Building your own walk-in cooler takes just a few days.
Building your own walk-in cooler can be much cheaper than having one professionally installed. You can build your own walk-in cooler for under $500, whereas an industrial-grade walk-in cooler would run in the thousands. You'll need to set aside a few days for the project, as unexpected hiccups will almost always come up. If you don't have extensive building experience, it's best to start out with an already airtight part of a building, rather than building the whole enclosure from scratch. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
1. Cover your floors with carpenter plastic. Condensation from walk-in coolers will result in your floor always being wet. This can quickly eat away at wood and other materials. Start by protecting your floors with waterproof plastic. Also be sure to set up a proper drainage system so the water doesn't come rushing out whenever you open the door.
2. Build your enclosure or frame using wooden planks. Leave an appropriate sized gap for the air conditioner unit.
3. Insulate your unit using at least 4 inch of foam insulation. Use either polyurethane, polyisocyanurate or spray-on foam insulation. Wear full body protective clothing when installing insulation, as many of them are skin irritants.
4. Cover your insulation. While technically uncovered insulation will still keep in the cool, you risk people touching the insulation and damaging the insulation, as well as risk leaving a skin irritant lying around open. Even just a single layer of plywood will do the trick.
5. Install an air-tight door. Use sealant on all the edges to make sure that no cold air escapes through the cracks.
6. Install your AC unit. Switch it on and let the air inside cool. Feel the exterior of the walk-in cooler for any cool air that's leaking out. Patch any leaks.
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