Replacement Dart Gasket Installation Instructions

There are various mounting styles of gaskets used in manufacturing walk-in coolers and freezers. Some are secured with screws, stapled onto a flat surface, or cemented into a channel. U.S. Cooler chooses to use magnetic dart style gaskets that push into a groove.
The causes of gasket failure are numerous, from loss of vinyl elasticity over many years to an employee ripping the gasket by running into it with a cart. If your gasket is building up ice or condensation, that’s a sign that your seal is not tight and you need a replacement gasket.

Installing replacement gaskets correctly is important to ensure a tight seal with no air infiltration or icing along the door frame.

Soak the gasket in warm water for several minutes in increase pliability.

Dart Style Gasket Installation Instructions

1. Remove door from walk-in cooler/freezer (some hinges have lift-off capability when the door is open) and place on a pair of saw horses or table with gasket side up. Using a screw driver, remove the 7 screws from the inside edge of the old gasket if they were installed. (NOTE: some types of gaskets are not screwed in).
2.  After old gasket has been removed place new door gasket around door, laying it out across the top and down the sides of the door. With door gasket in position around the door starting at the top corner, firmly seat the spur of the door gasket into the groove of the extrusion along the edge of the door using a hammer. It’s important that the spur be positioned over the groove correctly as it needs to be seated on the first impact of the hammer. Continue along the top of the door seating the gasket and then down the sides until you get to the bottom of the door.
3. Trim the bottom of the door gasket so it just covers the metal strip of the door sweep. It should not extend onto the rubber part of the door sweep. If the gasket is trimmed, remove the rubber plug from the trimmed piece and insert it into the bottom of the gasket to keep the magnets in place. Use NSF approved silicone caulk to keep the rubber plug in place.
4. Using a screw driver, install 7 screws into the locations shown on this drawing.
5. Re-install door onto the hinge blocks on the walk-in frame and check door for proper operation.

You can buy name-brand walk-in parts such as gaskets, handles, and door closers from walkincoolerparts.com. Walk-in Cooler & Freezer Parts has the lowest prices on the net and will ship most orders the same or next business day.

Refrigeration Guidelines for Specific Applications

This article is courtesy of Austin Industrial Refrigeration.

Flowers do best with High Humidity and Low Velocity refrigeration

Aside from the box temperature, other considerations that are particular to medium temperature applications (walk-in coolers & refrigerators) are the air velocity and humidity of the refrigerated space. Below freezing, humidity is inherent (the moisture is mostly frozen out of the air), so low temp applications are easier to spec than medium temp.

The following are common design parameters and examples of their application:

• 35 degrees F / 90%+ relative humidity (low velocity coils) – high humidity – Used for: sensitive materials, floral – roses
• 35 degrees F / 85% – 90% relative humidity – general purpose – Used for: foodservice, fresh meats, packaged goods not sensitive to humidity, short-term mixed produce, thawing, and dry goods unaffected by humidity
• 35 degrees F / 60% – 75% humidity – low humidity – Used for: retail, beer and beverage coolers, packaged items, materials sensitive to humidity
•  45 degrees F / 55% – 70% humidity – low humidity – Used for: aging red wine
• 45 degrees F / 90%+ humidity (low velocity coils) -high humidity – Used for: sensitive materials, floral – general
• 55 degrees F / 55% – 70% humidity – low humidity – Used for: processing rooms occupied by personnel
• 55 degrees F / 60% – 75% humidity (low velocity coils) – low humidity – Used for: produce Read the rest of this entry »

Diagnosing Walk-in Coolers & Freezers Problems

A systematic approach to walk-in cooler and freezer maintenance is the technician’s best guide.

The ubiquitous walk-in cooler or freezer is an essential part of many cafeterias, restaurants and convenience stores. It is also a large energy user in these facilities but is rarely considered until problems emerge.

Problems include failure to maintain pressure and compressor failure, both of which can result in expensive losses to the products stored in the cooler. These problems, as well as unnecessarily high energy use, can be avoided by observing equipment and taking corrective action.

Evaporators
Moisture from the air freezes onto the evaporator coils (the cooling coils in the freezer) and forms an insulating barrier to heat transfer. Airflow also decreases as the passages narrow due to ice buildup. Each evaporator has a defrost cycle to melt frost/ice that has built up on the evaporator coils. Water from the melted ice is drained from the freezer . . . ideally. Read the rest of this entry »

Organize Your Walk-in Cooler or Freezer

Temperature control and organized inventory are food-safety watchwords.

When Connie’s Pizza, a nine-unit Chicago-based chain, reorganized its walk-in coolers for better efficiency and improved food safety, management liked the results.

“By reconfiguring the coolers we were able to reduce stock and rotate it more effectively,” says owner Ivan Matsunaga. “We saved 3% to 5% on shrinkage and perishables.’’

