The holiday season is here and for players in the foodservice industry, this is the busiest season of the year. Therefore, the last thing you want is your refrigeration system breaking down at this critical period.
You should evaluate the performance of your refrigeration systems, ice machines, freezers, and other cooling equipment to ensure they are ready for more work during this season.
Benefits of Regular Commercial Refrigeration Maintenance
Regular preventive maintenance programs can limit downtimes and keep your operations running efficiently across your establishments.
Here are some reasons for carrying out preventive commercial refrigeration maintenance tasks:
a) Avoid Breakdowns During the Holiday Rush
Commercial refrigeration systems are pushed to the limits of their performance during the holiday seasons. As activities at your establishment increase, the systems undergo extreme pressure.
Refrigeration equipment systems that are not serviced regularly begin to wear out slowly but steadily. Dirt and grime buildup can restrict parts from functioning optimally. Without notice, the equipment will break down and leave you counting losses during the busy holiday season.
b) Avoid Wasted Food
Food should be kept at precise temperatures in refrigeration equipment to remain fit for human consumption. So, you keep the food in the refrigerator but is the cool temperature optimal for keeping it fresh?
Refrigeration equipment not regularly maintained struggles to perform optimally. For example, debris and dirt build-up on the coils can prevent the refrigerator from keeping the air cool, and this can make the food spoil faster.
c) Keep Your Expenses Down
Regular maintenance of your commercial refrigeration and cooling systems saves you money. Routine checks can identify broken or malfunctioning parts, which can be repaired and replaced to ensure the system remains in great condition.
Skipping scheduled maintenance puts your system at risk of poor performance, malfunctions, and deterioration. For example, when malfunctioning parts are left in the system, they start wearing down. Eventually, the wear can lead to damages that are too expensive to repair.
Imagine your system suddenly breaking down during the busy holiday season! You don’t want this to happen.
Commercial Refrigeration DIY Tasks for the Holiday Season
You can avoid equipment breakdowns during the holiday by carrying out simple seasonal maintenance activities. Here are some DIY tasks you can carry out:
i) Check and clean the systems every day
Before closing for the day off, clean your refrigeration systems to remove any piled up food scraps, dirt, etc. This often-ignored debris can have a huge negative impact on the performance of your systems, eventually leading to breakdowns.
In the foodservice industry, sanitation is important not only for health purposes but also for the performance of your systems. Cleaning the refrigerator every day will help to prevent bad bacteria from spreading. Moreover, the parts will also remain in great condition.
ii) Inspect the systems regularly
Carry out regular inspections of your refrigeration systems. Ideally, you should inspect the equipment on a weekly or monthly basis. Confirm that all moving parts and utility connections are operating as required.
Also, check that there are no worn out or damaged parts. Contact a professional commercial refrigerator maintenance company to fix or replace any damaged or broken parts.
iii) Change the water filter
During the holidays, water consumption by customers is expected to rise. The last thing you want is for them to start complaining about complications as a result of drinking your chilled products. Therefore, change the refrigerator water filter regularly to avoid harmful bacteria such as salmonella, legionella, and E-coli from entering tap water.
Commercial Refrigeration Expert Maintenance Tasks
There are some tasks that would be best carried out by expert commercial refrigeration maintenance companies. These tasks are crucial to the performance and longevity of your equipment.
You’ll need to call a commercial cooler repair company for the following tasks:
- Inspection, repair, and replacement of hinges and latches
- Cleaning of door seals and gaskets
- Checking the refrigerant levels
- Unclogging the drains and pans
- Cleaning the ice machines and repairing damaged parts
- Inspecting the fan blade and motor
- Removing debris and grease from equipment parts
- Inspecting the electrical components for wear and tear
- Calibrating thermostats and replace malfunctioning ones
- Inspecting all equipment parts and checking for signs of impending wear
Work with a Reputable commercial Repair Company
Not all commercial refrigeration systems maintenance companies are the same. Therefore, it’s critical to research well before calling one for repair or maintenance services before the holiday season. In particular, check the contract of the company you want to hire. Find out what to expect in terms of maintenance services. The contract should capture the particular tasks that the company will undertake as well as the cost of the services.
If you determine that your commercial refrigerator’s compressor needs to be replaced, contact Compressors Unlimited. Our compressors go through a rigorous remanufacturing process to meet or exceed the current OEM tolerances and are the most cost-effective solution to your compressor needs.
