American Cooler Blog

“Do I need a walk in freezer floor?” is a question that is asked quite often. The answer to this question can vary and depends on your current situation. The following article will go on to highlight what to keep in mind when deciding if you are going to need a walk in freezer floor.

Walk in freezer floors are required any time your walk in freezer is sitting on a surface that isn’t concrete. Even if your unit is sitting on a concrete pad, the concrete pad MUST be insulated. Many of you are probably wondering “why can’t I just place my walk in freezer on my standard concrete pad, does it really need to be insulated?”. The answer to that question is a resounding “YES”. If you place your walk in freezer on an uninsulated concrete pad, the concrete will crack and break over time due to the extremely low temperatures. This is why a walk in freezer floor should be built for you by the factory.

Walk in freezer floors are typically covered in a smooth finish. This is done to allow easy clean up on a non-textured surface. This is especially important in a restaurant application as you always want to have surfaces that are easy to clean and will help you pass your health inspections. Some people choose to cover their walk in freezer floor in diamond tread plate, which is very durable and provides good traction, just keep in mind that it can be difficult to clean at times, especially with frozen food stuck to it.

If you’re in the market for a walk in cooler or freezer, please give us at American Cooler technologies a call. Our friendly and knowledgeable sales team will be happy to assist you with your next project. Thank you for reading and check back next week for an update blog!

Every piece of equipment in a walk in cooler is important, this includes the walk in cooler evaporator. A walk in cooler evaporator is vital to the overall performance of your unit. The following article will highlight why a walk in cooler evaporator is important, and what you should consider when purchasing one.

walk in cooler evaporator

A walk in cooler evaporator is often referred to as a “coil”. Whether you hear someone talk about an evaporator or coil, know that they are the same piece of equipment. A walk in cooler evaporator serves the purpose distributing the cold air inside your cooler. Think of your walk in cooler evaporator as a type of fan system, constantly blowing and cycling the cold air.

When it comes to walk in cooler evaporators, there are many different types that are for specific units. For example, there are thin low-profile units that are used in tight quarters where space is at a premium. These are often used in reach-in style walk in coolers. There are your standard walk in cooler evaporator systems which are typically rectangular and can be seen hanging on a back wall or ceiling. There are also specialty walk in cooler evaporators. An example of a specialty unit would be a walk in cooler evaporator in a floral cooler. This walk in cooler evaporator would be a low velocity unit so that it didn’t blow too hard and dry out the flowers and negatively impact the humidity.

There is typically a walk in cooler evaporator for any walk in cooler. If you have a question about your next walk in cooler or freezer, or are looking for a free quote, than please give American Cooler Technologies a call. Our friendly sales team would be more than happy to assist you on your next project. Thank you for reading and please check back next week for a new blog and up to date walk in cooler and freezer news!

As energy prices continue to rise seemingly day by day, people are always looking for ways to cut energy costs. If you own a walk in cooler or freezer, strip curtains can be a quick and relatively inexpensive option that will greatly reduce the amount of energy needed to cool your unit due to decreasing the amount of cold air lost while having the door open.

Strip curtains can be purchased for both walk in coolers and walk in freezers. Strip curtains for walk in coolers are referred to as “normal temp” while strip curtains for walk in freezers are referred to as “low temp”. As previously stated, the purpose of strip curtains is to significantly decrease the amount of cold air lost while the door of the walk in cooler or walk in freezer’s door is open. These clear strips of vinyl overlap the entire length of your door opening and do an excellent job of not letting cold air escape.

Think for a second about driving your car on a warm summer day, your air conditioning is running and your car is a nice cool temperature on the inside. You stop to get gas and the minute you open your door, the entire cabin area heats up and it’s like you were never running your air conditioning in the first place. This is a similar situation with your walk in cooler or freezer. You’re allowing room temperature air to invade your cold walk in cooler or freezer and significantly hinder its performance. This is where strip curtains become important, especially on a unit that sees a lot of foot traffic.

