5 DIY Steps to Keep Your Commercial Refrigeration Equipment In Great Shape

Whether you operate a restaurant, pub, dairy, or other food-industry business, you can’t afford refrigeration equipment breakdowns. Service interruptions eat away at your bottom line and your reputation. 

Below are 5 simple steps your business can take to avoid unexpected trouble.

1. Allow Ample Ventilation

Clear space around the refrigeration equipment for maximum ventilation. This ensures your refrigerators, freezers, and ice machines don’t labor harder they should, or even worse, overheat and shut down.

2. Maintain Precise Settings

Meats, fruits and vegetables, and food products must be stored in cold enough temperatures. But setting temperatures too low and defrosting too often will waste energy and place added stress on refrigeration units while shortening their service lives.

3. Turn Off the Lights

Food isn’t afraid of the dark. Always check that all the lights are off when you walk out of walk-in coolers and freezers. Use energy-saving fluorescent lights.

4. Keep Them Clean

Dirty units with dirty components labor harder and use more energy to produce the same cooling as clean units. Clean the inside of all refrigerators, freezers, and walk-in units according to manufacturer instructions. Use non-abrasive cleaning implements like sponges and tea towels.

5. Check Seals for Leaks

Check that all hinges, strikes, gaskets or seals are in good condition. Test a refrigerator or freezer door gasket by closing it on a thin piece of paper or banknote. If you can slide the paper out with ease or if the paper falls out by itself, the gasket seal is leaky.

Care is Key!

Having your business’ refrigeration equipment maintained on a regular maintenance schedule by trained technicians is a necessity. But keeping it in excellent working order between those regular appointments will ensure you get the most out of it.