In professional kitchens and restaurants, Porkka’s modular cold and freezer rooms are critical spaces for everyday operations. They ensure that raw materials and ready-made products are stored safely at the correct temperatures. The external surfaces of cold rooms, such as wall and ceiling panels and shelving systems, often remain in good condition for decades. However, the refrigeration unit—the technical heart of the room—may reach the end of its life even if the room itself looks flawless.
—The room may still look clean and fully usable, but its refrigeration technology—the refrigeration unit — may have reached the end of its life cycle. When the refrigeration unit is replaced, the room is technically as good as new, explains Mikko Niinimäki, Porkka’s After Sales Manager.
Refrigeration units can be replaced even in rooms up to 18 years old
Porkka manufactures refrigeration units for stock, allowing the most common models to be delivered even on the same day.
This is possible thanks to the modularity of Porkka’s MCR rooms, providing significant benefits in terms of time, cost, and environmental impact.
—If a cold or freezer room was purchased in 2007 or later, we can deliver a new refrigeration unit directly from stock. We manufacture the most common models for stock, and they fit about 75% of the rooms! Installation can be completed in best cases in as little as half a day, and after installation, the new refrigeration unit comes with a full three-year warranty, says Niinimäki.
The refrigeration unit includes all critical refrigeration components:
- Compressor
- Condenser
- Evaporator
- Fans
- Electrical components
- Refrigerant
The refrigeration unit is responsible for maintaining the correct room temperature and ensuring the refrigeration process works properly. Without a functioning refrigeration unit, the room will not cool or freeze effectively.
Replacing the unit also upgrades the refrigerant to a more environmentally friendly option
Porkka’s modular MCR rooms are designed so that the refrigeration unit can be easily replaced without rebuilding the entire room—making this both a cost-effective and environmentally friendly solution.
Older refrigeration units often use refrigerants with high GWP (Global Warming Potential) values. For example, R404A has a GWP of nearly 4000, while the new R290 has a value of just 3—a dramatic difference.
One kilogram of old R404A refrigerant corresponds to approximately 30,000 kilometers driven by a passenger car in terms of CO₂ emissions. Older refrigeration units typically contain 500–600 grams of refrigerant,” Niinimäki points out.
Replacing the refrigeration unit is thus a concrete act of environmental responsibility.
Replacement can also be the most cost-effective solution
Caption: Porkka’s After Sales Manager, Mikko Niinimäki, encourages to give Porkka, your local refrigeration service company, or your reseller a call and ask directly if you are interested in replacing your refrigeration unit. He also recommends contacting them for help in calculating whether it is more cost-effective to repair the existing refrigeration unit or replace it with a new one entirely.
Problems with refrigeration technology often manifest as reduced efficiency, higher electricity bills, or unstable temperatures. Repairs can be time-consuming if the fault is hard to locate, and repair costs can exceed €3,000—with no guarantee the device will function flawlessly afterward.
—For the same amount of money, you could get a new refrigeration unit with a full warranty, Niinimäki explains.
In addition to cost-efficiency, replacing the refrigeration unit is a predictable, safe, and sustainable solution in the long run.
—If the cold room is structurally sound, it’s not at the end of its life cycle. Often customers don’t even know that replacing the refrigeration unit is an option. We want to spread the word—it’s a good solution, Niinimäki concludes.
Replacing the refrigeration unit is a way to keep the old room operational for many years—more efficiently, environmentally friendly, and with less worry. As Porkka solutions are manufactured in Finland, they are not only durable and of high quality but also designed to meet current and future environmental standards.
