The Art of Keeping Cold: Sizing Your Walk-In Cooler

A walk-in cooler is much more than just a big, cold box. It is a meticulously designed storage space for perishable items, and it is designed to allow for frequent foot traffic. Properly sizing the refrigerated space is critical for a number of reasons. The most obvious reason is simply the fact that if the space isn’t cold enough, the food will spoil. However, improper sizing can also significantly increase energy consumption. Walk-in coolers need to keep a consistent temperature, and if BTU (British Thermal Unit) output is too high or too low, it will cause the system to overwork itself, leading to higher utility costs and more frequent repairs.

What’s in a Size

There are a number of factors that go into the proper sizing of a walk-in cooler. The simplest factor is the actual size of the conditioned space. The bigger the space, the more BTUs that will be needed to keep up with demand. However, a smaller square footage can actually require more BTUs under the right circumstances. For example, if the items being stored in a smaller space require a lower holding temperature (the constant temperature needed inside), it may need a significantly higher BTU output.

Keep In The Cold

The temperature outside also needs to be taken into account. If the cooling unit opens to the outdoors, it will have a much higher demand in the heat of the summer than it would if the only access is in the frozen foods section of a well-conditioned grocery store. In addition to ambient temperature, you must keep in mind how well the system will hold the temperature. This is primarily determined by the level of insulation. More insulation leads to a more consistent temperature, meaning that fewer BTUs need to be sent out per hour to maintain the holding temperature.

Finally, take the usage of the walk-in cooler into account. Is this a freezer in the back of a small kitchen that will be accessed once or twice a day, or does it back up to the glass doors of the milk section of your local market? Every time the doors open, they let cool air escape, causing a higher demand for energy.

Take all these factors into account and make sure that your walk-in cooler is properly sized to save yourself money and headache down the road.