A commercial cool room is a must for any organization or catering industry dealing with the supply of food on a large scale. They help in storing products at optimum temperatures, so that they can be kept cool and fresh, do not get spoilt soon, and meet the specified safety standards. However, cool rooms are not limited to storing edible food and beverages only; they can be used to store medical supplies, laboratory goods, flowers and plant products as well, at the right temperatures. If you are considering cool room installation on your premises, then this guide will come to your great help.
Before you finally go for a cool room installation, keep these things in mind:
- Decide upon the type of cool room you want: There are different types of cool rooms available in the market. Some of them are stand-alone freezer rooms, stand-alone cool rooms, freezer rooms with the motor, cool rooms with the motor, commercial cool rooms with shelves, etc. The one that you choose should depend on your storage needs, type of business, and type of products you want to store in it.
- Space available: Before you install a cool room, one important thing to consider is the space available in your facility to install the equipment. The type and size of the cool room you install will largely depend on the space available for it.
- Storage space needs: Do you buy only limited cooking ingredients, or do you like to store your supplies in bulk? What kind of food or supplies you usually store in your cool room? Do you display your products while keeping them cool for sale also? All these factors will play a big role in determining the cool room installation type in your facility.
- Energy efficiency: Cool room installation can be expensive, both to buy and to operate. They consume a lot of electricity and your energy bills may shoot up significantly. So, before installing one, it is important to give attention to its energy rating. Higher energy rating means that it is tested for consuming less electricity as compared to others available in the market. They may cost a little bit more than the other models, but they help you save money in the long run.
- Features: Of course, you must give attention to the features of the cool room you are buying. They must suit the specific needs of your business and storage needs. Some features to look out for include, auto-defrost function, adjustable thermostat, shelves, fixtures, glass shelves, removable trays, etc. The features that you need depend upon your storage requirements, but the more features you opt for, the more you will have to pay. So, spend money on features that you really need. Don’t spend extra money on features that you would seldom use, just for the sake of having them.
- Ease of use: Cool rooms may vary in size and functionality, but the one that you choose should be easy to use and operate. It should not have any complex systems which may confuse your workers and lead to errors.
- Price: Cool room installation is expensive, but you can actually save money by comparing a few models before finally buying one. Some branded products may come at a very high rate just for the sake of their brand name. A similar product with the same functionality may be available for a much cheaper rate with another lesser-known brand. So, compare the prices, features and functions before finalizing your deal.
So, now that you have investigated all these points with care, go for a cool room installation that best suits your requirements, preferences, and budget. Make sure that the installation experts who arrive at your place are experienced in the job and have the expertise to handle certain issues that may arise.