Hello, we run a website that sells residential and commercial HVAC and refrigeration equipment. We would like to have a quiz where commercial refrigeration customers can find the right system for their walk-in cooler or freezer. The issue is, these systems have a wide range of BTUs (cooling capacity) based on many environmental factors, such as:
- room size (width x length x ceiling height)
- ambient air temp (typically 90°F-105°F)
- number of doors
- number of glass doors (add 1400 BTU per glass door)
- light or heavy use
We would like customers to be able to enter in this information, and we recommend a few systems that will work for their situation.
We have not been able to find an app on the app store that can do this so we are open to a custom developed app. Any advise or recommendations would be very helpful. Thank you.
Hey @mathyou , I sent you a DM!
Hi @mathyou ,
Yes, this can be done with questioner where we will be provided with question and answer will have key. Once user complete the questioner user will be redirected to URL where product matched with those criteria will be available.
This questioner will be dynamic and question list can be increase and decrease based on your requirement. We can discuss the implementation in detail if interested.
My details are in post footer.
This is a tough one. While I don’t have a surefire recommendation, you might want to try AI recommendations.
For example, if you have all of the relevant specs in your product description you could create a product recommendation quiz called ‘Find the right HVAC that fits your home’.
AI is still improving but occasionally delivers surprising results in narrowing down the right features. They take about 30 seconds to generate, so it’s worth trying a few to see if it’s a quick fix to your problem. If you like, you can try our AI quiz app POPSMASH free to see if it works for your needs.
If this doesn’t work for you, the most cost-effective solution may be to just have a JS calculator (or similar 3rd party calculator) made for you hosted elsewhere and just link to it. That’d be much cheaper than having a custom Shopify app made, especially since your requirements will likely change as you learn what works well and what doesn’t.
Then once you see how the cheap calculator works and you’re happy with it, then have the custom app made it the ROI makes sense. The problem is just keeping it updated (including mapping all of the recommendations) gets expensive, which is why I’m a fan of AI since it’s easy to create new ones whenever needed.
Hi @mathyou ,
You might want to try the Easify Product Options app, which lets you create a variety of options for customers to choose from and easily add them to your main product. The app offers 26 option display types to help you illustrate your options effectively 
. For example:
- Room size (width x length x ceiling height): You can use the Dimension option type and set up a formula to calculate pricing based on the customer’s entered dimensions.
- Ambient air temperature (typically 90°F-105°F): You can present these options using a Dropdown menu.
- Number of doors: You can list specific values with corresponding costs in a Dropdown, or use the Quantity option to allow customers to enter a specific number and calculate the price based on that.
- Number of glass doors (add 1400 BTU per glass door): Similar to the doors, you can either list values with specific costs in a Dropdown or use Quantity for a more dynamic pricing approach.
- Light or heavy use: You can use Radio Buttons or Buttons to let customers choose between these two options.
If you need further assistance or more detailed guidance, feel free to reach out to the Easify team.
The primary formula to estimate required BTU/h (British Thermal Units per hour) for a walk-in cooler/freezer is:
Total BTU = Heat Load from Room Volume + Heat Load from Ambient Air + Heat Load from Doors + Heat Load from Usage
Each of these factors contributes significantly to the overall cooling load. The room volume determines the base cooling requirement, while ambient air temperature affects heat infiltration, especially in hotter climates. Doors, particularly glass doors, introduce additional heat load due to increased heat transfer, with glass doors typically adding around 1,400 BTU per door. Usage factors, such as the frequency of door openings, the type of products stored, and internal heat sources (e.g., lighting and motors), further impact the total BTU requirement.
To help customers select the right refrigeration system, an interactive quiz could collect data on these factors and calculate the estimated BTU/h needed. This would allow for tailored system recommendations based on real-world conditions, ensuring efficiency and reliability. Given the lack of existing apps with this capability, a custom-built web-based or mobile solution could be a practical approach. Additionally, for spaces utilizing a mini split air handler, considering its cooling capacity alongside other refrigeration units could further optimize temperature control and energy efficiency.