Maintaining Commercial Refrigeration

Short Description

Commercial refrigeration is used in a wide variety of establishments all over the world in many different shapes and sizes. One of the best ways to ensure it lasts is by maintaining it correctly. With some small maintenance any piece of refrigeration equipment can have its life expectancy prolonged for many years, postponing the inevitable day when a new costly piece is needed. Anyone can perform regular maintenance on their equipment; it does not require too much technical knowledge or physical stamina.

Description

The majority of refrigeration is made of three essential units; the condenser, evaporator and compressor. Condensing units send the refrigerant to the evaporator via the compressor. The evaporator then liquidises the air, cooling the temperature within the unit.

Keeping the air flow within a refrigerated space is important especially if it is used for storing food, for this reason there are vents. These can be anywhere on the unit. An example would be on the back of a standard domestic refrigerator, as you would know if you have ever placed one in a kitchen, space must be left behind the unit to allow this to “breath”.

Cleanliness is the key to the maintenance of refrigerated machines. If the vents or fans are clogged with dust or other debris, the air flow can become restricted. This can lead to the machine having to work harder therefore wearing out the internal parts as well as making it use more energy.

To clean your machines follow these simple steps;

• Remove any merchandise which may be in the unit and place it within a reserve machine or temporary storage space.
• Make sure your machine is not connected to any power supplies and the fans or any other moving parts are static.
• Remove any removable grids or covers (only ones that you are sure you can place back on to the unit) and wipe them down with an anti-bacterial substance as well as warm soapy water.
• Thoroughly clean and wash the vents still on the machine
• Ensure that any fans are free of dust or other debris with a cloth or duster.
• Once everything is dried and clean, carefully replace all the parts
• Do a test run of your machine to make sure it still runs correctly, do not put your merchandise back in until it is working and has come down to appropriate temperature.
• Repeat these steps every 6 months or so.

Benefits

There are a few benefits to keeping your refrigeration systems properly maintained. If your machine is clean it will not have to work as hard meaning that the working parts will not wear out as quickly. This greatly reduces the likelihood of the unit breaking down and so prolonging its life span. As the machine does not have to work as hard when it is running clean, it will also use less energy , reducing your running costs.

Links

For more advice like this see: http://www.fridgefreezerdirect.co.uk