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Glossary

Fan-forced cooling

Cooling in which a fan blows air across the evaporator and around the cabinet, giving fast recovery and even temperature from top to bottom.

Also called: Ventilated cooling, Forced-air cooling, Fan-assisted cooling

A fan-forced cabinet has a finned evaporator, usually behind a rear panel or at the top, with a fan pushing air across it and out through vents. The moving air carries heat away from product much faster than still air, so the cabinet pulls down quicker and recovers rapidly after each door opening.

This is the standard design for commercial reach-ins, undercounters, visi coolers and many display cases, because these are opened constantly during service. Temperature is also more uniform: the top shelf and the bottom shelf stay within a narrow range when airflow is not blocked.

Two cautions. First, moving air dries uncovered food faster, so keep prepared items covered or wrapped. Second, airflow needs free paths. Boxes stacked against the rear panel or crates covering the fan guard create warm pockets and can make the controller read wrong. Leave the gaps the manufacturer specifies, typically a few centimetres around vents.