in refrigerator or more space between shelves.
COMPRESSOR SELECTION
Choosing an appropriate compressor is the next step. While you don’t want one that is too powerful, you also don’t want one that is not powerful enough.
Historically, water-cooled compressors have been more reliable and therefore preferred. However, they are not very common because most municipalities have barred them due to the units’ vast water wastage.
Today, the most popular technology is air-cooled.
Regardless of the type you choose, sufficient ventilation is key to maximize performance.
“The area around the compressor gets very hot, especially when boxes (are) stored on top of the refrigeration unit,” says Gingras. “This can lead to reduced performance or a complete shutdown.”
Yeomans adds that air-cooled compressors work like a car radiator, drawing in air and everything in it. This includes grease, flour and dirt. Thus, it is important the unit is properly maintained. This includes hiring someone to degrease it on a regular basis.
ENERGY CONSERVATION
To keep cooler and freezer energy costs down, Gingras suggests a temperature alarm. Connected to a central alarm system, a temperature alarm will let you know if the unit’s internal temperature is too high or too low. This is especially important in the event the system goes down; it can help prevent the loss of a lot food.
Then there’s an open door alarm, which will sound if the door has been left ajar letting cold air escape.
Internal lighting can also be controlled by the door opening and closing. Employees that neglect to turn the light off on their way out are costing you money as the refrigerator has to use more power to compensate for the heat from the light bulb.
This article is excerpted from a previously published issue of FoodService News.