If you’re in the market for a new custom built walk in cooler or freezer, or perhaps just a strip curtain, give American Cooler Technologies a call. We would be more than happy to assist you on your next project. Thanks for reading and check back next week for a new blog post.

At American Cooler Technologies, we are often asked about the difference between an indoor walk in cooler and an outdoor walk in freezer. The fact is, there isn’t much of a difference except that outdoor units are covered by a rubber roof membrane. Many people wonder what a rubber roof membrane is and what it does. This article will help explain the importance of a rubber roof membrane on your outdoor walk in cooler or walk in freezer.

rubber roof membrane

Rubber roof membrane is made from a rubber compound called EPDM (ethylene propylene diene monomer). This material is VERY strong and is often used in harsh environments. The purpose of the rubber roof membrane is to cover the roof of your walk in cooler or freezer in outdoor applications. This prevents debris from collecting on top of your unit and getting into the seams and causing problems. When a walk in cooler or freezer is outside, lots of things can land on top of it including seeds, nobody wants plants and foliage growing on top of their walk in cooler/freezer!

Rubber roof membrane is sold most commonly in the color white. This is due to the fact that white helps deflect heat. You don’t want the roof of your walk in cooler or freezer getting extremely hot, as it will be working against your refrigeration system that is trying to keep your unit cold.

Rubber roof membrane can be installed using termination bars, glue, or both. Termination bars are a popular choice because it allows for future removal of the rubber roof membrane if you ever decide to relocate your box. Glue is often used in areas with high wind where a tight fitting seal is critical. Keep in mind that if your rubber roof membrane is installed during colder months, you may experience some bubbling when it heats up in the summer due to the hot air trying to escape. If this is bubbling occurs after using the termination bar method of installation, simply remove ther termination bars and allow the air to escape before reinstalling them.

If you’re in the market for a rubber roof membrane, or a walk in cooler or freezer, give American Cooler Technologies a call. Our friendly and knowledgeable sales team would be more than happy to assist you. Thank you for reading and check back next week for a new blog post.

For many people across the country, floral coolers can be a very profitable and necessary investment. Floral coolers, as the name implies, are used to store flowers for resale. Floral coolers operate a bit different than your average walk in cooler. The following article will highlight what to look for in a walk in floral cooler.

Walk in floral coolers should be built using a sturdy construction method. American Cooler Technologies uses a combination of wood frame construction and polyurethane insulation in all of our walk in coolers and freezers, including floral coolers. This combination provides for a very sturdy and durable floral cooler. You will also want to look for a cam lock design. This makes it easy to assemble and take down your floral cooler should you ever decide to relocate.

Floral coolers, like any walk in cooler will require a condenser and a coil. While the condenser will be a typical condenser, the coil should be “low velocity”. A low velocity coil is critical because it blows air at a lower speed than a standard coil, this is done in an effort to not dry out the flowers and to keep humidity at the right level. You will also want to maintain your floral cooler at a slightly higher temperature than an average walk in cooler. Most floral coolers are kept in the 40-45 degree range.

If you’re in the market for a new floral cooler, give American Cooler Technologies a call. Our friendly and knowledgeable sales team would be happy to assist you on your next project. We offer free, no hassle quotes and want nothing more than for our customers to make an informed decision. Thank you for reading and check back next week for a new blog. In the meantime, be sure to check out our website for more walk in cooler and freezer information, YouTube icon to our video, and social media icons.

As most people already know, doing your research before a large purchase is crucial. The last thing anyone wants to do is make a large investment that they will regret in the future. Whether it be a home, an automobile, or even a walk in cooler, people work too hard for their money to not make informed decisions on large purchases.

