Hot Gas Defrosting and Electric Heating Defrosting

In commercial refrigerators used in kitchens, both hot gas defrosting and electric heating defrosting have their own advantages and disadvantages.

From the perspective of energy consumption, hot gas defrosting is energy-efficient. It ingeniously utilizes the hot gas generated by the refrigeration system itself and does not require additional electricity for defrosting. For kitchens in long-term operation, this can significantly reduce costs. On the contrary, electric heating defrosting has a high energy consumption. It completely relies on the operation of electric heating elements. Over time, it will greatly increase electricity expenses.

In terms of the defrosting effect, hot gas defrosting is fast, generally taking less than 10 minutes to complete. It heats from the inside of the evaporator, which can not only completely melt the frost layer but also remove the accumulated oil on the pipe wall by the way, thereby improving the heat transfer efficiency. In contrast, electric heating defrosting takes a long time, usually more than 20 minutes. Moreover, its defrosting effect may not be ideal, especially in the gaps of the evaporator fins and other positions where frost layers are likely to remain.

Regarding the impact on the temperature inside the refrigerator, hot gas defrosting has an obvious advantage. During the defrosting process, the increase in the temperature of the refrigerator compartment is extremely small, generally only within 1K. For kitchen ingredients that need to be preserved under strict temperature control, this can well maintain the stability of the storage environment. However, when using electric heating defrosting, the temperature fluctuation in the refrigerator compartment is relatively large, which may reach about 4K, having a certain negative impact on the quality of temperature-sensitive ingredients.

In terms of safety, hot gas defrosting is superior. Since it does not require additional electric heating elements, it greatly reduces the risk of safety problems such as fires caused by electrical failures and operates more reliably. On the contrary, electric heating elements for electric heating defrosting have potential hidden dangers, such as aging and short circuits. Especially in a relatively humid environment like a kitchen, there may also be a risk of electric leakage.

The complexity of the system is also different. Hot gas defrosting requires the installation of a complex pipeline and valve system to achieve the transportation of hot gas, making the entire system structure complex. The installation and subsequent maintenance are more difficult, and the cost is correspondingly higher. The electric heating defrosting system is relatively simple. Only electric heating pipes or heating wires need to be installed in appropriate positions, which is more convenient for both installation and maintenance.

In terms of application scenarios, hot gas defrosting is suitable for large kitchens or places with high energy-saving requirements and a great emphasis on defrosting effects, such as large hotels and school cafeterias. Electric heating defrosting is suitable for kitchens of all sizes, especially small kitchens or places where the stored ingredients are not very sensitive to temperature fluctuations but have high requirements for the convenience of defrosting operations.

In terms of operation convenience, if hot gas defrosting is manually controlled, the operation is relatively cumbersome and requires manual fine – adjustment of components such as valves. Electric heating defrosting can be intelligently controlled by a microcomputer controller. After setting relevant parameters in advance, it can automatically defrost at regular intervals, greatly simplifying the operation process.

Keywords:
Commercial Ice Maker, High-Efficiency Ice Machine, Restaurant Equipment Supplier.