5 Cold Room Design Mistakes Kenyan Businesses Should Avoid

A well-designed cold room should provide stable temperatures, efficient energy use and reliable operation for many years. Unfortunately, many installations across Kenya suffer from basic design mistakes.

The first mistake is undersizing. Choosing a smaller capacity to cut costs often leads to overworked compressors and poor temperature control. It’s better to design for your peak load plus some growth.

Second, door design matters. Poorly sealed doors, lack of air curtains and excessive door openings allow warm, humid air into the room. This causes ice build-up, slippery floors and high power consumption.

Third, placing condensers and compressors in poorly ventilated areas restricts heat rejection. Over time, this shortens the life of your equipment.

Insulation quality is another critical factor. Inadequate panel thickness, poor joint sealing and incorrect floor insulation will all show up in your electricity bill.

Working with an experienced cold room contractor, rather than a general electrician or fundi, ensures these issues are addressed at design stage — not after you’ve invested in stock.