Protect temperature-sensitive stock · UK guide
Refrigerated container checklist: size, power and operating brief
A refrigerated container needs a defined storage duty and a suitable site. Tell the supplier what you store, its arrival temperature, the required conditions and your loading routine. Then check the actual unit’s space, electrical requirements and support arrangements before comparing hire or purchase quotes.
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Define the load and the temperature task
State the product, packaging, quantity, target temperature range and required monitoring. Include the temperature at which goods arrive, how often doors open and whether stock is loaded gradually or in one large batch. The same nominal setpoint can represent very different operating duties.
A container specified to hold already chilled or frozen stock is not automatically suitable for rapidly chilling or freezing warm goods. Ask the supplier to validate any cooling duty and follow the operating instructions for that unit and product. For food, medicines or other controlled goods, have the responsible specialist define the storage and monitoring requirements.
- Goods, packaging, typical and maximum stock quantity, and arrival temperature.
- Required operating range and acceptable product-specific limits.
- Door-opening pattern, staff access and daily loading routine.
- Expected ambient conditions, indoor or outdoor location, and hire duration.
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Build your refrigerated-container brief
Record the operating duty and evidence still needed. A chosen size or temperature is not proof that a model will meet your product or process requirements.
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Size is a starting point for the refrigerated-container enquiry, not confirmation of the model or usable capacity.
Goods, packaging, incoming temperature, storage or pull-down duty and loading pattern.
Target range and tolerance, ambient conditions and any monitoring requirements.
Item sizes, handling equipment, opening frequency and safe working access.
Known voltage, phase, connection and distance; mark unverified information explicitly.
Required dates, out-of-hours support and what happens if the unit stops.
Exact model, usable dimensions, equipment condition and quotation reference.
Checks and evidence to keep
Record who said what, the date and a document or photo reference. “Evidence noted” does not verify a claim; explain any “not applicable” choice.
7 checks unknown or unverified; 0 marked for follow-up. These counts do not score the project or decide whether to proceed.
Preview: notes carried into the quote form
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Check the door, loading limit and airflow
Refrigerated containers lose usable space to insulated walls and machinery. A dry-container drawing is not a reliable loading plan. Ask for the quoted model’s internal dimensions, clear door opening, permitted loading height, floor limits and access layout.
For scale, one published 20ft ArcticStore model has an internal space of 5.36 × 2.29 × 2.31 metres and a 2.14-metre door height. These are an identified model’s example dimensions, not a guarantee for every 20ft refrigerated container. Check the actual door width and the loaded height of your pallet or trolley as well.
Goods and packaging must allow the unit’s designed air circulation. Keep the marked load limits and the supplier’s required clearances clear; physical ceiling height is not necessarily usable loading height. A geometrical pallet fit does not prove adequate airflow, floor capacity or safe handling.
| Measurement or limit | Why it matters | Evidence to request |
|---|---|---|
| Internal floor and door opening | Pallets, trolleys and handling must fit | Dimensioned drawing of the actual model |
| Marked loading height and airflow paths | Air must reach and return around the load | Supplier loading layout and operating instructions |
| Floor and total load limits | Concentrated loads and handling equipment need assessment | Permitted loading and handling specification |
| Machinery and service clearances | Condenser airflow and maintenance access need space | Required clearances for the proposed site |
Confirm the electrical supply before delivery
Supply requirements vary by model. Some small units have a single-phase option; many larger refrigerated containers require a specified three-phase supply. Do not assume that a nearby socket, a generic extension lead or a stated site capacity will be suitable.
Obtain the unit’s electrical specification and have the supplier and a competent electrician confirm the proposed installation. Include voltage, phase, frequency, required circuit and connector, starting requirements, cable route, protection and isolation. Confirm who provides and checks the connection, and what must be ready for commissioning.
- Exact model and electrical connection specification.
- Available site supply and the distance to the proposed container position.
- Responsibility for connection, commissioning and any required site work.