Many people assume that all walk in coolers and freezers are the same. After all, they’re only insulation with some metal covering them right? Wrong! There are many different ways that walk in coolers and freezers are manufactured today, many of them are vastly different. For starters, many walk in coolers and freezers are built using an insulation material called “extruded polystyrene”. Extruded polystyrene is the same pink foam board that you see at every home improvement store across the country. Keep in mind that most walk in coolers and freezers are built using a cam lock system. These cam locks need to be mounted into something strong to ensure their longevity and functionality. When a cam lock is mounted into nothing but foam it becomes extremely easy to pull it loose, making sealing your panels impossible. It is also worth mentioning that many manufacturers today are also building what is referred to as an “all foam box”. These panels are constructed exactly as the name implies, using all foam with no frame support. Many people may be wondering “so, what’s the problem?”. This is a logical question and is worth answering. As previously mentioned, all foam boxes are built using only insulation and have no frame to support them. Having no frame support makes these boxes relatively fragile and easy to break the seams if bumped by a forklift or hand-cart.

Next, make sure that the walk in cooler or freezer you plan to purchase is both NSF certified as well as compliant with current DOE regulations. According to 2009 DOE government regulations, walk in coolers and freezers are supposed to be manufactured to meet their strict guidelines. Be sure to ask the company you are dealing with whether or not they meet these guidelines, if they do not, you should strongly consider looking for a different manufacturer. If you’re considering extruded polystyrene, keep in mind that it is usually labeled as having an R-value of 5 per inch. If you’re buying a cooler or freezer that is intended for food use, making sure that it’s NSF certified is a must. If the box is not NSF certified and you’re using it for food use, you risk hefty fines and possibly temporary closure of your business or restaurant.

You may be wondering “what are my other options?”. Thankfully, other options do exist outside of polystyrene and all foam boxes. Polyurethane is another type of insulation used in walk in coolers and freezers. Many companies choose not to use it, mainly because it’s more expensive. These companies will lead you to believe that polyurethane is an inferior product, while at the same time pushing you toward polystyrene. Polyurethane provides a superior R-value when compared to polystyrene while also being extremely durable and stronger than polystyrene. Polyurethane is a two part compound that is mixed together to form the insulation material used in the panels. This is simply not something you can go to the local hardware store and purchase, slap two pieces of sheet metal to and call it a panel.

Next, let’s take a moment to focus on framing. If you’re going to purchase a new walk in cooler or freezer, you probably want it to last more than a couple of years before it starts breaking down. If longevity is important to you, make sure that your new walk in cooler or freezer is built with a wood frame. Wood framing makes for extremely sturdy panels, especially when coupled with polyurethane insulation. Wood framing also has the advantage of allowing your cam locks to be anchored into the wood instead of being “anchored” into nothing but foam.  Many companies will lead you to believe that wood framing is a bad idea because it collects moisture and will rot and promote significant mold growth. When properly constructed, wood frame panels are moisture resistant and molding is not an issue. This is because the wood is covered and not exposed to any moisture or condensation.

Hopefully this article has helped inform, as well as help clarify some rumors and myths. As one can tell, there are many options available when purchasing a walk in cooler or freezer. Please, if nothing else do some research into the company you choose to buy from. Research alone could very well be the difference between a wonderful product and a downright headache. Thank you for reading and be sure to check back next week for a new blog post and updated walk in cooler information!

American Cooler Technologies is proud to announce the completion of our video. We wanted our customers to get a better understanding of who we are as a company and how we go about producing the products our customers purchase from us. We feel that this video does a great job of illustrating these areas!

Not only did we want to show our customers who we are as a company, we also wanted to show first-hand how our products are built and the attention to detail and customization that goes into our products. We realize how important it is to know exactly what you’re getting when it comes to making a large purchase such as a walk in cooler or freezer. We feel that this video does an excellent job of illustrating exactly how the product is built, but also the components that go in to making such a unit.

We are very thrilled to be able to make this video available to our customers of past and present, and we would really appreciate it if you checked it out. You can click on the following link to access the video or you can access it through our website by clicking on the YouTube icon at the top of the page, or by checking it out on our Facebook fan page. Don’t forget to like us on Facebook for weekly blog updates and walk in cooler news!