Google Groups no longer supports new Usenet posts or subscriptions. Historical content remains viewable.
Dismiss

Walk in Fridge / Cold Room Dismantling

576 views
Skip to first unread message

sheepish

unread,
Jun 29, 2009, 10:47:14 AM6/29/09
to
Maybe a bit of a long shot, but you never know. I'm in the market for
a s/h cold room. There are always a few on e-Bay. But they always need
dismantling. Anyone know how big a task this is? I appreciate
different manufacturers will have different techniques, but I'm
assuming the panels that form the room bolt togther somehow and a chap
with a 1/4" socket set and a few screwdrivers should be able to pull
one apart in a couple of hours?

Any tips or advice very welcome.

Ta

PCPaul

unread,
Jun 29, 2009, 1:53:35 PM6/29/09
to

I've never dismantled one, *but* the undefloor insulation in our
conservatory is made of the (peeled) panels from them. There was a
company nearby making new coldrooms and there was often a pile of old
panels from rooms they had replaced in their skip... they were only too
happy to have me take them instead since they were so bulky.

They consisted of a 4" slab of very dense foam with a thin painted steel
skin both sides. As far as I could tell these panels were just screwed
together with overlapping bits of the skin, and maybe a bit of trim.

If you were dismantling it I guess you'd have some ducting and wiring to
sort out as well. And the doors

Transport might be an issue. The panels aren't heavy but they are very
bulky. I had six on my roofrack and it wasn't straining at the weight,
but it was a pile about 8'x4'x2' high...

Dunno what the roof is made of, I'd guess more of the same.

A couple of hours might be a bit light on time for a one man job. I'd
plan to take a day - a day when the tool shops are open, just in case...

The Wanderer

unread,
Jun 29, 2009, 2:05:22 PM6/29/09
to

Orlright, it's an anecdote, but I'm minded of a holiday a good few years
ago on the Greek Island of Zakynthos, before it got too commercialised.
Visited a fish taverna and the owner wanted us to go into the cold store to
see the selection of fish. I remember seeing daylight through rusted holes
in the back of the cold room. Fish was definitely off for us that
evening.....


--
The Wanderer

Passion is inversely proportional to the amount of real information
available.

Andrew Mawson

unread,
Jun 29, 2009, 2:07:09 PM6/29/09
to

"sheepish" <rjc...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:7e2ab6fd-00b7-430f...@t13g2000yqt.googlegroups.com...

I dismantled one on the farm that I hoped to relocate. The structure
was assembled from prefabricated panels that had 3" x 1" framework,
infilled with 3" polystyrene slab, then both the outside and inside
was sheeting clad. Some of the sheeting was fibre reinforced cement
(which might have been asbestos but I don't think it was) and the rest
of the sheeting was wood fibre reinforced cement. Roof was the same
structure, but overlayed with several layers of roofing felt. I trided
to reduce it to panels but they proved too fragile and the lot got
scrapped.

I looked to dismantle one in a butchers shop that I was buying at the
time, but that was definately asbestos sheeting with blown asbestos
infill. I never completed the purchase.

AWEM

Andrew Mawson

unread,
Jun 29, 2009, 2:08:46 PM6/29/09
to

"sheepish" <rjc...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:7e2ab6fd-00b7-430f...@t13g2000yqt.googlegroups.com...

You may find a refrigerated container or maybe a refrigerated lorry
back is a better option as they are intended to be moved arround.

AWEM

Andrew Gabriel

unread,
Jun 29, 2009, 2:10:34 PM6/29/09
to
In article <7e2ab6fd-00b7-430f...@t13g2000yqt.googlegroups.com>,

One point of information - it's a legal requirement now that anyone who
dismantles a refrigerant system has the requisit City & Guilds certificate
in refrigeration.

--
Andrew Gabriel
[email address is not usable -- followup in the newsgroup]

sheepish

unread,
Jun 29, 2009, 2:30:03 PM6/29/09
to
On 29 June, 19:10, and...@cucumber.demon.co.uk (Andrew Gabriel) wrote:

> One point of information - it's a legal requirement now that anyone who
> dismantles a refrigerant system has the requisit City & Guilds certificate
> in refrigeration.
>
> --
> Andrew Gabriel

Thanks Andrew. Any idea what constitutes a system? The rooms I'm
looking at are insulated panels, but the refrigeration is a bolt on
component containing a compressor and fans. That to me is the system
and I have no intention of fiddling with that bit!

sheepish

unread,
Jun 29, 2009, 2:31:25 PM6/29/09
to
On 29 June, 19:08, "Andrew Mawson"

<andrew@no_spam_please_mawson.org.uk> wrote:
>
> You may find a refrigerated container or maybe a refrigerated lorry
> back is a better option as they are intended to be moved arround.
>
> AWEM

Thanks for the idea, but I have looked at those. Refrigerated trailers
seem to start at 3 grand, where you can pick up a room for about 500
quid.

Andrew Gabriel

unread,
Jun 29, 2009, 3:57:33 PM6/29/09
to
In article <c8c73c88-aac2-4baa...@c36g2000yqn.googlegroups.com>,

sheepish <rjc...@hotmail.com> writes:
> On 29 June, 19:10, and...@cucumber.demon.co.uk (Andrew Gabriel) wrote:
>
>> One point of information - it's a legal requirement now that anyone who
>> dismantles a refrigerant system has the requisit City & Guilds certificate
>> in refrigeration.
>
> Thanks Andrew. Any idea what constitutes a system? The rooms I'm
> looking at are insulated panels, but the refrigeration is a bolt on
> component containing a compressor and fans. That to me is the system
> and I have no intention of fiddling with that bit!

Sorry, it's a long time since I read it.
The intention is to prevent unqualified people doing anything to
refrigeration systems which might cause a leak and loss of refrigerant
to the atmosphere. I would guess you're OK if the refrigeration system
is fixed in such a way it will stay where it is and no pipework will
be disturbed. However, the Act is very poorly worded, like pretty
well all recent legislation, and bits of it don't say what was
intended. Anyone can install aircon (the self-install market is now
much bigger than professionally installed at the domestic sized end
of the ranges, with systems using self-sealing couplers, and outlawing
that was not viable). However, if you attempt to check for leaks in
your system, you are committing an offence. Plonkers...

If it's large enough, you might find a maintenance company will come
out and empty it for you for free, as they can reuse the refrigerant.
That's what happened with some chillers at work, although they were
almost brand new.

0 new messages