Cold storage is a vital asset to many businesses, whether it is on the scale of a large warehouse or down to the level of a walk-in freezer in a busy restaurant. Keeping temperature sensitive products at the right level to maintain quality and food safety shouldn’t be difficult, but operating efficient cold storage can be a challenge, especially if storage spaces see a large amount of traffic in and out each day. One of the best ways to take control of efficiency and safety in cold storage is with an air curtain. However, before considering how air curtains can help you achieve better results in cold storage, it can be helpful to think about the biggest issues that these critical spaces often encounter.
Common Challenges Faced in Cold Storage Operation
Temperature fluctuations are far and away the most pressing concern in any cold storage system. Stability is essential for energy efficiency and the proper storage of the products in the room. For food operations that require strict temperature control to promote aging or other natural processes for products, extreme variations are unacceptable. However, these changes are a common problem.
Fluctuations can also lead to wear and tear on cooling equipment that must work long hours through frequent cycles to keep the product sufficiently chilled. Over time, this boosts the risk of a sudden breakdown and the subsequent problems it would create. Avoiding the consequences of an emergency requires increasing temperature stability and reducing operational time.
There are other issues, too: the humidity introduced into the freezer spaces as staff enter and exit can cause problems on its own. Fogging and misting are problematic, for example, because it can settle onto products and potentially promote mold or mildew. Icing can occur, too, and can be especially dangerous to your staff. Icing that occurs near the door, for example, can melt when the door frequently opens in a short period. A staff member could slip and fall as a result. Mitigating these problems with an air curtain can be the right choice.
The Benefits Your Operation Experiences from Air Curtains
Air curtains address each of these problems in turn. Their operational principle is simple: using a uniform sheet of air at a sufficient velocity, the curtain separates the warmer exterior spaces from the colder interior zones. This action works to minimize the amount of interaction between the two spaces, reducing the heat exchanged and mitigating in large part any potential rise in temperature. The difference may be in tenths of a degree with an air curtain — so small as to have no impact on your product, and unlikely to require additional cycles.
That means, of course, that your cooling equipment will be able to last longer between maintenance periods (assuming good condition in the first place). Not only are you able to save money on energy costs, but on upkeep as well. An air curtain makes it simpler to focus on long-term stability for cold storage operations.
Finally, an air curtain’s ability to separate two spaces also means that humid air is not rushing in behind employees, which reduces the amount of mist created in the space and helps to ensure that icing conditions rarely develop. A safer, more reliable cold storage unit is just one air curtain away.
How Air Curtains Fit into Your Premises
So how do you take advantage of these changes? Air curtains are typically easy to install and do not have extensive space requirements for these smaller scale applications. Sizing an air curtain requires measurement of the space above the walk-in door and the space from the installation point to the floor. A reputable supplier can assist you in this process to ensure a proper fit. Achieving the proper flow from the unit is an essential part of correct operation, and professional installation is recommended.
Keep in mind that curtains can find a home in other places around your building, too. Curtains covering exterior doors can help maintain the building’s thermal profile more effectively, for example. Even curtains leading into the rooms around cold storage areas can be useful. By reducing the potential for infiltration by dirt, dust, and small flying insects, creating and maintaining an even more hygienic environment is within easy reach. Since all air curtains can deliver these results, businesses have broad freedom to choose solutions that offer the right combination of value, performance, and convenience.
Choosing a Professional Partner to Explore Your Options
For cold storage setups that aren’t performing at the appropriate level of efficiency, air curtains can offer a flexible and beneficial way to solve the problem. Not only can they help save more money in terms of your monthly energy expenditures, but they can lead to better operating conditions in the cold storage spaces themselves. As you explore these options, a key factor in the success of an air curtain installation project is the right supplier.
At Air Door Distributors, we proudly use many years of hands-on experience in the air curtain sector to guide our clients towards the best solutions. From personalized advice delivered by pros to the ability to access air curtains in virtually any size or configuration you need, overhauling your operation’s approach to cold storage is easier than you might think. To find out how we can help you make these improvements, reach out now.