anybody know how to insulate a walk in (restaurant food cooler)?

[FacilityFred]

The county inspector visited and recommended - not insisting - that we insulate an old walk in. He suggested using R25 foam boards on the walls and then covering it with FRP.

Does that sound reasonable? What kind of glue could we use? How long once we take the food out do we need to let the walk in get to room temp? (one day? two days? more?) Any other ideas on accomplishing this task?

Thanks for any ideas anyone might have.

Mike

PS: If you are in the San Francisco Bay Area and might want to tackle this, I would like to talk to you. (My current plan is to have my part time handyman do the job.)

[m Ransley]

Can you insulate around the outside it would be easier. polyisocyanurate board has the highest R value per inch. There are alot of construction adhesives, just wait till walls are warm and follow directions. But Glues and foamboard offgass and might change foods taste for weeks or much more unless covered with a plastic sheeting. Talk to people that know before you do it.

[<aemeijers]

Before I bought the material, I&#39;d call around and see if any of the used-equipment reselllers have a low-mileage used walk in cooler, from a restaraunt that went belly up. If I understand correctly, the modern ones basically snap together like a prefab plant office, and then the cooling panels get hung inside. Given how often start-up eateries go under, I&#39;d be suprised if bay area didn&#39;t have a thriving market in used fittings. I could be wrong, but a few phone calls to check it out and compare prices to rolling your own won&#39;t cost anything but time. Was this inspector the health inspector, or the the HVAC guy? I&#39;d be paranoid about being able to keep a home-brew wall system sanitary, what with all the moisture in a fridge space that is open and closed all day.

aem sends...

[marks542004]

Is this is a walk in refrigerator or freezer ?

I agree with insulating the outside of the unit if that is required to maintain cooling.

I wonder just what the health inspectors concern is . In some cases it may be the inside walls are rusting out and the inspector is suggesting a satisfactory way to repair it .

Make sure the health department , and not just the inspector, sign off on the materials and method used, you should get a letter of compliance from the department.

[Goedjn]