Commercial Fridge Maintenance: Tips to Minimise Damage and Repairs

While it may seem like all fridges are the same, that is not true. Commercial fridges are much more rigorous than the ones you would find in the average home and with good reason. That also means that they require more frequent repair than their domestic counterparts.

Whenever a repair is required for a commercial fridge, that means downtime. Even if the downtime is minimal, that is still downtime to contend with. For businesses, that means an impact in some way, shape, or form.

So, the goal is to keep those repair sessions to a minimum. Following a maintenance checklist is a great way to keep your commercial fridge running for longer without the necessary interruption of a repair. Here is what you need to do to minimise damage and reduce the need for repairs.

A Quick Note About Repair

If you do require commercial fridge repair, there are things to keep in mind. For one, you want to make sure that you go with a trusted professional service. You know that there will be downtime involved and you need to keep it to a minimum.

Going with the right professional for the repairs needed means minimising the total repair time required. Experienced professionals have the knowledge, skills, and tools required to get the job done quickly. Choosing the right professional may not make the repairs go away immediately but it will give you the best chance of getting them done accurately and efficiently.

Keep Your Equipment Clean

By far the most important thing that you can do for your commercial fridge is to keep it clean. While it might be hard to do a proper clean-up in a commercial setting, it is of the utmost importance. Make sure that you clean up food and beverage spills sooner rather than later.

By doing this as part of routine maintenance, you save your fridge quite a bit of trouble. Splatters and drips that get on the walls and other surfaces of the fridge will eventually get down into the edges of the appliance. These simple, seemingly harmless drips can cause malfunction of the machine in many different ways.

Before you know it, your fridge requires repair. Wiping out the fridge won’t necessarily make it impervious to repairs but it will save you from some of the simpler causes for repair that you will encounter.

Defrosting Routine

One of the more commonly ignored methods of maintenance is something that the manufacturer recommends. Yes, the manufacturer of the fridge will likely have some suggested maintenance tips accompanying the unit.

The key is to follow manufacturer recommendations. Some manufacturers have different maintenance specifications than others. There are general guidelines that can be followed to give greater life to your fridge, but you should still follow the maintenance guide provided by the manufacturer.

When you fall behind on maintenance, there is a good chance that your fridge will require repair sooner rather than later. If you have questions or are unclear about the maintenance requirements of your commercial fridge, you can talk to a local specialist to get clarification. Even that is a proactive measure to preserve the life of your fridge and limit down time.

Check Your Settings

Believe it or not, this is one of the simplest, most common reasons for needing repair on a commercial fridge. It is such an easy thing to not notice but it can have a big impact on your fridge. It should be one of the most important steps on your checklist.

Don’t just assume that when you dial in your settings, you never have to check them again. In fact, make sure that you are checking them on a fairly regular basis. Make sure that you check the temperature to ensure it is at the proper setting, and make sure that you are defrosting on a regular basis.

The temperature settings might be lower than you need, which means that the fridge is working way harder than it needs to. When your fridge has to work harder than it is designed to, that cuts the life span of the appliance all the shorter. Checking to ensure the temperature is right means giving your fridge the break it needs to last longer.

Take a Look at Seals

People tend to forget that preventative maintenance is about just that: prevention. You might not see a leak or think you have an issue with one of the components. But doing a once-over can actually help prevent those issues from occurring in the first place.

So, as part of your preventative maintenance checklist, do a once-over to look at seals and fix any leaks that may be present. Check the seal of the door and the gasket as well. Leakage from a loose or broken gasket means that cool air will seep out, allowing warm air in. That not only makes your fridge work all the harder, but it could potentially spoil food items within. That’s on top of the energy loss that the fridge will suffer.

For the most part, you can keep on top of these seals by just checking them out from time to time. But if you ignore this step, you may find yourself in need of a repair and that means – you guessed it – more downtime.

Don’t Overstuff Your Fridge

While it may seem like you can use every single inch of your fridge, that is exactly what you want to avoid. Having more things in your fridge means that it has to work that much harder to keep the items cold. That means more wear and tear to your commercial fridge.

The second important thing to consider is that crowding can lead to blocked ducts. When the ducts are blocked, it leads to less circulation. Less circulation means either decreased cooling or the unit having to work that much harder. All of which amounts to unnecessary wear and tear, shortening the life of your commercial fridge.

Abiding by these tips can not only minimise damage and repairs but also significantly improve the efficiency of your commercial fridge. Furthermore, having a regular maintenance program for your commercial fridge will keep it functional for years to come.