How to Replace Walk-in Refrigerator Door Gaskets

The following article is courtesy of Tundra Specialties.

The rubber door gasket on the inside edge of the doors of all your refrigeration equipment is very important. It prevents cold air from escaping, which means the unit will stay colder longer and use less energy. Old gaskets wear out and lose their seal. Even worse, older gaskets can pose a food safety risk because they begin to collect grime and food bits and become a breeding ground for bacteria.

Luckily, it’s easy to replace door gaskets!  There are several different styles of gaskets. To insure you get the proper gasket, gather the following information:

1. Dimension of gasket – Measure from outside corner to outside corner for both height and width.

2. Manufacturer – Get the manufacturer’s name and the model and serial number of the piece of equipment (the serial number may not be needed).

3. Style –  Check to see if the gasket is magnetic or non-magnetic(compression). Almost all newer refrigeration equipment will have a magnetic gasket. A magnetic gasket will be hard and square at the point where it contacts the inside frame of the unit. Magnetic gaskets will also snap shut when you hold the door less than an inch from the frame because the magnet attracts to the metal.

Magnetic door gaskets are the most common.

Compression gaskets usually need a door latch to hold them tight in place to get a good seal. These gaskets are soft and compress easily at the point where they contact the inside frame of the unit.

A compression style door gasket.

Door gaskets are also categorized by how they attach to the door.  There are 3 ways a door gasket mounts on a door: snap in (or dart), push in, and screw in.
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Storing Fresh and Frozen Foods

The following article comes from Dependable Refrigeration, LLC.

Storage of Fresh Food in the Refrigerator

The air in a fresh food refrigerator is always quite dry. What moisture there is in the refrigerator tends to collect and condense on the evaporator surfaces. Therefore, food containers should be covered and as air tight as possible to keep food moist.

The temperature inside the fresh food cabinet should be kept at 35 to 45 degrees F. Most fresh foods may be kept from three days to a week at the above temperatures. Unfrozen meat and fish should be stored at as close to 32 degrees F as possible. Fruits and vegetables should be cleaned and prepared for the table before being refrigerated.

For Storage of Frozen Food in the Freezer

The air in a food freezer, as in refrigerator, is very dry. Any moisture in the air of the freezer quickly condenses on the evaporator coil surfaces. It is very important, therefore, that all frozen foods be packaged in moisture proof containers. Read the rest of this entry »

Beer Caves – The Perfect Beverage Refrigerator

Regardless if you are remodeling or building new stores, why not increase the use of your space and install a beer cave for your alcoholic beverages? Beer caves have grown to be very popular in the convenience store industry offering a bright inviting room for customers to browse their selection. Beer caves can come in any shape or size. They are all custom designed to fit your plans. Consider the advantages the beer cave can provide for you and your customers.

Bright lights, glass doors and windows can make an old drab corner turn into an inviting alcoholic beverage oasis. It is proven that bright lights and colorful graphics grab people’s attention attracting more customers to the product. Customers like to see all their choices right in front of them. The beer cave consolidates all beer and alcoholic beverages in one area so it is easy for people to find what they are looking for, grab and go.

Since the majority of beer sold in convenience stores is cold, why not put your beer stock in the cave (eliminating time spent on restocking)? Instead of shoving cases of beer on the shelves that only fit a few cases, have your inventory stocked together so you will always know when you are running low.

Wouldn’t you like to be known as having the “coldest beer in town”? Customers enjoy being able to walk-in, feel the cold air and know their beer will be cold and refreshing.

U.S. Cooler can provide for all of your walk-in needs in your convenience store. A beer cave can give you the opportunity to increase sales and produce a creative, inviting destination for your customers. To get a quote on a beer cave call U.S. Cooler at 800-521-2665.

Don’t let this happen to your cooler

KNOXVILLE (WATE) — Knox County health inspectors were forced to temporarily close a North Knoxville deli this week over a walk-in cooler that was way too warm.

When the inspector found the walk-in refrigerator at 60 degrees and not working properly, she ordered a lot of food thrown away including ham, turkey, meatballs, pepperoni, bacon, eggs, and cheese.

Nearly 100 pounds of food were ordered thrown away because they weren’t safe to eat. Garelli’s was closed until the refrigerator was repaired.

Plus, the inspector found a roach crawling on the kitchen floor. Garelli’s pest control company was ordered to pay a visit.

Maybe the roach was attracted to the moldy grapes, celery and rotten tomatoes the inspector found in the refrigerator.

Mold was also found in the ice machine and water was leaking onto the kitchen floor.

Garelli’s is open again.

Make sure your walk-in has insulation that will retain it’s r-value well over time. And always make sure your refrigeration unit is functioning properly. Find the whole wate.com article here.