Understanding Your Options for a Commercial Cool Room Installation
A commercial cool room is needed by just about any facility that offers food service, as a refrigerator may not be roomy enough to store all your perishables. It can also be needed to store raw goods for a production facility or to store certain heat-sensitive pieces of equipment, such as computer processors. Whatever your needs for cool room installation, note a few of your options and discuss these with a contractor so you know you get the right choice.
1. Ask about integrated flooring options
If you're having the cool room installed in any space that doesn't have a concrete floor, ask about integrated flooring and if this would work for your installation. The installation company may be able to provide some type of flooring for the cool room that doesn't damage your facility's tile, stone, aggregate and other such surfaces. Don't assume that this is part of the installation, as many cool rooms are installed in a facility with a plain concrete floor so that the cool room itself may not have a separate floor. If you're concerned about keeping your flooring surface intact, always ask about integrated flooring.
2. Note the fire rating for the panels
Commercial kitchens, any place that uses welding equipment and other such facilities may have a higher risk for fire than a warehouse. Don't assume that the thick walls used to create a cool room are naturally fireproof or even fire resistant, as the materials used to create the insulated walls may actually burn very easily. If there is any increased risk for a fire in your facility, ask about the fire rating and your options for insulation and wall materials so you know the items being stored in the cool room will be protected.
3. Ask about electrical requirements
Most cool rooms will need their own circuit and may even need more amps and volts than what is provided by your facility's electrical systems. It may also be good to note if the building's wiring should be updated in order to avoid an overload of electricity and a brownout or slowdown of the cool room's cooling features. This could cause the temperatures inside the room to dip to dangerous levels and the materials stored inside could be ruined. Not only should you talk with the cool room installer, but also the building manager or maintenance manager, so you know if the wiring is old and needs updating in order to support the installation of your new cool room.
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