A heated-door display that beats the humidity

How Husky engineered a condensation-free glass-door fridge for CNSIL, keeping product on show and driving impulse sales in a demanding climate.

Introduction

A regular occurrence with glass door refrigerators in hot climates is that glass doors fill with condensation not only blocking the view of the product inside but also causing damage to the floor underneath the unit where water falls and accumulates. Husky has solved this problem adapting many of its products including its CNSIL range designed for our partner Arisit PTY in Australia.

Arisit PTY is a large Australian supplier of all kitchen and commercial appliances across Australia and New Zealand with offices in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Perth and Auckland. Covering 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, other areas experiencing severe tropical climates of temperatures above 40’c and 90% humidity. With this in mind, Husky set about developing products which would operate and perform perfectly in the different environments.

Arist have been a partner with Husky for around 20 years. Starting with a small range of drinks branded home mini bar products this soon developed into a full range of chillers for the home including the Husky CNSIL Range, Husky Retro Range, Husky Alfresco outdoor range and the Husky Homebar 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 Wine Coolers, all ideal for shops, bars, restaurants and alike. It is a relationship developed on the understanding the Husky can and will develop new products to the market needs and where issues are put in front of us, we can find solutions quickly, efficiently and timey.

The challenge

In the hotter/higher humidity climates, customers were complaining that for the CNSIL home range, the units showed a lot of condensation on the glass, customers were complaining that not only was this unsightly in their home or home bar area, water was dripping from the units causing stains on the flooring underneath. Upon investigation this was occurring only in those states that experience the extreme weather conditions, so the objective was to find a solution. Under “normal” conditions of around 32’c, 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

To keep the same external design, outlook and dimensions of the standard version, ensure the performance of the unit mirrored the standard version, meet all the energy efficiency criteria of the Australian MEPS standard, yet solve the issue of the condensation and how to stop the natural build up of condensation on the glass (condensation being a natural phenomenon of when cold air (from the inside) meets hot air (from the outside).

The Solution

Husky developed and came up with the solution to stop the condensation by:

Installing a heated, invisible to the human eye, screen fitted in between the heated double glazed panels to heat the exterior glass panel, thus clearing any condensation before it is formed.
Redesigned 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.
Re designed the internal wiring looms to incorporate the heated elements.
Re calibrated the mechanical workings of the unit so still to achieve an energy efficiency of 120 kWh/year, based on current MEPS standards.

The Conclusion

After approximately 1 year of supplying heated door CNSIL, all previous condensation and water issues have disappeared. Whilst the standard units are still sold into the more temperate climates, around 25% of those now sold in incorporate the heated door solution. The CNSIL has since become available in a white finish as well as black standard as popularity continues to grow. The option of heated doors is now available across the whole range of Husky products for the home. All commercial units supplied to tropical climates also incorporate the heated door solution including the Upright Fridge and Freezer ranges and the Outdoor Alfresco ranges which are all available to order for worldwide supply.

The results

100%

Condensation and water issues disappeared

25%

Of all sales use our heated door solution

120 kWh/yr

Meets MEPS Energy Efficiency Standards

Why it matters

Clear glass is not a cosmetic detail. It keeps product visible, protects the 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.