• Several requirements must be met before a walk-in cooler can be filled.meatshop image by .shock from Fotolia.com
  
  Before restaurants, grocery stores or convenience stores start filling their walk-in coolers with food and drink, those coolers must pass some stringent tests and there are several requirements that must be fulfilled. From proper latches and doors to temperature regulations, there are several requirements that have been handed down by the federal government to cooler manufacturers.
  
  

Temperature Requirements

• According to the U.S. Department of Energy, the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA) sets the design standards that all manufacturers must follow in order to improve energy efficiency. One of the most important requirements of a walk-in cooler is that it maintains a constant, specific temperature. The EISA defines walk-in coolers as chilled storage areas of less than 3,000 square feet. The U.S. Department of Energy states that a walk-in cooler must be refrigerated above 32 degrees Fahrenheit, while walk-in freezer must maintain a temperature below 32 F. The EISA also clearly states that products designed exclusively for medical, scientific and research purposes are not classified as walk-in coolers and do not have to adhere to these temperature guidelines.
  
  

Door Requirements

• Walk-in cooler doors are also covered by the EISA. According to the Electronic Code of Federal Regulations, all walk-in cooler doors must have automatic door closers that firmly close walk-in doors once they are within one inch of full closure. While this covers most walk-in doors, these regulations do not apply to doors that are wider than 3 feet 9 inches or taller than 7 feet. In order to reduce the contamination of food or entry of unwanted material, also called infiltration, the Electronic Code of Federal Regulations also states that all doors must have strips, spring hinges or another method of reducing infiltration while the doors are open.
  
  

Insulation and Lighting Requirements

• The last two major components that the EISA covers are lighting and insulation requirements. According to ThermalRite, a manufacturer of walk-in coolers, the company manufactures their walk-in coolers to industry standards set forth by the EISA. The company states that all their walk-in cooler lights have a minimum power of 40 lumens per watt. The company states that motion sensor devices can be used to automatically turn off lights within 15 minutes of non-use. As for insulation, all cooler floor, ceiling and door insulation is measured in R-values. The U.S. Department of Energy states that R-values indicate insulation's resistance to heat flow and with a higher R-value, a walk-in cooler is better insulated. ThermalRite states that federal regulations require them to provide R-25 for all walk-in cooler insulation.