Commercial refrigerators are one of, if not the most important pieces of kit for many businesses. From butchers and bakers to pubs, clubs and cafes – many businesses rely on commercial refrigeration day to day to keep their establishments up and running and their customers satisfied. So, when there’s a fault, you can only imagine the amount of bother it causes. Freezing is an all-too-common issue with commercial refrigeration units, and it can happen for many different reasons.
In this article, our experts at J&M Refrigeration explore the top reasons why your fridge is freezing, and how you can go about fixing it.
So, why is my commercial refrigerator freezing?
As we mentioned above, there are several reasons why your commercial fridge is freezing – and some of the most common include:
- Damaged gaskets: A refrigerator gasket – sometimes referred to as the door seal – is a flexible elastic strip that’s fixed to the outer edge of your commercial refrigeration unit. This forms an air-tight seal, which serves as a barrier between the cool air inside the unit and the warmer, external air. If your gaskets are damaged, your unit will be working overtime to keep cool, resulting in everything inside freezing. To test if you have a faulty door seal, trap a piece of paper in the door and try to pull it out without opening it. If the paper slides out easily, this is a surefire sign that you need to replace your gaskets.
- Dirty coils: The heat exchanger, condenser and evaporator coils all work together to keep your commercial refrigerator at optimal temperature. When one (or all) of these components are covered in dust and dirt, your unit has to work harder to keep everything inside cool – which often results in overcooling and freezing. The coils are incredibly easy to clean, and you’ll be able to find specific instructions inside your refrigerator’s user manual.
- Dodgy thermostats: Thermostats are designed to activate cooling within your unit and should stop automatically as soon as the set temperature is reached. If you have a faulty thermostat, it may fail to switch off – causing it to continually run and everything inside to freeze.
How can I stop my commercial fridge from freezing?
There are plenty of ways you can prevent your refrigerator from freezing up.
- Firstly, and we understand that this can be difficult – particularly in a busy commercial kitchen – this can be, try not to open the fridge doors too often. Opening them constantly or leaving them open for extended periods of time can cause frost build-ups due to the warm and cold air coming together.
- You should also check the door seals regularly for any signs of wear and tear, replace them if necessary, and make sure to clean the coils frequently as well to eliminate dust and dirt build-ups.
- In addition to this, make sure that the items inside your unit aren’t touching any of the air vents, and keep an eye on your temperature settings.
- Check your fridge settings – the majority of the time, people find that their fridge is freezing up because it’s set to the incorrect temperature, so make sure to adjust it accordingly if it seems a little off.
- Make sure your unit is well stocked – a fully stocked fridge can actually keep things from freezing up, as it helps to distribute the cold air evenly among everything inside, rather than just sinking to the bottom and freezing everything there. Doing this will also help maintain optimal temperatures and, as a result, your unit will use less energy!
- Book a refrigerator service – Booking a refrigerator service with a licenced professional will help identify any problem areas that could be causing your fridge to freeze up. When you work with a professional, they’ll be able to diagnose and repair everything to get you back up and running as soon as possible.
What should I do if my fridge freezes?
If you notice any frost build-ups inside your refrigerator, remove the contents and store everything you can in a cooler whilst you defrost the unit by unplugging it from the wall and placing a bowl of hot water inside.
DO NOT use a knife or scraper to remove the ice yourself, as this can damage the refrigerator walls and affect its cooling abilities.
If after inspecting your fridge and defrosting everything you’re still experiencing issues, it’s best to book a commercial refrigeration repair.
Contact the commercial refrigeration experts at J&M Refrigeration!
If your refrigeration unit is freezing and you can’t seem to get to the bottom of the issue, be sure to give our specialists a call.
We have many years of experience in refrigeration repair and have all the necessary tools and knowledge at our disposal to help get your unit back up and running as soon as possible.
To book a repair or find out more about how you can stop your fridge from freezing, talk to the team today! Give us a call today on 0121 544 0555 or email us at sales@jamrefrigeration.co.uk and we’ll get back to you shortly!
