If you have a commercial kitchen, then you’ll know how crucial it is for all your appliances to work effectively. Other than your oven, your cooling equipment is most likely the most essential item that should always be working optimally.
With that said, it’s crucial to know when you need to request a commercial fridge repair as a broken cooling appliance can cause food to spoil. This, in turn, can lead to a loss of profits when you have to throw food out.
Freezer Maintenance is Essential
It’s crucial to know when your commercial cooling equipment needs to be serviced, maintained or repaired. Knowing what to look for will ensure that your fridges and freezers can be maintained before they break or shut down completely. Our skilled team of experts have compiled a list of the top signs to keep an eye out for.
1. The Fridge Isn’t Getting Cold Enough
It’s imperative that your kitchen staff monitor the temperature of all your cooling appliances. One of the simplest indicators that your cooling appliances may need to be repaired is food that doesn’t seem as cool as it should be.
When food isn’t getting as cold as it should be, you’ll start noticing that some of it may start spoiling or not last as long as usual. You’ll also notice that some food items aren’t freezing.
Our experts have a simple but effective suggestion to test the temperature of your fridge or freezer. It’s as simple as buying a tub of ice cream and placing it in your freezer overnight. If the ice cream freezes up and stays frozen, you’re freezer is still working as it should.
Melting or soggy ice cream is an indication that the freezer isn’t getting cold enough. You can also do this experiment with a bottle of water. Don’t wait for the problem to get worse, schedule an immediate service inspection.
2. Fridge Motor Seems to Be Running Longer than Normal
The staff working in the kitchen will be familiar with the “normal sounds” that each one of the cooling appliances makes. While some may be a gentle whirr, others are simply a soft hum. When this noise changes and it appears as though the unit is straining or running longer than usual, this is another sign that something may be wrong.
Freezers and refrigerator motors will generally run longer than usual if they are trying to maintain an ideal cool temperature inside the unit. Remember, most cooling appliances shouldn’t be running consistently or more loudly than usual. If you’re not sure if you’re imagining the louder noise, spend some time in the kitchen when all the other appliances are off, and the kitchen is otherwise quiet. You’ll soon know whether or not your freezer is running louder than usual.
3. Unexpectedly High Energy Bills
As your business progresses, you’ll become aware of what seems to be a normal energy bill. Another sign that may indicate a problem with one of your cooling appliances is a sudden increase in your energy bill. This is because the unit will be running longer than usual to reach its optimal capacity.
4. An Increase in the Ice Build-Up
Most modern fridges and freezers have a frost-free function. This means that they will automatically defrost when necessary. If you know that the freezer or fridge model that you have, boasts this function, there shouldn’t be a build-up of ice in your freezer.
So, if you start seeing an ice build-up, you can be sure that this is a sign that something is wrong. Don’t attempt to defrost the freezer and hope the problem goes away. Rather phone your local repair agent and schedule an inspection. It’s also a good idea to move food items to another freezer to avoid some items getting freezer burn.
5. Mysterious Air Leaks
Whether you have a walk-in freezer, or a regular commercial fridge, another tell-tale sign to look out for is leaking air. Usually, leaking air in a freezer can be caused by one of two reasons. These are:
- Overworking: Your freezer is working twice as hard to maintain the temperature required to keep working properly. This often causes air leaks.
- Rising temperatures: When the fridge or freezer works harder, the unit in general also starts getting warmer. This results in air leaks.
6. Water Leaks in Your Fridge or Freezer
Water leaks in cooling equipment are a very common indicator that the unit may need repairs. In many instances, this often means that the item needs to be replaced. Keep in mind that tending to the problem as early as possible may save you money in the long run.
Final Thoughts
Commercial freezers and fridges are the heartbeat of many commercial food businesses. This is especially the case if you’re hoping to serve cold drinks, desserts and salads on a hot Australian day. Save yourself the aggravation of a ruined food service and costly replacements by tending to the signs as soon as you see them. You’ll be glad you did!