We recently explored how you can save money with your HVAC system overall, which got us thinking about some of the other energy hungry equipment that you will require to run your business. One of these can be a walk-in cooler or freezer.
Of course, a walk-in freezer is a key part of any restaurant or business that is storing food. It normally requires a large investment, and a lot of the cost will go on the energy used, especially if it is not maintained properly.
In this blog post we will give you some energy savings tips that will allow you to save money from your walk-in cooler and we will also explain how you can optimize your energy usage to save on autopilot. If you just want to see how to save money quickly – check out our article on CUES - as this device will save you money on the running cost of refrigeration.
How to Save Money from the Energy Cost of Your Walk-In Cooler or Freezer?
You will find there are a few main areas that can contribute to a large energy cost. Obviously, with the current climate in 2023 it does not help with the energy bills going up.
Here are some of the areas that you can check to make sure that your walk-in cooler is running as efficiently and at as low cost as possible:
Routine maintenance:
This is commonly overlooked and can be one of the biggest contributors to a higher-than-average energy bill with a walk-in cooler. Essentially, by taking part in routine maintenance you are engaging in preventative maintenance that will ensure that it is functioning and working correctly.
Main areas to check:
Door seals:
If you find that your door seals are perishing it is well worth getting them replaced. Of course, as they perish it will require more energy to maintain the cooler temperature.
Ventilation and airflow:
This is another area that can serve as a huge detriment to your walk-in cooler or freezer if it is not maintained correctly. This is very easy to fix as you can just double check to make sure that the airflow is not restricted in any way.
Defrost:
If you find that your walk-in cooler or freezer is in a constant state of “defrost”, this can indicate a problem and you should get this looked at straightaway. Ideally, you will want to keep defrost minimal.
This can be a problem that gets worse over time and the resulting outcome are large repair costs and higher energy bills or both.
Fans:
Another area to check are the fans, this can be well worth checking to make sure that they are able to operate clearly.
Refurbishment:
If you do find upon checking some of the areas above that they do need attention, an option that you have is refurbishment. This can add more life to your walk-in cooler or freezer.
You can also pair this with adding in new fans, new seals for the doors and this can save you over the cost of buying a new in walk-in freezer.
Of course, you will have to look at the areas that need fixing to see whether this is a viable route to take.
Energy efficient equipment:
This is another step that is commonly overlooked that can lower costs. If you make sure that you are going for energy-efficient lighting where possible you will also have the benefit of lighting that does not create much heat and therefore it means that your freezer will not have to work quite as hard to maintain the temperature.
Upgrade Your Refrigeration Units:
Depending on the age of your refrigeration units it can be well worth looking at upgrading. This will normally be the case if your unit was manufactured before 2009. This was when the Department of energy standards went into effect, if you have a cooler unit from before 2009 the chances are with an upgrade you could save money on your energy costs.
Staff Regulations:
Training your staff is definitely well worth doing. Simple things such as creating rules where they do not leave the door propped open for long periods of time.
Turning off the light when leaving is an absolute must.
Limiting the amount of people that enter the cooler at any one time will help to maintain the temperature and also mean that the door does not have to be left open for a long time.
Energy Saving Accessories:
There are certain parts and accessories that you can get for most walk-in coolers that will help to become more energy efficient. Some of these accessories you will find already come with newer coolers, if you have an older model, you can save money by spending a little on accessories.
Some energy saving accessories for a walk-in cooler include:
Self-closing hinges:
As the name suggests when the door is open it will slowly start to shut, not all of the way but it will help to maintain some of the energy and the temperature inside the cooler.
You can also pair this with closers and this will ensure that the door will be completely closed. This can help with accidentally leaving the door open.
Make sure that you install safety inside the walk-in cooler so if anyone is trapped inside, they are able to get back out.
Viewing window:
You can install a viewing window on the door, this means that if you are just going to check stock you will be able to do so without going into the cooler and therefore saving on energy. It can also help to see who is inside the cooler at any given time.
Conclusion:
If you follow some of the energy savings tips above, it will save you money from your energy bills for your walk-in cooler.
Remember, start with the simplest tips. Definitely have a look at refurbishment if you find that something needs repairing as it can save you more money down the line.
You can also go the route of buying a brand-new walk-in cooler, this can be a heavy expense but if you get a new one it will no doubt be more energy efficient.
Consider Energy Monitoring and Optimization:
If you really want to take energy costs into hand and minimize those bills, we highly encourage installing energy monitoring and optimization.
The problem with this is that most businesses feel that this would interrupt their work and the expense would just mean they are spending money on the monitoring instead of the energy bills.
The good news is that here at coolersavings.com we are able to install energy monitoring and optimization quickly and efficiently.
You can click here to read one of our testimonials where the business saved a lot of money off of the bill of their commercial refrigeration.
Have a look at the Eniscope Energy Monitoring System which is a completely self-contained system that allows you to uncover how much you are spending on energy and also save and recover costs.
You can also click here to get a free consultation for you business and see how much coolersavings.com can save you on your refrigeration costs.