Case Study · Cold Storage / Healthcare
Emergency Cold Storage: Stopping Frozen Coils on Standard DX
During the spring 2020 COVID-19 surge, the APR Control let off-the-shelf DX units run as portable cold-storage trailers without freezing their coils, and with no long equipment lead time.
The Challenge
During the COVID-19 surge in spring 2020, New York healthcare systems and municipalities urgently needed temporary cold-storage capacity. A major HVAC manufacturer faced two hard constraints. Custom systems with built-in capacity control had prohibitively long lead times, so only off-the-shelf standard DX units could deploy immediately. And without proper capacity modulation, the evaporator coils could drop below freezing at the sustained low temperatures the storage required, risking ice formation, water damage, and compressor failure.
The Solution
The APR Control was retrofitted onto standard wall-mounted DX units in the portable trailers. By continuously modulating capacity on suction pressure, it keeps the suction pressure elevated so the evaporator coil never dips below freezing. That meant immediate availability, reliable coil protection with no additional controls, and a cost-effective installation that required no major equipment changes.
The Results
The retrofit kept the systems running through the critical storage period, and:
- Eliminated coil freeze-ups, water damage, and premature compressor failures
- Deployed immediately, avoiding custom-equipment lead times
- Held the required cold-storage temperatures with minimal maintenance
- Avoided costly customizations on standard, available equipment
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