Examining the condition of the existing floor will help determine whether Penn's pre-fabricated floor panels are required. For freezer applications, floor insulation is always necessary. This may be accomplished by using our prefabricated floor panels or by insulating the existing floor. Penn floor panels are available in the same widths and lengths as ceiling panels, providing ease of replacement, relocation, and/or resizing to meet your challenging needs.

If floors are required, you need to decide whether a normal four-inch step-up or a flush door entrance is required. If a flush door entrance is desired, a determination needs to be made whether the floor can be recessed the required four inches. Keep in mind that the use of an interior or exterior ramp will also provide a flush roll-in effect.

If the building's floor tiles are to be continued into the walk-in, the thickness of this tile is needed so the door panels can be raised to allow for clearance of this tile.

Planning the Height

Regarding the exterior height of your walk-in unit, four inches of installation tolerance is required over the exterior top of the ceiling panels for ease of installation.

The method of product storage should also be considered in determing the height of a walk-in. If hand storage is used, 7'-6" or 8'-6" height will suffice. If palletizing or rack storage is required, higher ceilings, larger door openings and aisle ways will be required.

If the walk-in is being installed in a basement or cellar, it is possible that a 6'-6" high unit could be used with the limitations that accompany the height.

Energy savings should also be considered when determing the proper height. Ten to twenty percent of additional refrigeration is necessary to operate a 9'-7" x 9'-7" walk-in at 8'-6" high, as opposed to one at 7'-6" high.

Planning the Doors

A truism in the walk-in industry is that "your door is your walk-in." Bearing this in mind, the folowing considerations should be taken in planning your walk-in door.

You should first decide if the standard 34" x 76" personnel door will be sufficient. If so, locate it so that maximum interior space is available for shelving and storage.

Penn door and frame panels include a vapor-proof light fixture, pilot light and switch, pressure relif port, self-closing hardware, and 2" dial thermometer as standard equipment.

A Penn door and frame can be ordered in a wide range of options and sizes. Vision panels, diamond tread or stainless steel kick plates, oversized thermometers, dead-bolt locks, locking bars and temperature alarms can be added according to your specific needs.

Planning the Mechanical

The refrigeration equipment for Penn's walk-in boxes can be specified in a variety of ways.

With a pre-assembled remote refrigeration system, Penn furnishes the condensing unit and the evaporator coil for field installation, piping and charging by others. This type of system is used when long distances are needed between these two major components.

With a pre-charged (self-contained) refrigeration system, Penn furnishes a pre-charged condensing unit which can be placed on top or along side of the walk-in box. A maximum of 30 feet of pre-charged line sets are provided for installation by the refrigeration mechanic.

For smaller walk-in applications, Penn can furnish a single packaged refrigeration system. This system comes ready to mount on top of your walk-in cooler or freezer, requiring minimal space. The evaporator portion of the unit sits flush in the ceiling, allowing for maximum use of your available refrigerated space. A minimum of 48" is required above the exterior roof of the walk-in box for this system to be installed and serviced properly.

Penn's condensing units are available in hermetic, semi-hermetic, Discus and Scroll with matching evaporator coils to meet specific job site requirements.

Penn offers a standard one-year compressor warranty with an optional extended four-year warranty.