In cold storage and freezer rooms, preventing the ingress of warm air is a constant challenge. When warm air moves into a cold storage area, the water vapor in the air condenses into water and forms frost or ice. This can accumulate on cold surfaces such as walls, doors and floors – causing serious safety issues for people and equipment. Frost can also prevent doors from closing tightly, forcing refrigeration systems to work harder to maintain constant temperatures.
Moisture typically enters cold storage or freezer areas when a door is open or improperly sealed against the warmer air outside the room. Most cold storage operations require constant opening and closing of doors to move products, so restricting door opening is usually not an option.
High-performance doors can accommodate these high opening and closing cycles, while better maintaining a cold environment than conventional doors to help prevent frost build-up.
Features to Consider for Cold Room Doors
Insulation capacity. High-performance doors are manufactured with energy-efficient materials with a high R-value (up to R-40) to help reduce energy consumption and minimize energy loss.
Materials. Puncture-resistant materials ensure long-lasting performance. Look for insulated thermal panel material or sturdy, standard fabric material, USDA-compliant and tear-resistant materials, such as polymer-impregnated monofilament polyester fabric and two- or three-ply panels.
Opening and closing speeds. Opening speed up to over 100 inches per second minimizes air infiltration and improves environmental control.
Defrost systems. Heated side columns and defrost systems help to virtually eliminate frost build-up. Look for a door with defrost options, such as an unheated or heated blower system.
Vinyl seals. Full-height vinyl weatherseals in side columns, edge-to-edge seals at the top of the door, and low-temperature vinyl seals along the bottom of high-performance doors provide a tight full-perimeter seal when the door is closed, reducing frost build-up and conserving energy.
Benefits of High-Performance Doors in Cold Storage and Freezer Rooms
These exclusive features make high-performance doors the right choice for cold storage and freezer rooms.
Temperature control. With high opening and closing speeds, high-performance doors help minimize air exchange between cold and warm areas. Their perimeter seals, thermal breaks and thermal panels further maintain temperature differentials – and reduce the potential for frost build-up.
Reduced energy costs. High-performance doors can be a significant contributor to your facility’s overall energy savings by helping control heat infiltration and maintaining environmental separation of critical areas within your building. Less air infiltration leads to lower refrigeration costs, while state-of-the-art insulated panels can often eliminate the need for conventional defrost systems.
Less maintenance. Exclusive features, such as self-repair, break-away and resetting options help prevent door downtime and reduce maintenance costs.
Safety. Unlike conventional doors, Rytec high-performance doors offer a full array of safety features, such as the Pathwatch® Safety Light System, that are seamlessly integrated into door construction to safeguard and ensure operational standards.
Increased productivity. The reliability and fast speeds of high-performance doors increase the traffic flow of products – ensuring forklifts, pallet jacks, and other vehicles have a safe yet fast method of moving through facilities.
For every application. Rytec’s wide range of cold storage doors fit many applications while delivering top-of-the-line performance, speed and energy conservation while helping to minimize frost build-up. They’re perfect for coolers, freezer storage areas, blast cell freezer rooms, dry storage, produce, automated storage and retrieval systems (ASRS), and USDA/FDA processing facilities.
Request a High Performance Door Energy Analysis
A high-performance door energy analysis provides a comprehensive review of your facility’s temperature, humidity, and energy use data and the savings (return on investment) associated with replacing older, slower conventional doors with high-performance doors.
Request your FREE energy analysis to see how much you can save! Or contact us today to discuss your needs.
Is it time to upgrade your facility’s cold storage doors? Contact us today to discuss your needs.
View our selection of doors for cold storage facilities.
Selecting the Right Cold Storage eGuide
For more insights on how to minimize frost build-up at cold storage door areas, download our eGuide, Knock Temperature Differentials Out Cold – Selecting the Right Cold Storage Door.
