A commercial refrigerator is one of, if not the most important factor of any commercial kitchen or catering business.
From ensuring your produce stays fresh and helping you reduce waste to keeping your space tidy and reducing your energy consumption – there’s no better way to keep up with customer demand.
Considering how much it gets used on a daily basis, it’s only natural for its performance to falter from time to time – but how can you tell if yours is in need of a little TLC?
In this post, our commercial refrigeration experts here at J&M Refrigeration reveal the five most common signs that it’s time to book in for a repair.
1. Failure to maintain the correct temperature
This is the biggest sign that there’s a problem with your commercial refrigeration unit.
When your fridge is too hot or too cold, the products housed inside will spoil and lose inventory, and fluctuating temperatures put your customers at risk of developing some serious foodborne illnesses.
If your fridge feels warm when you open the doors, or you notice a build-up of frost on your food, this is a sure-fire way to tell that it’s time for an expert to look into the problem for you.
2. Increased energy bills
Noticed your energy bills increasing? Your fridge could be broken.
Broken fridges tend to use up a lot of electricity, as it’s working harder to keep your produce cool.
Faulty door seals, thermometer issues and fan troubles (among other things) are constantly draining energy, so it’s important to have it checked over and repaired to keep your costs down.
3. Leaking water
Water pooling on the floor around your fridge indicates, of course, that there’s a leak coming from somewhere.
The main reason why fridge leaks occur is due to the unit overheating, but they can also be caused by electrical malfunctions.
Not only is it a tell-tale sign that your commercial refrigerator is on the blink, but it’s also a health and safety hazard – presenting slip risks for your staff and customers.
4. Ice forming
Ice forming on your fridge doors, evaporator coils or anywhere else on the inside of your fridge means that your unit is having a hard time maintaining proper temperatures – which could be for one of two reasons:
- Your refrigerator doesn’t have adequate airflow
- Your fridge is overloaded
To resolve this issue, make sure none of your produce is blocking the fan, and rearrange everything to improve the airflow. Check out our previous blog post on how to organise your commercial refrigerator for some expert tips.
If this doesn’t fix the problem, it’s time to call a technician to help.
5. Strange noises
Every fridge produces a low humming sound, even when it’s in full working order. However, if you notice new, strange noises – such as buzzing, clattering and dripping – then you should arrange a repair as soon as possible.
Ready to book your commercial refrigeration repair?
If you’re experiencing any of the above issues with your commercial refrigeration unit, or any other unusual symptoms, we’re here for you.
Here at J&M Refrigeration, we’ve been helping keep businesses’ commercial refrigerators running for over 30 years – so it’s safe to say you can be confident whenever you work with us.
To organise a commercial refrigeration repair with our experts, don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Call 0121 544 0555 to chat with us directly, or reach out to us via our online contact form and we’ll be in touch as soon as possible
