Sector · Stores and supermarkets

Doors that never stop opening: how the ducts of a store or a supermarket are reviewed

A store receives people and goods all day, and its air conditioning works against doors that keep opening.

By Limpieza de Ductos PanamáReviewed October 21, 20263 min readShare

Short answer

Duct cleaning in a store or supermarket is the camera inspection and cleaning of the ducts over aisles, checkout and stockroom, done at night or in low traffic hours and by zones of the premises. Cleaning is decided from what the camera shows.

What sets stores and supermarkets apart

Constant entrancesEvery door that opens brings in air from outside. That is why returns and filters near the entrances are checked.

Closing hoursThe work is scheduled by zones in closing or low-traffic hours.

A stockroom next to salesThe stockroom may share part of the air with the sales area. The place where they join is checked.

Facts that help decide in stores and supermarkets

In Panama: INEC’s Business and Establishment Directory (reference year 2022) records 39,937 wholesale and retail trade establishments, including Free Zones, and vehicle repair, the sector with the most establishments in the country, out of 96,397. The category is broad and does not separate supermarkets or stores. (INEC, Business and Establishment Directory 2022)
Technical fact: A field study in two US supermarkets (ASHRAE Transactions, 1999) measured that lowering the store’s relative humidity lowered refrigeration system energy use, about 10 kWh per day for each 1% drop in one of the stores. They are two stores measured decades ago in another climate, and not a savings promise. It shows that the humidity handled by the air conditioning affects refrigerated cases. (Henderson and Khattar, ASHRAE Transactions, 1999)

Types of place within stores and supermarkets

Type of place	What changes in the work plan
Supermarkets	Ducts over the aisles and the bakery or kitchen area
Convenience stores and corner shops	The main unit and filter, in a short visit
Chain stores	Each store is looked at separately, because its duct run changes
Department stores	A plan by zones inside the store
Appliance stores	Returns of the main showroom
Hardware stores	Filters and returns near the stockroom
Car dealerships	Showroom units and separation from the workshop
Duty free shops	Ducts of the sales area and the stockroom
Free trade zones	Which buildings share a system and which do not

How the work is organized in stores and supermarkets

Look inside. The camera runs through the ducts of the sales area and the stockroom.
Schedule by zones. The manager agrees which zones are worked on each night or in low-traffic hours.
Hand over the report. With photos by zone and with what could not be seen.

An example of what the report brings

An illustrative example of a supermarket report: a sketch of the premises by zones, with photos of the ducts over the refrigerated aisle and the stockroom, and the suggested order to work one zone per night without affecting opening.

What you are left with at the end

A plan by zones and hours, agreed with the manager
Photographs of the inside of the ducts
The list of sections with no access
A suggestion of when to check again, based on the traffic of the premises

Areas where stores and supermarkets are served

Betania Río Abajo Juan Díaz Pedregal Vía España El Carmen Hato Pintado Chanis Villa Lucre Las Cumbres Alcalde Díaz 24 de Diciembre See all areas

Reference sources

EPA: Should You Have the Air Ducts in Your Home Cleaned? (guide written for homes)
ANSI/ASHRAE/ACCA Standard 180: inspección y mantenimiento de sistemas HVAC comerciales (industry reference)
EPA: Building Air Quality, a Guide for Building Owners and Facility Managers (guide for building managers)
Technical references of this site, with all 45 sources

On this site

All sectorsWhat changes in each type of place
Camera inspectionThe real condition before deciding
Service areasWhere work is done

Climatiza and Radar Panamá

Commercial, industrial and residential HVAC services (in Spanish)Climatiza
Air conditioning maintenance in Panama (in Spanish)Climatiza
Installing air conditioning in a commercial space: seven stagesRadar Panamá
Air conditioning electricity use of a businessRadar Panamá

Frequently asked questions

Does the store have to close?

Not necessarily. The work is done at night or by zones, in low-traffic hours, so sales go on.

Are the stockroom ducts checked as well?

Yes. Those of the stockroom are checked, along with the point where they join those of the sales area.

Is the work different in a large supermarket?

The scale changes: more zones and more nights. The method is the same, camera first and cleaning afterward, if needed.

Does it apply to a car dealership?

Yes. The showroom units are checked and the workshop air is kept apart from the sales area air.

How often does it make sense to check the ducts in stores and supermarkets?

There is no fixed frequency. It makes sense to look when there are odors or moisture in aisles or stockroom, and before busier seasons.

What does the report include for stores and supermarkets?

It brings photographs of the inside of the ducts. It is handed over by zone of the premises, so the manager can schedule what comes next.

Keep exploring

All sectorsThe 31 sectors and 119 types of place.Open →Shopping centers and mallsA shopping center has a central system for the corridors and its own system in many stores.Open →Restaurants and coffee shopsThe dining room air and the kitchen air live in the same building, and sometimes share returns.Open →

Related toolDuct inspection plannerEstimate the level of attention your system needs based on use and warning signs.Open planner →

Request an inspection

Do you want to know what your place needs?

Tell us what type of place it is and which area it is in. A camera inspection shows the inside of the ducts before anything is decided.