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Shipping Container Coolers Cut Costs
Portable walk-in coolers are just the thing for small fruit and vegetable growers. They're normally exempt from property taxes and they can be moved to the field or sold if needs change.
But portable coolers are expensive. Gene Stampher, KOOLJET Refrigeration Systems, says he has just the answer. He sells coolin
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Shipping Container Coolers Cut Costs 29-5-9 Portable walk-in coolers are just the thing for small fruit and vegetable growers. They're normally exempt from property taxes and they can be moved to the field or sold if needs change.
But portable coolers are expensive. Gene Stampher, KOOLJET Refrigeration Systems, says he has just the answer. He sells cooling systems for ocean-going insulated shipping containers. Customers spend just a fraction of the price of new commercial coolers.
"Customers buy insulated decommissioned containers that may have been used for shipping frozen fish or other foods, cut a hole in them and slip in our cooling systems," says Stampher.
He reminds customers that any cooler being used for meats and such would need to be inspected. However, if previously used for food, they would likely be lined with either stainless steel or aluminum for easy cleaning with a pressure washer.
Shipping containers come in 8 by 8 by 20 or 8 by 8 by 40-ft. sizes. If previously used for frozen goods, most will have about 4 in. of foam.
"We design systems for containers that actually freeze contents or just chill it," says Stampher. "We can take it down to û4?F (-20?C)."
The cost of a cooling system depends on a number of variables including insulation level, products to be cooled, humidity levels desired, speed of cooling needed, desired temperatures and outside conditions. If ambient temperatures fall below the desired cooler temperature, a unit may require a heater also. As a result, every system is custom designed.
Once the system has been designed, it's easy to install. The complete system is factory-tested and does not require a refrigerator technician to install.
Even if a cooling system costs the same for a container as for a building of the same size, total savings can be considerable. "Used containers generally cost less than $2,000," points out Stampher. "Try to put up a building for that."
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, KOOLJET Refrigeration Systems, 9 Myrtle Street, Tillsonburg, Ontario, Canada N4G 4G4 (ph 519 842-2268 or 866 748-7786; fax 519 842-8020; info@kooljet.com; www.kooljet.com).
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