Refrigerated and freezer container guide

Reefer, freezer, or insulated box?

Three different things get called cold containers, and they are not interchangeable:

• Refrigerated (reefer): insulated container with an integral refrigeration machine, designed to hold a chilled set point, typically around 32°F to 60°F.
• Freezer: the same machine type running lower, commonly down to around -0°F to -20°F depending on the unit and the ambient temperature.
• Insulated only: no machine. It slows temperature change, it does not create cold. Useful as a cool store or as a base for your own refrigeration.

Tell us the set point you need to hold and the ambient conditions where the unit will stand, and we will tell you which of the three you are actually looking for.

Power

Refrigeration machines are three-phase equipment. They are not a plug-in appliance and they should be connected by a qualified electrician to a supply with the correct rating and protection. Before you order, confirm what supply you have available at the exact spot the unit will stand, and confirm who will make the connection. The nameplate rating for the specific unit is listed on its product page.

Running cost is driven by set point, insulation condition, ambient temperature, how often the doors open and how well air can circulate around the load. A freezer set point in summer costs materially more to run than a chill set point in winter.

Siting a cold unit

• Level ground: the machine and its condensate drainage assume the unit sits level.
• Air space at the machine end so the condenser can breathe. Do not box it in.
• Shade helps. Direct sun on a dark container increases the load all day.
• Leave room to open both doors fully and to work in front of them.
• Plan for condensate water to run somewhere sensible.

Loading it properly

A reefer cools by pushing air along the T-bar floor and back over the top of the load. If you block that path the unit cannot hold temperature, however good the machine is. Keep the load off the rear wall, do not stack above the red load line, and never cover the floor channels with sheeting or loose packaging.

What we check before dispatch

Every cold unit is run before it leaves us. We confirm the machine starts and pulls down towards its set point, check the door seals and hinges, look for delamination or damage to the insulated panels, check the T-bar floor and drains are clear, and inspect the shell for the same wind and watertight standard as any other container. The full checklist is on the inspection standard page.

Browse the range on the refrigerated and cold storage page, or call (302) 666-4991 and describe the application.