just went through this a couple months ago for a different application and i had a couple things to note/ add on: used truck refer boxes have a shelf life - that foam degrades overtime, if it's that old you'll need to add a layer of spray foam to help insulation. our local rep basically said that at 20 years its obsolete in terms of R value. All boxes are different - some have 3'' foam, some have 4" foam - some have insulated floors, some don't - be careful when you're looking. If you plan on using the existing unit - 95% are 3 phase too - and even with electrical standby, you still have belts to replace and maintenance vs a permanent unit/ compressor. If you have to add a new compressor and evap unit w/ install - you're looking at 9-11k minimum for a 18ft box. If you put in a 3k unit it will run 24/7 and keep the box at 20 . I've never seen shipping containers that cheap - but if someone has a contact let me know! - the last quote we got was 25k used. They're all 3 phase too. used panels for indoor walk ins are typically easier to find used and tricky to reuse (depending on who took it down)... Our farm doesn't have 3 phase power available and utility savings typically aren't there if you're running 220/240 on a single phase. You can get a converter, but they aren't cheap. Our bill jumped when we switched from chest freezers. Labor efficiency makes up for that added cost though. any walk in unit's storage capacity compared to a chest freezer isn't 1:1. You can't pack product in a walk in like you can a chest freezer. walk ins need airflow for the evaps and space to walk/ move / carry product - if you're using racks or storing on the floor plan on 70%. If you plan on pallets or ample space to move - it's more like 50%. Every year energy efficiency declines. Heavy usage (opening and closing the door) costs more money. Walk ins need maintenance and is expensive. They typically need someone knowledgeable to work on them - and those calls aren't cheap, especially when your evap unit catches a leak on Christmas day and needs soldering and refrigerant. If you have 10 chest freezers - and a unit goes down you make it work until you can figure it out. When you have 1 walk in and it goes down - you pay whatever amount of money for a person to come out and fix asap it so you can save your product inside. Walk in units are 100% without a doubt more convenient - but they are never cheap. They make sense when you are turning over product consistently. If you give yourself time to wait out a deal, they can be put together cheaper, but used equipment eventually comes with a cost. I make the comparison of going from a 90's farm truck, to a newer diesel. Hope that helps!
My cousin owns Grateful Graze 😂 damn.
What I having hard time with is all the permitting
Did you use any loans or grants to purchase new?
just went through this a couple months ago for a different application and i had a couple things to note/ add on:
used truck refer boxes have a shelf life - that foam degrades overtime, if it's that old you'll need to add a layer of spray foam to help insulation. our local rep basically said that at 20 years its obsolete in terms of R value. All boxes are different - some have 3'' foam, some have 4" foam - some have insulated floors, some don't - be careful when you're looking. If you plan on using the existing unit - 95% are 3 phase too - and even with electrical standby, you still have belts to replace and maintenance vs a permanent unit/ compressor. If you have to add a new compressor and evap unit w/ install - you're looking at 9-11k minimum for a 18ft box. If you put in a 3k unit it will run 24/7 and keep the box at 20
.
I've never seen shipping containers that cheap - but if someone has a contact let me know! - the last quote we got was 25k used. They're all 3 phase too.
used panels for indoor walk ins are typically easier to find used and tricky to reuse (depending on who took it down)... Our farm doesn't have 3 phase power available and utility savings typically aren't there if you're running 220/240 on a single phase. You can get a converter, but they aren't cheap. Our bill jumped when we switched from chest freezers. Labor efficiency makes up for that added cost though.
any walk in unit's storage capacity compared to a chest freezer isn't 1:1. You can't pack product in a walk in like you can a chest freezer. walk ins need airflow for the evaps and space to walk/ move / carry product - if you're using racks or storing on the floor plan on 70%. If you plan on pallets or ample space to move - it's more like 50%.
Every year energy efficiency declines. Heavy usage (opening and closing the door) costs more money. Walk ins need maintenance and is expensive. They typically need someone knowledgeable to work on them - and those calls aren't cheap, especially when your evap unit catches a leak on Christmas day and needs soldering and refrigerant. If you have 10 chest freezers - and a unit goes down you make it work until you can figure it out. When you have 1 walk in and it goes down - you pay whatever amount of money for a person to come out and fix asap it so you can save your product inside.
Walk in units are 100% without a doubt more convenient - but they are never cheap. They make sense when you are turning over product consistently. If you give yourself time to wait out a deal, they can be put together cheaper, but used equipment eventually comes with a cost.
I make the comparison of going from a 90's farm truck, to a newer diesel. Hope that helps!
“You cant pack product in a walk in like you can a chest freezer”. - that is meant to be the other way round isnt it?
Mmmm no. You can’t pack a walkin like you can a chest freezer and you shouldn’t pack a chest freezer like you do a walk in