Cooler News: Fighting Back Against Condensation in Walk-In Coolers

Condensation in a walk-in freezer or cooler can be a real issue.

Business owners may see droplets on glass doors or pooling water on the floor around the edge of a walk-in cooler.

KPS Global’s experts have field experience figuring out why condensation is happening and what do about it.

Jason Bratcher, Director of Construction Services, West Coast at KPS Global, said a big factor is simply the environment.

“One thing we always tell our service techs when the complaint has to do with frost or condensation is check the humidity at the store and check what the surface temperature is, because, to find the dew point ,you have to have the surface temperature and the humidity,” Costanza said.

If the temperature is changing, that could indicate the humidity inside is an issue, not a problem with a failing heater.

There also are clues in the strip curtains and door sweeps, which should be properly placed and sealed, plus the possibility that employees are not properly closing doors or something is blocking the air flow around the interior walls.

“As condensation forms on the outside of the walk-in, it can often form in that air space between the freezer and a building wall, for example,” said Jim Costanza (embed contributor page), Technical Fellow at KPS Global. “If there’s not air movement in that space, condensation can form there, and it can form to the degree that the condensation will form into droplets, run down on the floor, [and fill] that space between the freezer and the building wall with liquid in a pool.

“That will form mildew and bacteria, and if there’s drywall … that wall can become infected with this mold and mildew. That will have to be remediated.”

It’s easier to make sure the walk-in coolers or freezers are undergoing proper upkeep. If businesses have a condensation problem, they can contact KPS Global to have a physical inspection and resolve the issue.

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