The reorganized walk-ins also are easier to navigate, which encourages employees to keep the coolers tidy. In accordance with health and sanitation practices, raw meat and poultry is kept on lower shelves. Prepared and ready-to-eat foods and salads, cooked meats and ham are stowed on higher racks. Walk-in temperature is kept at 37F, and foods are tagged and dated upon arrival to ensure proper rotation.

Connie’s cooler remodel was part of a company wide initiative to improve food safety during which the chain’s 250 employees attended demonstrations on sanitation, stock organization and rotation. Because staff participated in the food-safety update, everyone now is held accountable.

Temperature and organization are critical to maintaining a food-safe walk-in cooler, says Kristie Grzywinski, senior program manager for food safety at the National Restaurant Association’s Educational Foundation, Chicago. Keep foods in the cooler at an internal temperature of 41F. “Some restaurants have the luxury of several walk-ins. Most don’t,” explains the microbiologist. “That’s why organization of shelves and inventory is critical.”

She advises designating separate sections for raw and ready-to-eat foods to minimize risk of cross-contamination. Additionally, Grzywinski warns operators not overload racks, which taxes shelving integrity and impedes air circulation. Be aware of temperature variations inside the walk-in: warmer by the door, cooler in the rear. (Store meats, fish and dairy products in the cooler back area and produce closer to the front.) Shelves must be no closer than six inches from the floor to ease cleaning under racks. And allow plenty of headroom in the cooler to ensure adequate air circulation for steady temperatures and lower utility bills. Read the rest of this entry »

Passing Restaurant Inspections for your Walk-in Cooler or Walk-in Freezer

Restaurants are supposed to be checked by health inspectors twice a year. Walk-ins can be a source of food safety violations if not properly maintained and cleaned. If you run a restaurant you can also be stuck with fines totaling thousands of dollars or face temporary closure of your establishment. After the restaurant is closed, an inspector will generally return within 24 hours and will continue to visit until these violations are resolved and the restaurant can reopen.¹ Lost days of operation can cost your business not only revenue, but your reputation as well.

One restaurant in New York paid a total of $8,600 in fines from a food inspection, including $1,200 directly relating to their poorly maintained walk-in cooler.

· $600 – The walk-in cooler was dripping water from the ceiling. Ice build-up on the condenser was present in the walk-in freezer dripping into extra ice storage in a garbage can below. Shelving in multiple refrigeration units was rusted and therefore not easy to clean and particles of rust able to flake off into food products below. The condensation line for the cooler was not connected and the condensate was dripping into a pan at the bottom of the unit.

· $600 – The floor in the walk-in cooler was in disrepair and no longer an easy to clean surface.²

Health code regulations and requirements vary from state to state. The following are areas you could be cited for in your walk-in or other refrigerators:

Lack of interior release in walk-in.

Spoiled or improperly packaged food in your walk-in.

Any spills or pieces of food in the walk-in not cleaned up.

Mold present in the walk-in cooler.

Refrigeration unit poorly ventilated and in close proximity to combustibles.

Walk-in not held at the proper temperature for food storage.

Improper organization of the walk-in or obstructions in the area around it, making it hard to service or clean. Read the rest of this entry »

Do Walk-in Cooler & Freezer Walls Wear Out?

Hi there,

Do walk-in cooler walls wear out over time?

I build restaurants and we are renovating a restaurant we built 17 years ago.  A supplier is recommending we replace the walk-in box, because they “break down”. I find that hard to believe. Could you please give me your opinion?

Thanks,

- Len Chaston

Len,

On the surface, your walk-in box probably has a few scratches, dents and slightly worn metal but overall it appears serviceable and is likely structurally sound. However, the insulation inside the panel can take a much more severe beating over the years than the exterior. The insulation has to deal with huge temperature differentials between the inside and outside of your box. Depending on the material used to insulate your box it could have absorbed a good deal of moisture, which degrades the thermal resistance of your insulation. Your old walk-in was also not built to meet modern efficiency and safety requirements and it could even contain a large amount of wood (which is a poor and water permeable insulator). If you have a walk-in freezer, one indication of trouble is ice buildup on the inside of the box. This is a sign that water vapor has been able to infiltrate the insulation.

At 17 years old, the cost of running the walk-in for several years as well as the added load and wear on your refrigeration unit will far overshadow the cost of purchasing a new walk-in unit. If you do decide to opt for a new walk-in, I want you to take a look at the inside of the panels when your old unit is disassembled. A panel that is now leaking all over the floor was no longer doing the job it was intended to.

Ice buildup in a walk-in panel

If you have a question you’d like answered please visit the Ask an Expert section of our blog. Note: Not all responses will be published.

