Fan ring heaters and insulated drip tray.

Hi guys,

First of all, excuse me for my bad English.

Extra items for evaporators like fan ring heaters and insulated drip trays are always a subject of debate with consultant/client. If we are very tight with our budget, we try to exclude it even at -16°C. But it is hard to prove to client weather these are really required or not because when and where to use this items comes from experience and practice and empirical evidence.

Following are our main points of consideration when it comes to fan ring heaters and insulated drip trays.

Guys, please go through it and I would like to know your opinions.

The insulated drip tray is generally used for
To avoid condensation on the underside of the tray
Condensation can occur below drip tray if it is not insulated and this will drop to the floor or product giving the client a reason to complaint. In general this happens because of variety of reasons.
• Building layout.:-If the cold area is adjacent to any hot area, like freezer next to the high-temperature loading area. Hot air will carry moisture and condense on the cold drip tray and drip on the floor.
• Cooler layout:-If the cooler is positioned at places where saturated moist air can enter the room like right above the door, condensation is to be expected.
• Cooler Construction:- Draw through coolers have less chance of condensation on the drip tray. Because air passing between cooler base and drip tray is at the same temperaure as the room. Therefore the chances for condensation are low compared to blow through coolers.
• Air curtain/room operation:-If the cold room doors are equipped with strip curtains or door opening is not frequent, chances for condensation is less.
• Product stored:-If the stored product or area is giving off moisture, chances for condensation below drip tray is high.
To avoid heat loss during the defrost cycle
• For low-temperature applications generally, insulation is used to reduce the heat loss from the cooler to the room during the defrost cycle. As a rule of thumb you can say -15°C and below this its better to provide insulated drip tray.
To sum things up, there is a different reason to go for an insulated drip tray or to avoid it. If the trouble-free operation is of more importance than budget, its good to provide insulated drip tray to every cooler which operates below the standard ambient dew point.(around 14°C).