Commercial refrigeration
Cold that holds through a service.
The three we would put in your room
What decides one of these is doorway or route width, clearance around the condenser, ambient temperature of the room and electrical service — measured before the order, not after it.
What decides the fit
- Doorway or route width
- 36 in and above of clear opening handles most single and many double cabinets. The turn into the room usually decides it rather than the doorway itself.
- Clearance around the condenser
- 6 in and above is comfortable for most self-contained equipment. Built-in installations need the specified clearance designed into the cabinetry, not found afterwards.
- Ambient temperature of the room
- Below about 80F is the ambient most commercial refrigeration is rated at. A cool back-of-house is worth more to equipment life than most people credit.
- Electrical service
- A dedicated 15 amp circuit covers many single-door units. Dedicated matters more than the number.
Worth knowing before you order
Why clearance
Because refrigeration works by moving heat out of the box and into the room, and the condenser has to be able to get rid of it. Boxed in tight, or in a hot corner with no air movement, the condenser cannot reject heat, the compressor runs longer and hotter, and the cabinet stops holding temperature on the worst day of the year — which is the day you notice. The clearances on the sheet are minimums for that reason, and ambient temperature matters as much as the gap: a unit rated for a normal kitchen will struggle in an unconditioned one.
Self vs remote
Self-contained units carry their compressor and condenser on board, so they plug in and run, and they dump their heat into the room they stand in. Remote units have the condensing unit somewhere else — a roof, a plant room — connected by refrigerant lines, which takes the heat and most of the noise out of the space but turns the install into refrigeration work with a licensed trade. In a small kitchen the heat rejected by several self-contained units is a real load on the air conditioning, which is often the reason people move to remote.
Door vs drawer
Glass doors are for selling and solid doors are for holding — glass loses more heat and costs more to run, which is a fair trade in a merchandiser and a waste in a back-of-house cabinet. Drawers are easier on the back and lose less cold air than a full door swung open, but they cost capacity and cost more. Undercounter units live under a work surface and are limited by the counter height, which is the dimension people forget to check against their own bench.
A presentation set. Venerabull is in its first phase and is signing its first manufacturers — the models on this page are our own, shown so a maker can see the page their line would get. As lines are signed their real products and photography replace these, and anything that was never inventory comes down.
VENERABULL
Heavy, premium goods for the home and everywhere that isn’t. Venerabull LLC · New York.
Company
United States · USD
Everything we carry
Golf simulatorsEnclosures, launch monitors, impact screens
FireplacesLinear electric, gas inserts, mantels
Saunas & cold plungeCedar cabins, plunge tubs, water systems
Outdoor kitchensGrills, cabinetry, refrigeration
Wine cellarsRacking, cooling units, glass doors
Home gymRacks, plates, cable systems, flooring
Hot tubs & swim spasHot tubs, swim spas, covers and lifters
Standby generatorsAir-cooled, liquid-cooled, transfer switches
E-bikesCommuter, cargo, off-road
Rooftop tentsHardshell, softshell, awnings
Boat liftsFour-post, elevator, PWC lifts
Car liftsTwo-post, four-post, scissor
TrailersEnclosed, utility, car haulers
Dock hardwareLadders, bumpers, cleats, whips
Deck ovensStone hearth, electric, gas
RefrigerationWalk-ins, reach-ins, prep tables
Ice machinesCube, nugget, flake
Barber chairsHydraulic, styling, shampoo units
Pallet rackingSelective, drive-in, cantilever
Safes & vaultsFire safes, gun safes, vault doors
Espresso machinesOne, two and three group, grinders
KilnsPottery, glass, front and top loading