1. Cold Rooms – Your food service operation relies heavily on the smooth running of your Walk-in Fridge and Freezers often full of expensive stock. Please ensure all staff know not to turn the units off, which will result in the resetting of the defrost timers and will cause the evaporator to ice up. Unit will fail and stock needs to be moved or even in the worst case scenario thrown away. Regularly check the curtains of the units. Curtains should be fitted correctly and in place at all times, this does help with reducing breakdowns.
2. Condensers – Maintenance should be performed at least once a week with a clean of the condensers. Build up of dust occurs quickly within a busy environment. Use a brush or small vacuum. This will reduce risks of any overheating. Your professional service provider will ensure this is also carried out regularly on their PPM plans. Call Arch Catering and Refrigeration for attendance on 01438 878363.
3. Overloading – Overloading any Refrigeration unit will raise the risk of overheating and breakdowns to your unit. Overloading will prevent cool air circulating throughout the unit. Ensure staff are aware of overloading issues.
4. Thermostats – Never turn down the Thermostat when the hot weather arrives; if the unit is running to high, its imperative you call your professional service provider. Call Arch Catering and Refrigeration for attendance on 01438 878363.
5. Upright & Undercounter Fridges & Freezers – These sound like simple tips, however quite often, are not carried out. Ensure Upright & Counter Fridges & Freezers doors are firmly closed, especially making sure all doors are closed at the end of service / overnight. When cleaning the units, if moved out of the space, please ensure units are turned back on if unplugged, you’ll be amazed how often this simple procedure is forgotten, resulting in expensive stock being thrown away!
6. Door Seals – Regularly check door seals for any damage and splits. The smallest split in a door seal can let warm air into the unit, which will in turn see a build-up of ice on evaporators and so on. Your service provider will always check seals whether on a breakdown or while on the PPM visit. Regularly changing seals are a must.
7. Ice Machines – Regularly check for limescale within the unit and clean filters. Water filters should be changed regularly to ensure great quality water for the cubes. Water testing is also advisable.
8. Training – Training all staff to use and clean all Refrigeration units is imperative. The right staff training in place will ensure staff have a full understanding of the workings of the equipment. Your service provider can help with training, or you can check the manufacturers guides. Remember these units carry expensive stock.
9. Regular Maintenance – Alongside all of the above points, you should employ a regular maintenance plan for your Refrigeartion units, not only for the safety of your employees, but keeping up with the manufacturers guidelines, keeping regular service records and increasing the lifecycle of the unit. Call Arch Catering and Refrigeration for attendance on 01438 878363.