Turbo Air Refrigeration: Good, Better and Best

Turbo Air

It is widely known that in the world of efficient refrigeration, Turbo Air is at the top of the food pyramid in keeping food stuff at the proper temperatures in the most efficient manner. There are several factors that make Turbo Air a unique brand compared to others.

What Turbo Air is most known for is their patented self-cleaning condenser, an automated system built into the refrigerator body that cleans the condenser with a rotating brush two to three times a day. But there are other factors that set Turbo Air apart from the rest if you can believe it.

Refrigerators keep products inside the cabinet cool by discharging heat through the condenser. As such, if a large refrigerator body is housing a smaller condenser for its size, the more energy it will take to achieve that cooling effect, especially in a hot kitchen. Turbo Air uses condensers that are 10-20% larger than the industry standard for all their refrigerators.

Turbo Air also boasts a hot gas condensate system for all their units. This means that the anti-corrosion pipes are coated with a special treatment that allows excess condensate waters to cool down the pipe’s hottest area in the refrigeration compression process, it not only saves energy, it ensures the longevity of your refrigerator. Condensation is the enemy in refrigeration and buildup of it can cause serious damage. The condensate technology eliminates the need for a drip pan.

Standard features that come with every unit:

• Anti-corrosion coated evaporator
• Positive seal self-closing doors
• Easily replaceable magnetic door gaskets
• High-density polyurethane insulation
• Door locks
• Swivel casters with locks on the front two

But not all Turbo Air refrigerators are created equal. Some have different features than others depending on the series. Here, we will enumerate each series and what makes them unique.

E-Line

Turbo Air recently released a new economy series that rivals brands like Atosa. Although the E-line does not have a self-cleaning condenser, it uses the hot gas condensate system and uses R-290 refrigerant, which meet the DOE’s Energy Conservation Standards and makes it EPA approved.

The E-line’s cabinet construction is built of an aluminum exterior with the top, back and bottom made of galvanized steel with a stainless-steel interior and LED interior lighting. The inside walls and door liners are also aluminum and included are heavy-duty PE (polyethylene) coated wire shelving. High-density polyurethane insulation is used with all Turbo Air refrigeration, and it is foamed in-place for the entire cabinet construction, including the door. These are good for any restaurant owner who is on a budget but still needs good quality refrigeration and knows how to perform maintenance on a consistent basis themselves or can hire a technician.

M3 Series

A step above the E-line, the M3 Series features Turbo Air’s self-cleaning condenser, which helps prevent system failure by daily brushing of the condenser. This line also uses a hot condensate system and uses R-290 refrigerant. The cabinet construction is made of a stainless-steel front body and galvanized steel top, back and bottom. The interior uses aluminum interior walls and a stainless-steel floor, which makes for easy cleaning of food spillage, and has PE-coated wire shelving.

The M3 series also features a door pressure release device that eliminates vacuum pressure when the door is opened, making for easy, instant door opening. When you think about how many times a refrigerator door is opened in any busy dining establishment (even without the use of hands), reopening the doors can sometimes be a chore – this makes it easy.

The big difference between this series and the E-line in the digital temperature control and monitor system. Featuring a sleek, digital display for monitoring and maintaining consistent temperatures. It has a self-diagnosis program that will assess the condition of the refrigerator.

Along with the control panel is the Turbo Cooling and Freeze function, which allows the compressor to run continuously for up to two hours. When activated, this function quickly decreases the temperature inside the cabinet and cools food product more quickly. It is great to use when the cabinet is stocked with new products that are at room temperature.

The control panel also has an alarm built in that sound when doors are not sealed shut, to protect food against spoilage that comes from air leaks. The system also features an early warning system that detects issues before any malfunction of the unit occurs.

Think about the benefits the above-mentioned features can bring to any high-volume, fast casual or fine dining establishment, hospital or educational institution. The amount of time and energy that can be saved, and peace of mind gained when you have refrigeration technology on your side.

Super Deluxe Series

The main difference between the M3 and Super Deluxe Series is that the latter comes with stainless steel shelving. The M3 series comes with epoxy-coated wire shelving, which, over time may peel and rust, leading to unsanitary conditions.

The Super Deluxe has all the high-standard features that Turbo Air is known for:

• Self-cleaning condenser
• Digital temperature control & monitor system
• Hydrocarbon (natural) refrigerants R290 and R600
• LED interior lighting
• Door pressure release
• *Upgrade: All stainless-steel interior and front, exterior. Galvanized steel top, bottom and back.

Pro Series

While many may think there is very little difference between the Super Deluxe and the pro series, there are a few pieces that set the Pro Series above the rest.

This series was designed a larger evaporator and condenser system that are CFC-free and use R-134A refrigerant, which is safer and non-corrosive and generally non-toxic. The larger system increases the efficiency of the entire unit, prevents overflow of condensate water and reduces the risk of leakage.

The main difference between the Pro Series and all other series is the expansion valve type. In refrigeration, there are generally two different types of tubing that control how refrigerant circulates through the system in order to cool the cabinet, one is a thermal expansion valve and the other are capillary tubes. These two device types somewhat control the amount of refrigerant that passes to the evaporator to maximize the amount of heat that is eventually released from the unit.

A capillary tube is a simple copper tubing which uses the refrigerant’s pressure to draw in the liquid into the tube, where the pressure or heat is released, and passes to the evaporator. Capillary tubes are used on entry and mid-grade refrigerators because they are cheaper and easier to replace than thermal expansion valves.

Thermal expansion valves use moving parts to control the flow of refrigerant to the evaporator. By responding to temperature changes through either opening and closing a valve to allow or restrict the flow of refrigerant. These respond to those changes in temperature and pressure more quickly than capillary tubes. Because they move refrigerant more efficiently through the unit, they take some of the pressure off the compressor, leading to the extended life of the equipment and quicker recovery times after the refrigerator door has been left open for a long period of time.

Looking for the right refrigeration for your operation? The pros here at ACityDiscount are willing and ready to help you through the first-time buying or refrigeration upgrade process. Stop by our Norcross, GA showroom or give our sales team a call today at 404-752-6715, ext. 2.