How Husky engineered a condensation-free glass-door fridge for Arisit, keeping product on show and driving impulse sales in a demanding climate.
A regular occurrence with glass door refrigerators in hot climates, like in most of Australia, is that glass doors fill with condensation that not only blocks the view of the products inside but also causes damage to the floor underneath the unit where water falls and accumulates. Husky has solved this problem, adapting many of its products including the bar range designed for our partner Arisit in Australia.
Arisit is an Australian supplier of all kitchen and commercial appliances across Australia and New Zealand. With coverage across the whole of the country, Arisit are also a main supplier to Harvey Norman department stores for which there are over 200 stores in Australia and New Zealand alone. Covering such a vast geographical area, the climates and temperatures differ greatly in different regions; some regions enjoying a relaxing temperate climate, while others experiencing severe tropical climates of temperatures above 40oc and 90% humidity. With this in mind, Husky set about developing products that could operate and perform perfectly in the varying Australian environments.
Arist have been a partner with Husky for over 20 years. Starting with a small range of drinks-branded mini bar products, this soon developed into a full range of chillers for the home including the Husky Bar Range, Husky Retro Range, Husky Alfresco outdoor range and the Husky Beverage Centre range. In recent years the partnership has grown with Arisit now not only offering coolers for the home but also offering the full Husky Commercial range of Backbars, Upright Refrigerators and Freezers and the Eco Collection, all ideal for commercial shops, bars, restaurants and the like. It is a relationship developed on the understanding that Husky can and will develop new products to the market needs and, where issues are put in front of us, we can find suitable solutions quickly and efficiently.
The Challenge
In the hotter, higher humidity climates, customers were noting that the home bar range products often showed a lot of condensation on the glass. Not only was this unsightly in their home or home bar area, but water was dripping from the fridge, causing stains on the flooring beneath. So, we investigated further and discovered this was occurring mostly in the Australian states that experience extreme hot and humid weather conditions. Under “normal” conditions of around 32oc with 60% humidity, there were no such issues. This is a common problem for all manufacturers of refrigeration products in areas of higher temperatures and humidity.
The Criteria
Husky needed to keep the same external design, outlook and dimensions of the standard version, while ensuring the performance of the unit mirrored the usual version, met all the energy efficiency criteria of the Australian MEPS standard and solve the issue of the condensation. On top of that, we had to figure out how to stop the natural build-up of condensation on the glass.
The Solution
Husky developed a solution to stop the condensation by:
- Installing a heated screen, invisible to the human eye, fitted in between the heated double-glazed panels to heat the exterior glass panel, thus clearing any condensation before it is formed.
- Redesign the interior of the door frame and the top door hinge and cover to allow wiring from the heated door to pass from the glass panel, through the door and unit and into the compressor room and central electric box without being visible to the customer.
- Redesign the internal wiring looms to incorporate the heated elements.
- Recalibrate the mechanical workings of the unit so it still achieved an energy efficiency of 120 kWh/year, based on current MEPS standards.
The Conclusion
After around a year of innovation, trialling and fixing and trialling again, we hit the mark! We managed to create a better-quality product that eliminated all previous condensation and water issues.
For Australia, we created the humidity controlled, anti-condensation bar range perfectly suited to their climate.
While we still produce the “standard” units for the more temperate climates of the world, around 25% of those now sold incorporate the heated door solution.
Since this innovative design has come to fruition, the CNSIL bar fridge has become available in a white finish, along with standard black. Along with this, we have incorporated this technology in the ALF Alfresco range, and all commercial units also incorporate the heated door solution including the Upright Fridge and Freezer ranges.
Why it Matters in Commercial Ranges
Clear glass is not a cosmetic detail. It keeps the products inside visible, protects the commercial brand experience and turns a fridge into a silent salesperson. This is the kind of engineering-led problem-solving Husky brings to every partner, from a single venue to a 25-country rollout.