What Is the Life Expectancy of a Commercial Freezer?

As a business owner, you want your equipment to work efficiently and last for as long as possible. This helps reduce overhead costs, while avoiding the need to invest in new equipment. If you like to plan ahead, then you might be wondering when it will be time to start thinking about replacing your used commercial freezer. In this article, we look at the life expectancy of a commercial freezer with tips to help prolong life and improve efficiency.

Two Factors That Affect Life Expectancy of a Commercial Freezer

There are two aspects that will impact the life expectancy of a commercial freezer:

1. Maintenance level: If you are diligent with maintaining your commercial freezer, you can increase its life span between 30% to 50%. Proper maintenance includes cleaning the condenser coil and evaporator every 30 days, while also arranging for regular maintenance from a trained technician each year. When your commercial freezer is not properly maintained, it interferes with efficiency, which in turn decreases life span. This is because when your commercial freezer has things like dirt buildup, it works harder to maintain proper temperatures. So, the key to long life for a commercial freezer is proper cleaning and annual maintenance checks by a trained technician.
2. Usage: This is a big consideration, as when and how often the freezer is used impacts the life span. The less the fridge is accessed and used, the longer its life. If you have a high-traffic store that’s open 24 hours a day, for example, your freezer will be accessed more frequently than a convenience store open only eight to 12 hours a day. The more often the door is opened and closed, the more wear and tear there is on the door parts, which means the doors become less efficient at keeping the freezer sealed. At the same time, that constant opening also makes the compressor work harder, as it has to recover proper temperatures more often than if the doors remained closed most of the time. Realistically, a very busy commercial freezer will need to be replaced in about eight to nine years to avoid system failure that will lead to food spoilage.

With proper maintenance and reduced traffic, your commercial fridge can last a lot longer. 

Quality of Commercial Freezers

Of course, the quality of the commercial freezer you purchase will also impact life expectancy. Since there are various types of commercial freezers on the market, and different levels of manufacturing expertise and technology, these factors all impact life span. So, you have to consider your return on investment from the very start when choosing your commercial freezer. Some things to look for in a higher quality commercial freezer include:

• Non-peel or chip laminated vinyl
• ETL Sanitation Listed approved aluminum liner with 300 series stainless steel floor
• Cabinet structure with foamed-in-place high-density, CFC-free, polyurethane insulation
• Welded, heavy duty galvanized frame rail dipped in rust-inhibiting enamel paint for corrosion protection inside and out
• Frame rail fitted with leg levelers
• Epoxy-coated evaporator to eliminate the potential of corrosion
• Backguard and floor rack to ensure optimum airflow
• Defrost heaters
• Extended warranty to keep it operational longer

These features help ensure you are investing in a quality product that can greatly increase life expectancy. If the models offering these types of features are too expensive for your budget, consider purchasing a completely newly refurbished commercial freezer. It can save you as much as 50% of the full cost, but still offer all the benefits of a new freezer.

Tips to Help Your Commercial Freezer Last Longer

Here are a few tips to help ensure your commercial freezer lasts longer:

• Ensure proper cleanliness inside the freezer to help it function efficiently.
• Inspect your freezer regularly, looking for issues such as dirt buildup on the condenser, signs of frost and ice, broken parts, faulty door latches, etc.
• Clean the fan blades regularly to improve air circulation and motor performance.
• Make sure the freezer is set to the ideal temperature at -18 Celsius for improved efficiency and safe food storage.
• Only open the commercial freezer when necessary in commercial kitchens.
• Choose a commercial freezer with an auto-defrost feature.
• Keep your freezer organized to avoid overpacking the cabinet, and also to avoid blocking the temperature gauge and fans.
• Arrange for annual maintenance to inspect compressors, fan motors, and electrical wiring, and make repairs as required.

These tips will help keep your commercial freezer working more efficiently to increase its life span.

If you would like to learn more about used commercial freezers, speak to our team at Ancaster Food Equipment about our completely refurbished models today.