Help! Retail refrigeration

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Minnesota
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Electrician
Im feeling a little bit humbled and stressed about an upcoming job that im responsible for.

Im a second year journeyman with a fairly strong background of mechanics and electrical prior to becoming a jw at the age of 34 so I tend to think fairly highly of myself yet im up stressing on a friday night before I start a job on monday night that is out of my comfort zone.

I tend to be an overthinker and worrier but need some advice.

Starting a refridgeration swap for a retail store. Was bid to reuse existing and basically a direct swap of freezer cases at a walmart store.

Ive done refrideration but never quite like this, they are fed underground to a pit and each section of casing has 3 circuits, Im doing this project solo and we are planning on taking down 7 cases every other night and installing new cases the night after we demo a section.

My first major concern is that I need to 1 go over the prints with a fine tooth comb and make a list thats easy to follow on what circuits are being used.

Then more importantly if we are resuing existing circuitry and OCPD, I highly doubt its GFCI protected. Shouldnt everthing on these cases be GFCI protected.

Furthermore, peeking at the panels in the cooling tower it shows that everything is currently 120v and the new coolers are 208v, there is some spares in the panel but I would imagine I will run out of room and need a sub panel in a crowded cooling tower. What if the circuits end up being 3 phase multis!?? I wont be able to re-identify a nuetral to a phase for 2 of the circuits.

Does anyone have any experience or advice on this? Im sure ill be fine and figure it out. Im just up late stressing on a friday night about a job on monday which I promised myself I would never do.
 
3 circuits probably are for lighting, fans , and defrost heaters.
If voltage has been changed hopefully your PM is aware or indicated in plans. Otherwise you may be in for some long hours.
No reason to worry or fret u til you get first set demoed, lay eyes on new cases, gather a game plan.
Good luck and keep us updated.
No GFCI required unless specifically indicated by equipment manufacturer installation instructions.
 
You are right on there bud, and yes im in for some long hours. Im sure once i get eyes on it i wont worry as much. I just have experience with walk in coolers and havent dealt with this style freezer before so im stressing about the unknown(which I tend to do) hopefully its like everything else and ill stress then its easy as can be
 
As I recall those are a pain to work on and take a lot of labor time as a result of very poor access to the connection points, but I haven't worked on that type of equipment for a few decades....maybe they made the access easier, but tend to doubt that they have.
 
As I recall those are a pain to work on and take a lot of labor time as a result of very poor access to the connection points, but I haven't worked on that type of equipment for a few decades....maybe they made the access easier, but tend to doubt that they have.
They haven’t, the connections can have you laying on the floor, or hanging over a ladder! Worst part is finding the ballasts or led drivers! Could be in the door frame, kick panel, inside or outside top. Always hated working on grocery stores.
 
Hopefully you will find it to be a piece of cake but my experience, like don's, was not positive but, also like don, I did the last one decades ago.
Existing Wally-World stores = separated MWBC, green and white phase conductors, and rusted out conduits & boxes added to accessibility problems. Did two of those jobs and that was all the experience I needed :)
 
One piece of advise prior to hook up.
Check to be sure the cases are not shorted prior to your connection.

Have them clear it and you check prior to hook up.

If going from 120 to 208 you will not need a netural unless it calls out for 120/208. Then one will be needed. Breaker change, who supplies and installs.
Handle tie not permitted in this case must be common trip.
Check name plate on ampicicty to be sure your conductor and ocpd are sized correctly.

Compare old load to new load to be sure feeder/ panel size is adequate.
Really surprised Walmart has not supplied drawing in advance. Ask for them. Freezer company will have an approved set.

Don't stress just be thorough. Be sure what your doing when you do it.
Need be ask for assistance.
Fun doing something new. Enjoy
 
Swim or sink. I think any night shift shutdown "has to be up and running by 5am" is one of the fundamental skills of a company... Have the job thought through. Easy.
 
In my experience with these types of projects the biggest problem was other trades not meeting their deadlines. For example, the new equipment was supposed to be in place and we would be doing our connections by say 2:00 AM, well in reality the units were not in place 4:00 AM and were trying our best to meet the deadline.
 
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