View Full Version : walk in freezer for storage
bluegrass
10-26-2007, 01:34 PM
Anybody store their drawn frames and supers in a walk in freezer? I am looking into buying a new freezer because the chest freezer I have is not big enough for the side of beef and a few deer along with everything else we freeze in it. I was thinking about buying a walk in and also using it to store hive boxes and frames. My only issue is I don't want to double my electric bill or anything. A guy I work with has one and he says it doesn't cost that much to run. anybody on here have one?
riverrat
10-27-2007, 06:23 AM
i dont have one but IMO most comercial walk in freezers are 3 phase power you can run them if you have 3 phase power which is expensive to have installed or you can run it with a phase converter but then you have 2 motors running if using a rotory converter if using a static converter than you loose about 1/3 your horsepower. or you can convert it to single phase 3 phase power is a lot cheaper than single phase power I would think that a freezer kept at zero running on single phase you would see a big change in your light bill especially if you buy an older less efficient unit. I would buy a big chest freezer and find another way to store supers IMO it would be cheaper.
Dave W
10-27-2007, 10:26 AM
Batch-freeze only your frames for just a few days. When mites and larvae of wax moths and SHB are dead, remove that batch and store outside in winter. Add another batch and after a few days, start over again.
I can send you my electric bill, if you want just to pay more :)
I bought two large chest freezers. I keep my empty frames in the freezer for several days to kill the wax moth and small hive beetle eggs. I also store comb honey, pollen patties and some liquid honey in the freezer. If I had a large operation, I would want a walk-in freezer.
bluegrass
10-27-2007, 01:11 PM
I batch freeze now. I wonder hom much a used reefer trailer costs;)
My wife is quite sure that we don't need a walk in in the basement.....but it would be conveinent. I have my eye on one with the sliding glass doors on the side like is used in a store front.
dgl1948
10-27-2007, 09:39 PM
I just move everything into a storage shed. Everything remains frozen from Nov to the end of April. There is no charge for mother natures frost.
We batch freeze everything that contains organic material that will be stored for some period for a least a couple of days. That includes wet supers, drone brood trap frames, honey frames saved to be fed in the spring, etc. in an upright freezer left to us by tenants. Do the same with your newly purchased grain based foods..cereal, flour,rice, etc... and you'll effectively kill the eggs and larva present in all of those products that can turn into pantry moths....ughhhh!!!
mabe
nsmith1957
10-30-2007, 09:20 PM
Insulate it HEAVILY. If no 3 phase available, use 220/240 single phase motor. If insulated enough, motor will only run a few minutes a few times a day, and probably almost everytime you open the door.
Does insulating a regular freezer (not walk in) make any difference in energy costs? I run two uprights in an unheated garage keeping them at 0 degrees F.
Mabe
honeyman46408
11-02-2007, 11:25 AM
I batch freeze now. I wonder hom much a used reefer trailer costs;)
My wife is quite sure that we don't need a walk in in the basement.....but it would be conveinent. I have my eye on one with the sliding glass doors on the side like is used in a store front.
I know a guy that has his "Honey House " in an old reefer trailer.
nsmith1957
11-02-2007, 04:03 PM
Does insulating a regular freezer (not walk in) make any difference in energy costs? I run two uprights in an unheated garage keeping them at 0 degrees F.
MabeExtra insulation will always help. On a small home freezer the savings may not justify the insulation cost. With an upright you will loss most of the cold air everytime you open the door, it falls to the floor. In a chest type the cold air stays in. If an upright runs a lot, check the seal around the door.
paul mattox
11-06-2007, 07:03 AM
Don't insulate the outside of a domestic frig or freezer. most all manufatures use a hot wall condenser now and insulating the shell will only make it run harder because it can not shed the heat generated from the hot refrigerant moving around the shell of the unit. If you buy walk in freezer panels than they will be thick enough with no extra insulation needed. Chest freezers are able to keep the cold in a lot better than a upright as said. You can get walk ins with single phase power feeds, not all are 3 phase. Feel free to pm me if you need help selecting a walk in freezer, I work on this and cryogenic refrigeration on a daily basis.