Ways to Reduce Ice build-up in Cold Stores

Water and ice create dangerous slippery conditions in the loading areas with ice building up around cold store entrances. Ice also builds up around the inside of the cold store, including the intake to the evaporator coils, the components critical for maintaining products at sub zero temperatures. This creates the need for constant defrosts and stretches the capability of the cooling capacity of your equipment, whilst using a great deal of energy.

Safety issues can arise when fog forms around door entrances, causing poor visibility. Snow accumulates on product, creating the potential for collapsing cases. Ice and snow also build up on cold store ceilings and floors with the potential to fall on people, and form dangerous uneven floors for fork lift trucks carrying loads at speed. The reduced visibility from fog also increases loading times.

While all these are a matter of concern, losing the cooling capacity of your cold-store is potentially the most costly.

LIMIT NUMBER OF SECONDS DOOR IS OPENED EACH TIME

Do not under estimate how much moisture enters the cold store every time the doors are opened. If you can reduce the number of seconds the door is opened for you will significantly reduce the amount of moist air entering the cold store. Rapid doors such as the Ulti Fastrax FR, or Ulti-Flex are a good idea here to ensure lowest possible opening times. Do not leave the cold store door open as you are packing or looking for product!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

INSTALL PVC STRIP CURTAINS

PVC Strip Curtains are a good way to reduce the amount of air that enters the cold store during door opening times. The curtains act as a barrier so that is harder for the moist air to get into the cold store. However, moist air will still get into the cold store through the gaps and when forklift is running through the curtains.