Elite Restaurant Equipment / Restaurant Equipment / Commercial Refrigeration / Caring for Commercial Refrigeration
Commercial Refrigerators
From deli cases to pizza prep tables, refrigeration is an essential part of any commercial kitchen. Knowledgeable restaurateurs are well aware that investing in commercial refrigeration can produce great returns. However, treating your equipment with proper care is absolutely mandatory for optimal performance. Below are some steps you may want to consider after purchasing a commercial refrigerator of any type.
Close the Doors!
One of the main reasons refrigerator owners have issues with maintaining their desired temperatures is that not enough attention is paid to closing the doors. When a refrigerator’s doors are open it is inevitable that warm air will enter it. When warm air is introduced to the cold air inside of a fridge, the maintained temperature is disturbed. This causes the compressor to do extra work in order to bring the temperature back to normal. The downsides of this happening are many. However, the two major reasons that your fridge’s doors should be closed as fast as possible are:
- When a compressor is forced to work harder than usual its life is drastically reduced.
- Making it difficult for a refrigerator’s compressor to maintain proper temperature will run up your electricity bill.
When Was the Last Time Your Condenser Coils Were Cleaned?
Being energy efficient is crucial to maintaining optimal performance, and saving electricity. It is common for dust particles to collect on condenser coils. If the condenser coils are not taken care of properly, the dust and dirt will cause your refrigerator’s compressor to use more heat and energy, thereby decreasing its life. Clean your condenser coils as often as possible to ensure that your refrigerator runs well, and stays efficient for years to come.
Is Your Temperature Set Correctly?
A smart way to save some money and keep your refrigerator running properly for a longer period of time is to make sure that the temperature settings are set correctly. Oftentimes, both business and homeowners tend to set their refrigerator’s temperatures lower than they need to be. Not only will this mistake run up your electricity bill but also it will also drastically decrease the life of your fridge’s compressor. An easy way to make sure that this doesn’t happen to you is to invest in a thermometer. Keep your refrigerator’s temperature in your desired range. Check the temperature as often as possible.
Keep Your Refrigerator Full.
Maintaining desired temperature can be an issue for many refrigerator owners. A simple solution to this problem is keeping your fridge as full as possible. When all of the sections of your refrigerator are packed, less hot air is withheld inside your fridge when it is opened. In other words, the less empty space your refrigerator has, the faster it cools back to your desired temperature.
Avoid Storing Hot Food into Your Refrigerator.
Storing hot food in your refrigerator is very similar to introducing warm air to your fridge by leaving the doors open. When something warmer than the maintained temperature of your refrigerator is placed inside of it, your fridge’s compressor has to work extra hard to cool it down. Extra work for your compressor means more expensive electricity bills and a shorter life for your fridge’s compressor.
Is it Time for a New Refrigerator?
Technology advances over the last few decades have made refrigerators much more efficient than they once were. If your refrigerator can be described as “pre-modern” then it is probably time for a new fridge. Newer refrigerators are manufactured to use a considerably smaller amount of electricity, thereby saving you hundreds of dollars annually.
Are Your Light Bulbs Working?
As previously mentioned, keeping your refrigerator’s doors open longer than necessary can prove to be a massive headache in the future. Since it is more difficult to see inside of a dark refrigerator, home and business owners tend to keep their fridge’s doors open longer when their light bulbs burn out. Invest in new light bulbs and keep those doors shut!
