How to Reduce the Number of Repairs Your Commercial Refrigerator Needs

Your commercial fridge works hard for you every day. It is also responsible for keeping your inventory safe for consumption.

Whether your business is a restaurant, grocery store or convenience store, you want your commercial refrigerator to work as efficiently as possible. If not, you are at risk of wasting energy and losing inventory. Here we look at ways to reduce the number of repairs your commercial refrigerator needs to keep it running efficiently and dependably.

Proper Regular Cleaning

Although you’ve got enough tasks on your plate, one of the areas you shouldn’t try to save time on is maintaining your fridge. Not only does keeping your fridge clean make it more hygienic, but it also helps it run more efficiently. When your fridge is dirty, it has to work harder. This wears down its mechanisms more quickly. As a result, you’ll find your dirty fridge costs more in energy consumption and repairs. The parts of your fridge in need of the most attention are:

• The drainage system: Clean this routinely to remove clogs.
• Door gaskets: Wipe the door gaskets down regularly with soapy water, and be sure to look for rips and tears along the seal. This is very important because if your doors don’t seal properly, the cold air leaks out. This means your fridge has to work harder to maintain proper temperatures which puts more wear and tear on all the working parts.
• Fan blades: Wipe the fan blades down once a month with soapy water and be careful not to get water in the motor. Dirt and grime add weight to the fan blades, so it requires more energy and effort for them to spin. This can wear down parts which leads to repairs.
• Condenser coils: Clean the condenser coils with a nylon brush and approved cleaning solution to remove greasy buildup. This is one of the most important steps as dirty condenser coils can’t produce the energy needed to keep the fridge cool. The longer your coils have to work when dirty, the more pressure it puts on the compressor to operate. This leads to overheating. Even self-cleaning condensers should have the coils wiped down regularly.
• Air outlets: Clean air outlets help maximize air flow to improve overall fridge function.

If you aren’t sure what to clean, arrange for regular maintenance with a professional to avoid repairs due to clogs, dirt and grime.

Check the Settings

Depending on the type of commercial fridge you have, your fridge will have settings that help keep it functioning efficiently. This includes the thermostat to make sure your fridge keeps food and drinks at the ideal temperature without wasting energy. By maintaining the ideal temperature you also reduce wear and tear.

Regular Defrosting

Hopefully, you have a commercial fridge with a defrosting feature. If not, be sure you follow the manufacturer’s recommended defrosting schedule. When your fridge is not defrosted, it can lead to malfunctions including tripping. Also if your fridge is icing over, this is a sign something is wrong with either the thermostat or that the gaskets aren’t sealing properly and causing moisture issues.

Clean Out Your Fridge

If you find your fridge is always filled to maximum capacity, you might not be cleaning out old food fast enough. Also, packing your fridge can prevent proper air flow and interfere with cooling. An overstocked fridge could be a sign you need a larger True Commercial Fridge. Ideally, your fridge holds everything you need, yet makes it easy to find something without a map and a flashlight!

Look for Leaks and Check Seals

When your closed doors don’t seal properly, they allow cold air to escape and warm air to enter the compartment. Look at the seals and gaskets on the door to make sure they’re working properly. Rust or cracks are signs your door seals are failing. You can put your hand up to the closed door to feel for cold air creeping out. If you feel a cool breeze, your door seals are shot.

Regular Maintenance Calls

Last but not least, one of the easiest ways to reduce repairs for your commercial fridge is to schedule regular maintenance calls with a professional fridge technician. They will check all of these things for you and ensure your fridge’s key components are clean for smooth operation. It takes an ounce of prevention to avoid a pound of cure, as the saying goes. In other words, taking a proactive approach with professional maintenance is the best way to prevent more costly repairs or replacements down the road.

To learn more about maintaining True Commercial refrigerators and coolers, call Ancaster Food Equipment at 855-888-9644 or contact us here.

Please reach out if you have any questions about our Industrial freezers!