Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/414972
November/December 2014 45 continued on page 55 lengths, or in wedges, allowing more geometric layout opportunities. Functional Considerations Cleaning is a big part of maintaining a good-looking display case. This impor- tant maintenance task is easier if lift-up or tilt-out glass is incorporated instead of stationary glass. Fixed glass is less expen- sive since the need for mounting, pivot, or lift-up hardware adds cost, but the drawback to fixed glass is the difficulty in cleaning the inside of the glass front. Insulated glass versus non-insulated glass is also an important choice, and it's all about condensation. The need- to-know differences between the two: Insulated glass is heavier so it's harder to integrate lift-up or tilt features into the design for cleaning. Insulated glass reduces the potential for condensation but requires metal trim where two edges of glass meet. Non-insulated glass can have butt seams (glass to glass) with no trim or hardware. Butt seams are a popu- lar feature with some interior designers, so if you are concerned with condensa- tion, you need to make the designer and customer aware of the risk. If fixed glass is used, insulated is bet- ter because it minimizes condensation. However, insulated glass isn't available in all sizes. Lift-up glass comes with insu- lated or non-insulated options, but it's important to keep in mind that not all applications need insulated glass. In a nutshell, the greater the variance in tem- perature and humidity, where the case is located (think condensation), the better it is to have insulated glass that is fully accessible for cleaning. Other cleaning considerations in the functional design include selecting cases with easily removable shelving and hard- ware. Rear doors should be removable to allow cleaning within the door track. Some of the cases imported from Asia and Europe may not follow NSF or other sanitation standards and could create issues regarding whatever local health department rules may apply. Cases may use forced air or gravity for cooling, which can affect the food dis- played inside. For most prepared foods, "air over" or forced air is acceptable. A gravity coil has application for meat/ cheese-style cases or bakery products, such as NY-style cheesecakes. The draw- back to a gravity coil is that interior temperatures can temporarily rise in the situation of heavy use (where rear doors are open and closed constantly over long periods of time). Self-Contained Cases Versus Cases with Remote Compressors As a general rule of thumb, if there are three or more cases, the compres- sors should be remote. In addition to eliminating noise and heat issues, remote compressors also eliminate the need for a large grill on the base of the case— that may conflict with the overall design motif. It also eliminates the need to man- age the airflow in and out of cases when they are built into a niche or mounted along a wall. Cases usually have an option for a condensate drain or a condensate pan. Condensate pans add heat and humidity, need to be cleaned regularly, and may not function on days with high tem- perature and humidity. Water from an overflowing condensate pan can create a slip hazard in front of a case or warp a wooden floor, so it's best to plan for a direct drain whenever possible. Use caution when considering placing any cooking equipment (or any other heat source) directly behind a display case. This could result in hot air being drawn in display cases versus room-tem- perature air. In some instances, espe- cially in tight kiosks, cooking equipment (like double-deck convection ovens) can discharge so much heat that it affects the refrigeration compressors intake, trigger- ing a short cycling of compressors. The location of the display case also can have a big impact on performance. In atriums, greenhouses, or patios, direct sunlight will cause a temperature rise inside the case. Air conditioning is often turned off at night putting further strain on the case. Since display cases should be emptied and cleaned each day, the best suggestion may be to turn them off when they are emptied. Cases take approximately 60-90 minutes to reach proper chill temperature, so timers can be installed to allow them to pre-chill