Upon first brush, one might think that cold weather might allow your commercial refrigeration system to run much smoother–less work if it’s already cold, right? Unfortunately, that’s not the case.
Instead of helping out, excessively cold weather can actually cause your refrigeration systems to freeze up, running the risk of spoilage of the contents within. However, there are some easy precautionary items that you can do to make sure that your commercial refrigeration stays healthy and unharmed this winter as the temperatures begin to drop.
Tips for your commercial refrigeration for this winter
Inspect your refrigeration unit’s shell. The unit’s shell, which includes the door, is your refrigeration unit’s main source of protection from the outside world and its swaying temperatures. As temperatures begin to drop, it’s important to give the shell a thorough inspection to make sure that it’s free of cracks, leaks, or other damage. Luckily, smaller cracks can be patched relatively easily. However, if you notice large cracks, you can be sure that those large cracks are causing your unit to run harder to maintain temperature, which not only runs up the energy bill but also can cause expensive components to exhaust themselves long before their normal lifespan would end. In this case, it’s important to call a professional right away to fix these cracks.
Maintain the chiller tubes. These tubes can cause major headaches, as they can accumulate hard minerals, scale, and algae quite easily. When dirty or clogged up, chiller tubes can severely downgrade the efficiency of your unit, sometimes taking its efficiency down by a whopping 30%. Calling a professional to get a good cleaning is usually the best idea, but you can also clean the tubes out yourself using rotary tube cleaners and a descaler if you have them on hand.
Check on the coils and condensers. Not a winter-specific tip, but making sure that the coils and condensers have plenty of room is vital to ensure that your commercial refrigeration unit doesn’t shut down on you. These components can generate tons of heat as they work and they need space to be able to dispel the heat and get it away from the unit. In the winter, your refrigeration system may be working harder and producing more heat than it would with fairer temperatures. Therefore, if you are trying to keep your system running well throughout the winter, it’s important to make sure that these parts of the system have breathing air. If not, it runs the risk of unit shutdown and spoilage of the food that’s inside.
Other tips
Aside from the main tips above, there are other, smaller tips that we recommend taking advantage of year-round to keep your system healthy and to lessen the likelihood of malfunction or damage when it’s working at its hardest.
These tips include:
Regular maintenance. We cannot stress this enough! Regular maintenance is so important for so many large machines–cars, HVAC systems, you name it. These are complex machines and require check-ups and maintenance. With regular maintenance, you can prolong your system’s life and save money by avoiding costly and unexpected repairs that could have otherwise been caught with regular maintenance.
Cleanliness. Commercial refrigerators can get pretty gross if not cleaned properly. There’s a lot going on, and without very frequent cleanings, your refrigerator could have some unwelcome dwellers growing in the far corners. Contaminants like bacteria and mold from a dirty refrigerator can migrate into other parts of the machine, causing vital components to break or malfunction, which can have a domino effect.
Call us
Have questions about maintenance, cleaning, or just getting your commercial refrigeration ready for the winter? Start right here by giving us a call here at Tri-Point Refrigeration and we would be ecstatic in helping you keep your walk-in and any other machines in tip-top shape! We’re excited to help you along the way, and with regular servicing, we can keep your equipment running smoothly and healthily, while also extending the reach of your dollar.
For a direct line to any of our employees ready on the line to help you, please call…(512) 651-4565 for our Austin, Texas community (806) 686-0050 for our Lubbock, Texas community. Or check out our website at https://www.tripointrefrigeration.com
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