Polyurethane: One More Option For Your Walk-in

It’s Your Choice.

U.S. Cooler is one of the few manufacturers who can now offer both extruded polystyrene and foamed-in-place polyurethane insulation for walk-in coolers and freezers. As any good business does, we are always seeking new ways to serve our customers better and stay competitive in the marketplace. One of these ways is to provide additional services to our customers and dealers. Recently, we have added foamed-in-place polyurethane to our product offering. Previously, U.S. Cooler only offered extruded polystyrene insulation.

U.S. Cooler’s new polyurethane panels are foamed-in-place filled with class 1 polyurethane foam made from CFC and HFC free materials. By utilizing state of the art horizontal presses and technology, panels lie flat during the foaming process which reduces voids in the insulation. The panels’ structural tongue and groove, cam-locking system provides an air-tight seal between the panels restricting air infiltration into the insulation core.

U.S. Cooler’s polyurethane walk-in products are made with the same exceptional quality and performance construction that has proven successful in the industry.  By adding a new product line to our manufacturing capabilities our product excellence has not changed.  U.S. Cooler still provides the same premium, high-quality products and customer service we have been offering for over 25 years. Every walk-in is pre-assembled in our manufacturing facility before shipment to ensure precise quality control and ease of assembly in the field. All our panels come with our standard 10 year warranty.

Polystyrene Walk-in Brochure

Polyurethane Walk-in Brochure

NAFEM 2011: It is Your Choice

U.S. Cooler views NAFEM as the most important show in our industry, allowing us to introduce new products and display existing products. This year at NAFEM some of our new concepts will be showcased as well as our new product launch.
NAFEM will be our first opportunity to introduce the new foamed-in-place product line. We are now leaving it up to you to decide which insulation you prefer in your walk-ins. U.S. Cooler now offers both extruded polystyrene and foamed-in-place polyurethane. Our polyurethane walk-ins offer the same high-quality features and services you have been receiving from U.S. Cooler for over 25 years.
U.S. Cooler has an exciting display again this year. Come visit us at NAFEM booth #843 in Orlando, FL, February 10-12, 2011.

False Information about Extruded Polystyrene

Recently, there has been a document circulating in the industry that has a lot of misinformation concerning the use of extruded polystyrene insulation and its compliance with the Energy Independence Security Act of 2007.

We normally ignore incorrect information that is generated with the sole purpose of discrediting a competitor but the severity of this document begs to be clarified.

The document can be found by clicking the pdf icon.

Extruded Polystyrene Panels

First, there are presently two types of foam insulations being used in the manufacture of walk-in coolers and freezers in the United States.  These insulations are Extruded Polystyrene and Foamed –in –Place Polyurethane insulation.  Many companies in North America have the ability to use both types of these insulations.  Both insulations have benefits that can be used to provide a quality walk-in cooler or freezer. Companies that use both types of insulation can apply each of these insulations in parts of a walk-in that they perform best and therefore bring the best designed quality walk-in cooler or freezer to the marketplace.  Some companies do not have the capability and therefore turn to attacking the insulations they do not have the ability to use with misleading information to compensate for this deficiency.   This situation seems to be one of them.  There are six points that need to be addressed. Read the rest of this entry »

Zero Ozone-Depleting FOAMULAR Extruded Polystyrene Insulation

Toledo, Ohio – Owens Corning (NYSE: OC), a global leader in building materials and energy efficiency solutions, today announced it has started manufacturing zero ozone-depleting FOAMULAR^® Extruded Polystyrene (XPS) rigid foam insulation. The new blowing agent technology developed by Owens Corning meets the requirements of the Montreal Protocol which requires the phase-out of the hydrochloro-fluorocarbon (HCFC) 142b, an ozone-depleting compound, by January 1, 2010.

Owens Corning’s new Gresham plant is the first facility in the Western U.S. to meet the requirements of the Montreal Protocol and expands the company’s XPS foam production capabilities. The company also has converted its Rockford, Ill., insulation plant to use the new blowing agent, and all FOAMULAR products will meet the requirements of the conversion deadline.

