How to Avoid Commercial Freezer Display Breakdowns

Commercial freezers are essential equipment for your business. Whether you own a bakery, a convenience store or a restaurant, commercial display freezers help your business keep your food fresh and easily accessible for your customers. Commercial display refrigeration requires quite a bit of investment, and running it can be expensive.

If you use your display freezer to store and display your food reliably, then you probably want to avoid a breakdown at all costs. A breakdown could cause your food to spoil. And if your food spoils, you lose inventory, business and money.

If you own a refrigeration system, chances are you depend on it to play a significant role in keeping your business running smoothly. Any hiccups or big problems you can run into will probably cause losses in money and time. Not to mention, it can be a massive headache to deal with when you need your time to run your business.

Skipping out daily care and maintenance is not an option if you want to extend your commercial freezer’s longevity. At Ancaster Food Equipment, we are committed to helping business owners like you keep your business up and running. Here are some of our best tips and tricks when it comes to avoiding a commercial freezer breakdown.

Common Signs of Commercial Freezer Issues

1. Leaks
   Not only are leaks a bad sign for your commercial freezer, but they also pose a safety hazard because they can lead to mould growth.
2. Heat
   While all electronics and appliances will produce some degree of heat, it should not be excessive. If you notice excessive heat being made from your unit, it could be because there is a buildup of dust on your condenser coils, and they need to be cleaned off.
3. Electricity Bills
   When your commercial freezer is experiencing a problem, it needs to start overworking to compensate. If you notice a spike in your electricity bill, this could mean there are problems with your unit.
4. Spoiled Food
   Spoiled food is a clear sign that something is wrong with your freezer. You’ll want to catch early warning signs before you experience spoiled food. This is why keeping an eye on your freezer and doing regular maintenance check-ups is so essential.

Tips on How to Maintain Your Commercial Freezer

Keeping up with regular maintenance and fixing minor repairs goes a long way in extending the longevity of your commercial freezer.

Here are a few examples of problems you might face if you do not maintain your commercial freezing unit properly:

• Fan motor failure due to dirty coils, which restricts airflow.
• Failure of the thermostat.
• Wiring burning and overheating.
• Excessive electrical consumption.

Cleaning

As with any appliances, giving them a good wipe down is beneficial and keeps gunk from building up over time. You should aim to clean your commercial freezer once per week inside and out. You can use a damp cloth with water but avoid using any harsh chemicals and abrasive tools.

Every month, you should clean the fans and condenser coils. These can build up dirt and debris, which will cause your freezer to run less efficiently. You would need to purchase coil cleaner if you wanted to do this yourself, but these parts are exceptionally delicate, so you might want to call your technician or HVAC service professional.

Regular Inspections

Here is a list of some things you can keep an eye on to ensure that small issues do not lead to bigger problems, like a unit failure. If you spot these small problems early on, you can call your service repair expert to fix them quickly before they turn into a more significant, more costly issue.

• Watch out for water leaks. This can indicate a compressor failure.
• If you see condensation inside the cabinet, it might be a sign that your doors aren’t properly sealed.
• If you notice excessive noise coming from your fan motor or compressor, this can be a sign of an incoming issue.
• Inspect the hinges and fasteners to make sure none of them are loose.
• If you can see any bent legs or castors, you should fix those right away. Otherwise, it could lead your unit to become unbalanced and topple over.
• Check your gaskets to make sure they are properly sealed and check for any damage like rips, tears or holes that will allow cold air to escape.
• You should also make sure there is no restricted airflow around your condenser coils.

Some other helpful troubleshooting:

• Check your outlets, connections and switches. Ensure that all your wiring is working and the unit is connected correctly.
• If your freezer is on but doesn’t feel cold inside, check the temperature and thermostat.
• Repeatedly opening and closing the doors on your refrigerator puts extra pressure on the gaskets, so you should check on your gaskets and see if your door is sealing correctly.

Along with your regular inspection and cleaning, you should also have scheduled maintenance with a refrigeration professional. This would include cleaning and checking the drains, coils, fan motor and refrigerant levels.

How to Find the Right Refrigeration Service Provider

When you need to schedule your maintenance, be sure you pick the right service provider. You won’t have much time to shop around if you are experiencing an emergency, so you’ll want to choose one ahead of time. Be sure to evaluate each service provider company using the tips below:

• Check reviews on your website and Google.
• Be sure that they have a proven history in commercial refrigeration repair services.
• 24/7 response time.
• Able to repair any brand of equipment.
• Employ certified technicians with proper training and experience.
• Depending on the size of your business, choose a company that can service multiple locations or stores.
• Make sure that they offer records of your service history, any work orders and notifications.

Regardless of maintenance, cleaning and repairs, it is also vital for you to recognize when you should retire your old equipment. Keep track of your maintenance and repair expenses, so you can be sure you’re not sinking money into a repeatedly failing unit when you could have just spent that money on getting a newer unit. Not to mention the headache and inconvenience associated with continually running into problems all the time.

For more information about commercial display freezers, call Ancaster Food Equipment at 855-888-9644 or contact us here.