Common Mistakes in Cold Room Design — and How to Avoid Them
Introduction: A Cold Room Is Only as Good as Its Design
A cold room might look simple from the outside — insulated walls, a door, and a cooling system. But anyone who works in a laboratory or pharmaceutical environment knows the truth: a cold room is only reliable if every part of its design is right from day one.
Poor planning or shortcuts can lead to temperature fluctuations, inefficiency, constant breakdowns, and even failed MHRA audits. Unfortunately, many cold rooms are designed with one or two small oversights that only become obvious after the room goes into operation.
The good news? These mistakes are avoidable. By understanding the most common cold room design problems, you can ensure your next installation is stable, efficient, and fully compliant.
Let’s look at the pitfalls — and, more importantly, how to avoid them.
1. Ignoring Airflow and Temperature Uniformity
One of the biggest design flaws is poor airflow planning. A cold room can have the best insulation and refrigeration in the world, but if air can’t circulate properly, hot and cold spots will develop.
This is especially dangerous in research and pharmaceutical storage, where even a small temperature deviation can compromise product integrity.
Many issues stem from:
- Shelving placed too close to walls
- Poor evaporator positioning
- Obstructed airflow paths
- Incorrect internal layout
A well-designed cold room should achieve stable, uniform temperatures across the entire space. This requires careful planning during installation and thorough temperature mapping once the room is built.
2. Using Inadequate or Low-Quality Insulation
Insulation is the backbone of any cold room. When the insulation is too thin, poorly installed, or made from low-quality materials, the cooling system becomes overloaded trying to compensate.
This leads to higher energy bills, unpredictable performance, and unnecessary wear on equipment.
High-performance insulation with properly sealed joints is essential. Even a small gap or thermal bridge can push the system into overdrive and introduce temperature instability.
3. Selecting the Wrong Refrigeration System
Not all refrigeration systems are created equal — and not all are suitable for regulated environments. One of the most common mistakes is choosing a system based on price rather than performance, lifespan, or compliance.
A poorly matched system may:
- Struggle to maintain setpoints
- Fail under high load
- Produce inconsistent cooling
- Consume far more energy than necessary
Cold room refrigeration should always be sized and selected by experienced engineers who understand your temperature range, load profile, usage patterns, and regulatory requirements.
4. Forgetting About Redundancy and Backup Systems
Cold rooms in laboratories and pharmaceutical facilities must operate flawlessly around the clock. But equipment fails — and when it does, the consequences can be severe.
A surprising number of installations lack proper:
- Backup cooling
- Emergency power connections
- Dual temperature sensors
- Redundant monitoring
A cold room isn’t truly “compliant” unless it can handle unexpected failures without risking product loss. Built-in resilience isn’t optional — it’s essential.
5. Poor Door Design and Frequent Heat Ingress
Doors are one of the biggest sources of heat gain in any cold room. If the design doesn’t account for frequent access, the room may struggle to maintain temperature.
Common problems include:
- Incorrect door seals
- Lack of air curtains
- Slow-closing mechanisms
- No access control
Every time the door opens, warm air enters. In high-traffic environments, this can destabilise the entire system. Proper planning around movement, workflow, and insulation at the entry point prevents these issues before they start.
6. Missing or Incomplete Validation
It’s surprising how often a cold room goes into use without being fully validated. But for GMP environments, validation isn’t optional — it’s a regulatory requirement.
Without full IQ/OQ/PQ validation, you have no documented assurance that the room performs as intended.
This becomes a serious issue during:
- MHRA inspections
- Internal audits
- Deviation investigations
- Annual requalification
Validation proves that the temperature stays within limits, that all systems work correctly, and that the installation meets regulatory expectations. Skipping this step is one of the costliest mistakes a facility can make.
7. Overlooking Long-Term Maintenance Needs
A cold room isn’t “finished” once it’s installed. Like any engineered system, it needs ongoing care — and the design should support that.
Problems often occur when:
- Equipment is installed in inaccessible locations
- Components can’t be serviced without dismantling the room
- Drainage, airflow, or access panels are overlooked
A cold room designed with maintenance in mind will last longer, perform better, and remain compliant throughout its lifecycle.
How to Avoid These Mistakes: Work With a Specialist
Most cold room design mistakes come from inexperience — and while they can be fixed later, it’s always cheaper and safer to get it right the first time.
Working with a specialist provider ensures:
Precise engineering based on your requirements; Correct equipment selection and sizing; Fully documented validation; Thoughtful layout and airflow design; Regulatory compliance from the outset;Future-proof, energy-efficient performance
At Laboratory Temperature Control, we design and build cold rooms for laboratories, pharmaceutical facilities, and critical storage environments across the UK and Western Europe. Our systems are engineered to deliver stability, compliance, and long-term reliability — without compromise.
Conclusion: A Reliable Cold Room Starts With the Right Design
Every cold room plays a vital role in protecting research, pharmaceutical products, and critical materials. When the design is flawed, the entire operation is at risk. But with the right planning — and the right engineering partner — you can create a cold room that performs with absolute consistency.
If you're planning a new installation or evaluating your existing setup,
speak to our expert team today.
We’ll help you avoid the common pitfalls and build a system that’s compliant, efficient, and dependable from day one.






















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