- A practical response to a power failure, including any suitable backup arrangement.
Ask for energy evidence under comparable conditions
Power in kilowatts (kW) describes the rate of electrical use at a point in time. Energy in kilowatt-hours (kWh) describes consumption over a period. Multiplying a nameplate rating by 24 does not establish typical daily consumption: operation changes with ambient temperature, setpoint, load, door openings and the equipment.
Ask for measured or documented consumption with its test conditions. Once installed, an appropriate meter reading at the start and end of a representative period can show consumption for that period. Record operating conditions alongside it; a quiet empty day is not evidence for a busy fully loaded week.
To estimate the electricity charge for a measured period, multiply its kWh by your applicable price per kWh. Identify any other supply charges separately. Do not treat another site’s daily cost as a quote for your operation.
Calculate electricity cost from measured kWh or an explicit assumption →
Compare quotes with a complete cold-storage duty
Capacity alone can hide a mismatch. An offer with shelving and frequent staff access may solve a different problem from dense pallet storage. Identify the clear route needed for people or handling equipment, the maximum load, and the stock that must remain accessible. Ask the supplier to validate its layout against the unit’s airflow and permitted loading.
For example, a hypothetical brief might ask for chilled packaged ingredients arriving at their specified storage temperature, daily deliveries, several door openings each hour during a shift and a weekend with few visits. A second brief might require reducing the temperature of a large newly delivered batch. Do not use one price or energy observation for both without having the supplier assess the different duty.
Request a written schedule dividing supplier work and site work: transport, unloading, supports, connection, commissioning, controls, monitoring, cleaning, service and collection. A phrase such as 'ready to use' does not allocate each responsibility. Confirm when hire starts, any minimum term and whether setup days are chargeable.
| Include in the same quote scope | Ask the supplier to confirm |
|---|---|
| Storage and loading duty | Product range, entry temperature, access routine and validated usable layout |
| Site and connection | Delivery method, positioning, electrical specification and responsibility for site work |
| Operation and evidence | Handover, controls, temperature records, alarm recipients and energy evidence |
| Service and end of hire | Response commitment, exclusions, cleaning, off-hire notice and collection cost |
Agree the handover and breakdown response
Confirm the site position, ground requirements, unloading method and service access with the supplier. Ask who checks that the unit is operating correctly, sets the controls and explains loading, cleaning, alarms and emergency door release arrangements before staff use it.
A telephone line advertised as available 24/7 does not necessarily promise a particular repair time or compensation for lost stock. Ask for response terms, maintenance responsibilities, alarm routing and the action to take if temperature moves outside the agreed limits. Establish who can move the goods and where they can go.
Send the same operating brief to each supplier
Include the product and duty, required capacity, model or minimum clear dimensions, postcode, dates, available power and access constraints. Request itemised hire or purchase, delivery, unloading, collection where applicable, installation and monitoring or service charges. Confirm the VAT basis and exclusions.
Keep the number of containers separate from the number of pallets you store. If the supplier proposes a different size or modular cold room, request a revised layout and electrical specification before comparing the offer.
Questions before you choose
Can a refrigerated container run from a normal socket?
Some smaller models have a suitable single-phase option, while many others require a specified three-phase connection. Confirm the actual model’s requirements with the supplier and have a competent electrician check the site supply.
How much electricity does a refrigerated container use?
There is no reliable universal daily figure. Ask for model-specific evidence showing the setpoint, ambient temperature and operating conditions, then measure a representative period at your site where appropriate.
Can I fill it right up to the roof?
Follow the marked load line and the manufacturer’s loading instructions. Air circulation and the return-air route can require clearances below the ceiling and around the stock. Nominal cubic capacity is not fully usable storage space.
Will a standard reefer freeze warm goods quickly?
Do not assume so. Holding stock at a temperature and rapidly bringing warm products down to that temperature are different duties. Have the supplier validate the required cooling or freezing task before ordering.