Prepare Your Commercial Refrigeration For The Christmas Rush

Many businesses benefit greatly

from an increase in sales over the Christmas period, what with people off work and in a festive mood. For those in the catering or food retail industries, Christmas can be a particularly busy (and particularly profitable) period, with people all over the country rushing to the shops to stock up for the big day, or eating out with family to celebrate.

Consequently, a failure in your refrigeration system could be disastrous, resulting in huge losses.

That’s why ensuring that yours is well maintained and in good condition is vital now more than ever. Here are a few tips to help you along the way…

Regular Issues

Knowing and understanding some of the common faults that can occur in commercial refrigeration equipment can give you a better chance of avoiding them.

For example, a lack of regular cleaning can lead to blocked or obstructed fan motors, preventing effective ventilation and decreasing efficiency.

Failing to clean each component carefully can cause a number of knock-on problems, most caused by a higher than average energy use due to equipment having to work harder to accommodate the build-up of debris or dust in the system.

Routine Maintenance

Alongside general daily cleaning, commercial refrigeration should be subject to routine maintenance at least twice yearly. This should include checks of refrigerant level, fan motor blades, electrics, thermometer devices, hinges and closing mechanisms.

Thorough, deep cleaning should also be carried out on all condenser coils, drain lines and any ice machines, and a descaling of water circuits should be performed.

Ensuring that one of your twice-yearly maintenance checks is carried out in the run up to Christmas will keep you up and running through this vital period.

Consider Replacement

If, during your maintenance checks, you come across any permanently damaged equipment or components that cleaning won’t fix, you should consider replacing the machinery in question rather than risking an inefficient and temperamental refrigeration system.

Generally, if the whole thing is more than 10 years old, an update should be a very real consideration.

Whether it’s broken or not, inefficiency is likely in equipment this old.

Check the refrigerant in your cooler.

If it is R12, R502 or R22, it will need to be replaced as these are largely banned worldwide.

Enough Room?

As with domestic fridges, commercial refrigeration systems suffer from overcrowding – a real danger over Christmas where you might be tempted to cram that extra stock in.

Congestion inside a refrigerator leads to restricted air flow, which in turn leads to a dramatic decrease in efficiency (and increase in energy waste).

Overfilling might also block air vents that are crucial for keeping content cool inside the refrigerator, and can encourage the growth of mould.

This can lead to food not being stored at the correct, safe temperature, presenting a number of potential health and legal issues.

BS Air

For all your commercial refrigeration supply and maintenance needs in the Cornwall area, call on the friendly professionals at BS Air.

BS Air offers reliable air conditioning services throughout Cornwall, Bude, Truro, Newquay and
Plymouth. Including air conditioning installation, maintenance, heat pumps and commercial refrigeration solutions.

For more information, or to request a quote, get in touch today.