Two Years of Cooler Connection

Cooler Connection started publishing articles two years ago in January 2009. We have always aimed to be a trusted voice in the walk-in refrigeration industry, with articles that are useful to walk-in owners in the convenience store, grocery and foodservice industries. Many of these articles can save you time, money or educate you on a subject. We have compiled a list of several of our most useful articles you may have missed over the past couple of years.

Articles you may have missed:

Maintaining Your Walk-in Cooler or Freezer

Tips to keep your walk-in clean and operating efficiently.
Operating Cost for Walk-in Coolers and Freezers

Get a rough estimate of the cost per month to run your walk-in cooler or walk-in freezer.

Cooler Insulation- Extruded Polystyrene Vs. Polyurethane

Comparing the effectiveness of the two most common insulations used in walk-ins.

Preventative Maintenance for Refrigeration Systems

How to keep your refrigeration running trouble-free for years.

Retrofitting LED Lights Can Pay Off In Your C-store

Learn about the advantages of replacing your existing fluorescent lighting with LED lighting.

Own a restaurant? Tips to save time, energy, and money.

Twelve tips to make your restaurant more efficient.

Walk-in Cooler & Freezer Shopping Tips

What to be aware of when shopping for walk-in coolers and freezers.

Walk-in Installation Tips

Guidelines to follow for a problem-free setup of your walk-in.

Building a Green Sustainable Restaurant

Green Made Easy

“Sustainability” may sound like a destination too far, but you get there the same way you get anywhere—one step at a time.

By: Mike Sherer

If you’re like many, when you think of “green” or “sustainable,” you probably think of much-publicized certification programs with strict definitions you either meet or don’t. But as concepts, green and sustainable are not like on-off switches. They’re more like dimmers. They’re gradated, and you achieve them to varying degrees in incremental steps. The important thing is to start moving and gain momentum as you go.

Most of you are already taking the early steps. You’ve changed some incandescent light bulbs to compact fluorescents, and you recycle glass, metal and paper. You’ve installed low-flow pre-rinse valves. But what’s all this about “reducing your carbon footprint” and “becoming sustainable”? Can you do more?

What’s Green, What’s Sustainable?
Absolutely. Being green—by which we means being environmentally friendly—is getting easier. Greener products are more plentiful and less expensive, and greener practices are more widely understood these days. And becoming sustainable—which means you can sustain your activities long-term without going broke or using up the planet—is likewise more widely understood than ever before.

“Sustainability, from a big umbrella perspective, means running an operation that doesn’t negatively impact future generations’ ability to operate a restaurant,” says Don Fisher, president and CEO of Fisher-Nickel Inc., which runs Pacific Gas & Electric Co.’s Food Service Technology Center in San Ramon, Calif. “From a practical standpoint, sustainability means staying in business when the price of oil hits $100 a barrel.”

Getting Started
As with every other aspect of your business, becoming sustainable will never happen without committing to it. And you won’t know where you’re going unless you find out where you are.

“Audit where you are,” Fisher says. “And get top-down commitment. Assess your state of sustainability unit by unit, and commit long-term to solutions that will get you to your goals one step at a time.” Read the rest of this entry »

10 Tips for Restaurants on Saving Money, Energy & the Earth

Are you investing your energy resources wisely? The following tips provide ideas for maintaining an energy efficient operation.

Track energy consumption

Tracking your monthly electricity, water, sewer, trash and natural gas consumption is a first step toward managing your impact and monitoring the effectiveness of efficiency improvements. If you’re an independent operator or local chain, get audits from local utilities and municipalities. Many organizations provide free energy, water and waste audits in addition to advice, technical and sometimes financial assistance for upgrades and program development. Take advantage of these free professional services.

Allow for air circulation around refrigerators and freezers

Refrigerators remove heat from inside the box and eject that heat through the coils on the top or bottom of the unit. When you are cleaning around these units, do not push your reach-ins into tight spaces where the heat will build up, forcing the unit to work harder and use more energy.

Defrost food regularly

Develop a frozen food pull schedule to avoid the practice of defrosting food under running hot water. If a two-gallon-per-minute faucet is used for this purpose one hour every day for a year, the cost may exceed $800. Read the rest of this entry »

LEED Green Building Certification

Green Building Certification – LEED

Green design in buildings has increased rapidly in the last few years due to the increase in energy costs. To help centralize the green building criteria, the non-profit U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) developed core principles for residential and commercial buildings that are designed to lower operating costs, reduce waste, reduce harmful greenhouse gas emissions, and conserve energy.  The USGBC developed LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), a rating system that serves as a third-party certification program. The numeric -point driven program evaluates a building’s total environmental performance. The number of points earned for a project determines the LEED certification level of the building. Buildings, not individual products, attain LEED certification based on the number of credits earned

U.S. Cooler offers several products to assist our customers in meeting the requirements for LEED certification. Read the rest of this entry »