“High performance homes and buildings are an ever-growing segment of the construction industry, and Read the rest of this entry »

A Matter of Insulation: Acquisition vs. Lifetime Savings

Your cold storage equipment may be one of the most important choices you make. A significant amount of costs are associated with your walk-in. Before you purchase, make sure you consider the entire lifecycle of the walk-in instead of just the acquisition price.

The two main elements that effect energy and cost savings while running a walk-in are the refrigeration and insulation.  To get the optimal results from your refrigeration it must be sized correctly taking in consideration the size of box, if it is a cooler or freezer, and what will be stored inside. (There are many other factors that are considered when sizing refrigeration.) Insulation is the key to energy savings because it is responsible for holding the cool temperature in the box so the refrigeration does not have to work overtime. Insulation quality is measured by R-value; the resistance to heat flow through an object. Since EISA was implemented January 1, 2009, all walk-in manufactures are required to have an R-value of R-25 for coolers and R-32 for freezers. Now that all manufacturers follow the same requirements, the performance of the insulation is what differentiates the walk-in.

The two common types of insulation used are polyurethane and extruded polystyrene.  Each type of insulation brings with it strengths and weaknesses that must be evaluated for each individual application.

U.S. Cooler uses both insulations. Through experience and research, U.S. Cooler believes extruded polystyrene is the best insulation for the walls, ceiling, and floors of coolers and freezers. Polyurethane is better to insulate the doors of their walk-ins. According to a study performed by the U.S. Corps of Engineers, they found that over a five year period extruded polystyrene retains 75% of its R-value while polyurethane retains 25%.¹  This is one reason why U.S. Cooler believes extruded polystyrene provides the most value and the best option for walk-in insulation.

Polyurethane & Extruded Polystyrene

Read the rest of this entry »

Cooler Insulation- Extruded Polystyrene Vs. Polyurethane

U.S. Cooler manufactures walk-in coolers and freezers employing both Polyurethane and Extruded Polystyrene. Through testing and years of experience we maintain that extruded polystyrene insulation is superior for use in walk-in coolers and freezers. Polystyrene has many characteristics that prove it to be the best insulation material for walk-ins. The two main insulations found in walk-ins are Extruded Polystyrene and Polyurethane. Each insulation has differentiating characteristics and should be optimized for the specific application.

Polystyrene is a dense closed-cell structure that is very resistant to moisture and holds its R-Value longer than other competing insulations found in walk-ins, such as Polyurethane. This allows less water infiltration in the insulation, which in turn saves energy and money. When water starts seeping into the insulation’s pores, the R-value drops dramatically causing the refrigeration to work harder to hold its respective temperature. Refrigeration working overtime means higher energy bills. Polystyrene is less water vapor permeable; therefore, water vapor does not infiltrate through the material as quickly or easily as it does other insulations.Using studies performed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (CRREL), U.S. Cooler demonstrated extruded polystyrene saved consumers over $5,000 in energy costs over the first five years of operation. The savings again are due to extruded polystyrene’s ability to resist moisture and to retain its R-value better than other insulators.

Polystyrene used in walk-in coolers and freezers is made from “at least 20% pre-consumer recycled polystyrene.” (Owens Corning, Technical Bulletin: Recycle Content Claims Must be Reliable and Verifiable) Polystyrene found in walk-ins is also 100% recyclable. Manufacturing companies that produce these insulation materials, reproduce the resources in new insulation material. Alternatively, it is important to note that Polyurethane is produced from chemicals and is not made from any recycled materials nor can it be recycled or reused.

Polystyrene in walk-in coolers and freezers is the most cost effective and environmentally friendly insulation used in walk-ins today. Not only is polystyrene in walk-ins made with recycled materials and is 100% recyclable but it is energy efficient and can save a great deal of money in energy costs and reduce carbon footprint over the life-cycle of the walk-in.