# Surviving in a walk-in refrigerator **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 18, 2009, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surviving-in-a-walk-in-refrigerator/489899 "2009-03-18T16:51:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Dag\_Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@Dag\_Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dag_Otto)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2009, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surviving-in-a-walk-in-refrigerator/489899/21 "2009-03-19T03:21:18Z")
> [@Washoe](#): > > I’ve never seen a model where the condenser and fan controls weren’t on the inside of the unit, so the first thing I would do is shut those off. The temperature will rise about 7 – 8 degrees an hour as soon as that happens. If that isn’t possible, you could at least stick something like, well, a stick into the condensor fans to stop them. Poking a hole in the condensor would probably suck though. I doubt refrigerant in an enclosed space is a good thing. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2009, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surviving-in-a-walk-in-refrigerator/489899/22 "2009-03-19T03:25:43Z")
> [@Dag\_Otto](#): > > I doubt refrigerant in an enclosed space is a good thing. Especially in a commercial unit. They frequently use ammonia as a refrigerant. ---
**Author:** ![Snnipe\_70E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5a626/32.png) [@Snnipe\_70E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snnipe_70E)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2009, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surviving-in-a-walk-in-refrigerator/489899/23 "2009-03-19T04:57:38Z")
> [@Q.E.D](#): > > I’ve seen a few which have had additional lock hasps welded or bolted into the frame, which would render this safety feature useless. If an OSHA inspector sees that someone will get a little slip of paper. And pay $$$$$$$ to clear it. ---
**Author:** ![Snnipe\_70E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5a626/32.png) [@Snnipe\_70E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snnipe_70E)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2009, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surviving-in-a-walk-in-refrigerator/489899/24 "2009-03-19T05:00:48Z")
> [@Dag\_Otto](#): > > If that isn’t possible, you could at least stick something like, well, a stick into the condensor fans to stop them. Poking a hole in the condensor would probably suck though. I doubt refrigerant in an enclosed space is a good thing. The condencer will be on the outside of the unit. I have never seen controls on the inside. Except on some units a switch to turn off the evaporator fans. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2009, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surviving-in-a-walk-in-refrigerator/489899/25 "2009-03-19T05:12:58Z")
I am reminded of this one bar I used to hang out in back in West Texas. It had a walk-in cooler. One of the bartenders, not the brightest bulb in the bunch, was in there one time when someone closed the door on him, not knowing anyone was inside. He actually did not know that the plunger-looking device on the door was the “doorknob” and would open the door if pushed in. So he ended up waiting in there for some time until another bartender went in there looking for something, not knowing he could have easily opened the door himself all the while. ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2009, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surviving-in-a-walk-in-refrigerator/489899/26 "2009-03-19T15:47:15Z")
[QUOTE=Siam Sam] He actually did not know that the plunger-looking device on the door was the “doorknob” and would open the door if pushed in. So he ended up waiting in there for some time until another bartender went in there looking for something, not knowing he could have easily opened the door himself all the while. [/QUOTE] I’m thinking of a whole bunch of “blonde” jokes and how this guy was probably turning the knob. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troy_mcclure_sf/32/4150_2.png) [@Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troy_McClure_SF)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2009, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surviving-in-a-walk-in-refrigerator/489899/27 "2009-03-19T16:11:36Z")
> [@t-bonham@scc.net](#): > > That was many years ago, no doubt modern coolers have a built-in intercom, or some warning device like ltfire describes. I worked at a Cala/Ralphs/Kroger ~2001-2004 in the deli, and there were no intercoms in either the walkin freezer upstairs, the milk walkin, nor the deli walkin. I was never scared, if only because the areas in front of the walkins were high traffic and would never have anything blocking them anyway. I did get trapped in an elevator for an hour or two once during rolling blackouts, though. ---
**Author:** ![Dag\_Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@Dag\_Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dag_Otto)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2009, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surviving-in-a-walk-in-refrigerator/489899/28 "2009-03-19T18:01:46Z")
> [@Snnipe\_70E](#): > > The condencer will be on the outside of the unit. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![raindog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@raindog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raindog)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2009, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surviving-in-a-walk-in-refrigerator/489899/29 "2009-03-19T23:33:29Z")
In a walk in cooler and/or freezer there is a thermostat and almost always a toggle switch that turns off the evaporator. In short, _the thermostat is in the same walk in cooler you’re locked in to!._ Turn the thermostat up, or simply turn the toggle switch off and you’re no longer being refrigerated. ---
**Author:** ![raindog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@raindog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raindog)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2009, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surviving-in-a-walk-in-refrigerator/489899/30 "2009-03-19T23:36:48Z")
> [@Q.E.D](#): > > Especially in a commercial unit. They frequently use ammonia as a refrigerant. In plant environments, like ice cream manufacturers or very large refrigerated distribution warehouses, yes. Your run-of-the-mill bar/pub, McDonald’s, Friendly’s, IHOP, no. Usually R12, MP39, R404, R22 or some other refrigerant. ---
**Author:** ![Washoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ecae2f/32.png) [@Washoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Washoe)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2009, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surviving-in-a-walk-in-refrigerator/489899/31 "2009-03-19T23:40:41Z")
> [@gotpasswords](#): > > I’m thinking of a whole bunch of “blonde” jokes and how this guy was probably turning the knob. 😃 I was thinking “only in Texas,” but I wasn’t going to say it. ---
**Author:** ![fortytwo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f9ae1b/32.png) [@fortytwo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fortytwo)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2009, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surviving-in-a-walk-in-refrigerator/489899/32 "2009-03-19T23:49:46Z")
> [@Washoe](#): > > I was thinking “only in Texas,” but I wasn’t going to say it. I’m glad you didn’t, it might have upset someone. ---
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2009, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surviving-in-a-walk-in-refrigerator/489899/33 "2009-03-20T03:42:12Z")
Can you lock them from the inside, say if someone were shooting up the place and you wanted to hide? Assuming you were lucky enough to get in there first. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2009, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surviving-in-a-walk-in-refrigerator/489899/34 "2009-03-20T05:19:19Z")
> [@Equipoise](#): > > Can you lock them from the inside, say if someone were shooting up the place and you wanted to hide? Assuming you were lucky enough to get in there first. Not the one in our warehouse. As I recall, the inside of the door was bare, except for the pushrod that opened the latch on the outside. All the locking mechanism was on the outside of the door. ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2009, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surviving-in-a-walk-in-refrigerator/489899/35 "2009-03-20T05:26:37Z")
The butler in Tomb Raider II never seemed any worse for the wear after being locked in the freezer. ---
**Author:** ![TNWPsycho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/47e85d/32.png) [@TNWPsycho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TNWPsycho)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2009, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surviving-in-a-walk-in-refrigerator/489899/36 "2009-03-20T05:28:32Z")
I currently work at a restaurant with a walk-in refrigerator. On days when the truck comes in i am usually inside the walk-in for a half hour to 45 minutes putting away the produce. And it gets cold in there, i can’t imagine being locked in there over night would turn out well at all. ---
**Author:** ![Snnipe\_70E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5a626/32.png) [@Snnipe\_70E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snnipe_70E)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2009, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surviving-in-a-walk-in-refrigerator/489899/37 "2009-03-20T05:30:40Z")
> [@Vetch](#): > > I’m glad you didn’t, it might have upset someone. But blonde jokes won’t. You have not tried to tell my wife one. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surviving-in-a-walk-in-refrigerator/489899.md?page=1)