Refrigeration equipment is a valuable part of your correctional foodservice operation and the risk of delayed or overlooked maintenance can be costly. There are four things you can do to keep on top of maintenance with all your refrigeration equipment including refrigerators, freezers, prep tables, and walk-ins. Stay on top of these four things and you’ll be well ahead of any breakdowns or failures that can be costly to your foodservice operation.
1. Coils – Keep your condensing and evaporator coils clean and free from dust and debris. The number one cause of issues with refrigerated equipment like refrigerators and freezers is dirty or blocked condensers. You need to regularly check and clean out the condensing and evaporator coils. Scheduling this maintenance according to your usage is a great start to keeping your refrigerated equipment running efficiently and without problems.
2. Amp Draw/Voltage – When conditions aren’t optimal for your refrigerated equipment, the compressor will work harder to keep up. Sometimes this is necessary, for example due to unusually high ambient temperatures in the kitchen, other times it may be due to negligence; like not cleaning the condenser coils. If your compressor is continually running inefficiently, this can cause it to increase the energy draw so that it can work harder and if this isn’t remedied, you may be looking at a blown compressor with the potential for some very expensive food loss. Checking the amp draw/voltage is a relatively simple way to make sure that your compressor is running as it should so that you don’t have to replace it along with all the contents of your refrigerator, freezer or walk-in!
3. Check & Test Settings – It’s important to be sure that defrost timers are set properly and that they are functioning correctly. Settings can be changed or adjusted and not reset, leaving product to freeze or thaw. When you are performing regular maintenance it is a good idea to check the time and to update anyone in your foodservice operation that has access to these settings on the proper procedures.
4. Leaks – The refrigerant levels can fluctuate causing temperatures to rise. Along with other scheduled maintenance tasks, it’s a good idea to put the gauges on and make sure that the refrigerant levels are where they should be. If they are not, add refrigerant where necessary and then check all the lines to ensure that there aren’t any leaks in your system. Doing this as part of your maintenance program will keep you from discovering a leak by having a costly equipment failure.
Follow the fast four tips above and you’ll save yourself from an unwanted surprise refrigeration failure that could be costly for your operation.
