Four Tips to Eliminate Walk-In Cooler Waste

Walk-in coolers and freezers are meant to keep perishables safely stored for greater lengths of time. Unfortunately, perishable products will eventually go bad, even at optimal storage temperatures, but there are a few things you can do to reduce waste from your walk-in and save yourself a bit of money along the way.

Organize According to Temperature

While walk-in coolers should maintain a consistent interior temperature for the most part, the areas near the door and near the ceiling will always be a little warmer than the areas near the floor and near the rear of the cooler. This is due to two factors. One, being that cold air is displaced with warm air each time the cooler door is opened. The second factor is the law of thermodynamics, in which warm air naturally rises and cool air sinks to the floor. Any warm air entering the cooler will automatically move towards the ceiling. 

Reducing the use of the door is one way to combat this but it isn’t always a practical solution. And it won’t eliminate the problem entirely. The better option is to organize your cooler with these factors in mind. You can keep the more sensitive products fresher longer by storing them in the back of the cooler and closer to the floor. Products that are used more frequently can be kept on higher shelves or closer to the door, as they won’t require as long of storage.

Remove Products from Packaging

Walk-in shelving is designed to allow adequate airflow throughout the interior of the cooler. This design feature makes sure your walk-in works efficiently and can keep each product at the optimal temperature. However, this is only the case if products are removed from their packaging. If left in boxes or solid-walled tubs, the cooler will be unable to circulate enough cold air to those products, which could make them expire before the printed date! 

Keep a Second Thermometer 

Your cooler’s thermostat should accurately monitor its interior temperature. The keyword here is should. Even the most well-maintained system can have an unforeseen malfunction. We hope that never happens to you, but it's a good idea to keep a second thermometer in your walk-in just in case. Checking both the thermostat and an independent thermometer could alert you to any potential problems so they can be addressed before the cooler breaks down and spoils the products stored inside. 

Never Overstock

Overstocking, or stocking too much at once, is one of the main causes we see for food expiring before its printed use by date. If you overfill your cooler, it will struggle to drop the interior temperature fast enough to compensate for the new stock. This means you might lose some of your more sensitive products before the cooler can regulate itself. 

Pro Tip: Don’t skip your annual maintenance appointment. The goal of preventative maintenance is to catch any small problems before they have the chance to become major breakdowns, resulting in higher repair bills and spoiled products.

To schedule walk-in cooler service or maintenance in Austin, TX or Lubbock, TX, contact us at 512-651-4565 or email info@tripointref.com