A new walk-in cooler or freezer is a long-term decision. Done well, it runs quietly for many years. Done in a hurry, it can mean a condensing unit that overheats every summer, a drain that freezes every winter, or a box that never quite holds temperature. Most of those problems are decided before the first panel goes up.
Here is what Calgary restaurants and food businesses should plan before installing a walk-in.
1. Size and location
Size the box for how you actually receive and store product, not just the floor space available. Think about delivery days, case sizes and shelving, and leave room for air to move around the product. The location should allow a clear path for deliveries and keep the door away from ovens, fryers and dish areas where hot, humid air will pour in every time it opens.
2. Where the condensing unit goes
The condensing unit is the part that rejects heat, and where it sits has a big effect on how hard it works and how long it lasts. Common options are on top of the box, on the roof, or outside on a wall or pad. Each has trade-offs:
- On top of the box, indoors: simple, but it dumps heat into the kitchen and can struggle in a hot back-of-house.
- Roof or outdoor: keeps heat out of the building, but needs the right line set, and in Calgary it has to handle very cold winters as well as summer heat.
Getting this right is one of the main ways to avoid the kind of problems we cover in when to replace a walk-in compressor.
3. Power, drain and floor
- Power: the condensing unit, evaporator, lights and any heaters need the right circuits. Confirm what the equipment needs before the electrician is booked.
- Drain: defrost water needs somewhere to go. On a freezer, the drain line inside the box needs a heater so it does not freeze shut.
- Floor: freezers in particular need an insulated floor, and a level base so the door seals properly.
4. New box or reuse what you have?
Sometimes the panels are still sound and only the refrigeration equipment needs replacing. Other times the box itself is the problem: damaged panels, wet insulation or a door that can no longer seal. A technician can look at the existing walk-in and tell you which parts are worth keeping before you spend money on a full replacement.
5. Keeping the kitchen running during the install
Plan where product will go while the walk-in is out of service, and schedule the switchover around your slowest days. A new box also needs time to pull down to temperature before it is loaded, so build that into the plan rather than loading it the same hour it starts.
6. Plan for maintenance from day one
Leave clear access to the condensing unit and evaporator for future service, and put the new walk-in on a maintenance schedule from the start. Our walk-in maintenance checklist covers what that looks like.
Talk to us before you order equipment
YYC Mechanical supplies, installs and services walk-in coolers and freezers for restaurants, grocery and food businesses across Calgary and nearby towns. A short site visit before you order usually saves money and avoids the problems that show up after the installer has left.