5 Tips to keep your commercial coolers & freezers running

One of the most important pieces of equipment in your restaurant are your coolers and freezers. You depend on them to work 24/7/365 yet they are often the most neglected when it comes to equipment maintenance and even cleaning. Restaurant owners and managers cringe when they hear the coolers are down because it often follows, loss of valuable food, business for the night and so much more. The value of maintaining your commercial refrigeration equipment whether on your own or professionally is far greater than the loss you could potentially incur.

While not every operation can afford a professional or a robust Preventive Maintenance Program, here are some tips that can be done proactively to keep your commercial coolers and freezers running as efficiently as possible.

1. Keep it clean

Clean with soap and water are often good enough. Harsh chemicals may harm metal surfaces. In a restaurant, spills and messes inside the cooler is inevitable. Everyone is in a rush to stock up, close and do what needs to get done and even when wiping and mopping the walk-ins, food debris are pushed to the corner and sides. Ignoring food waste has a steep consequence. The most common signs of worn or rust in commercial coolers are from prolonged freezer burn from waste like food.
Include regular and deep cleaning as part of your cleaning schedule

2. Inspect blades and evaporator fan coils

Establish routine cleaning of your ventilation system to make sure you are inspecting them for potential damage caused by any build up. A neglected cooler can cause contamination due to mold and bacterial.

3. Inspect door seals

When cleaning, don’t forget to pay attention to door seals and gaskets. These areas get cluttered with dirt, and other debris. When seals get clogged, it hurts the cooler’s ability to self-regulate leading to higher energy consumption and worse, shorter life of your equipment. Be sure hinges are oiled, latches close or unobstructed so doors properly close.

4. Cleaning coils & evaporators

One of the most important part of the cooler are the air condenser cables and evaporator coils. If this collects dust and debris over time, it means that unit has to work harder to keep things cool. Replacements aren’t cheap but you can avoid replacing this by monitoring it on a regular basis. Wipe the cable down once a week and clean every 30 days. Regular cleaning can exceed the average lifespan of your equipment by 30-50%

ROUTINE CLEANING EVERY 30 DAYS CAN GIVE YOU 3-5 ADDITIONAL SERVICE LIFE YEARS ON TOP OF THE.

10 YEARS IS THE AVG. LIFE OF A COMMERCIAL FRIDGE/FREEZER

5. Leave some space

Temperature fluctuations in your cooler are often signs that your equipment is failing but overcrowding or stacking too many items causes strain on the motor and condenser coil which results in longer operation and higher energy bills. There’s maximizing fridge/freezer space then there’s overpacking to the point where there’s no room for circulation. Leaving spaces in between provides air to flow.