It cannot be stressed enough, the importance of walk-in freezer doors. These components offer various benefits, including access to stored food and a sealed freezer compartment. Without a slide or swing door, workers would not have access to the stored frozen food. In addition to no access point, the interior compartment would not sustain a zero-degree Fahrenheit environment. Frozen food like ice and ice cream must be stored at a zero-degree Fahrenheit temperature or they will convert to a liquid.
A1 Denver Commercial Refrigeration Repair
Walk-In and Reach-in freezers and coolers are utilized by a variety of
commercial establishments. Florists, beer caves, hospital cafeterias, food warehouses, supermarkets, convenience stores, wine shops, and eateries. As soon as these large appliances start operating efficiently, the temperatures will begin to drop. At this point, food spoilage becomes a risk.
How Commercial Establishments Can Help?
Most commercial establishments hire Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning contractors to maintain their appliances. However, it is not always enough to ensure the appliances are operating efficiently 24/7. This is where a routine visual inspection comes into play. You should train your employees how to visually inspect your freezers and coolers. They should also know the signs that point to a potential malfunction and how to ensure the appliances are working properly.
Signs Of A Malfunctioning Walk-In Freezer
- Temperatures over zero degrees Fahrenheit
- Thawed food
- Buildup of frost on the interior components and compartment
- Leaking water around the bottom of the freezer
- Foul odors like decaying food
- Rattling or squeaking noises
- Freezer not running
- Freezer light not working
- Buildup of condensation inside the interior compartment
How To Visually Inspect A Walk-In Freezer?
Every employee who works in the freezer/cooler department should know how to thoroughly inspect walk-in and reach-in coolers and freezers. The first step of the process is to assess the temperature. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention “CDC” and local health departments require businesses to utilize a thermometer to monitor freezer and cooler temperatures. Encourage your workers to monitor the temperature throughout their shifts.
While walking around the appliance, listen for unusual sounds, such as those mentioned above. Utilize your nose to detect unusual odors like burning or decaying. Assess the floor around the unit to make sure the unit is not leaking water.
One of the most important components of a walk-in freezer inspection is the door assessment. Carefully assess the gaskets around the interior side of the door. After years of normal use, the gasket can become dislodged or damaged. When this happens, the freezer must work overtime to maintain a zero-degree environment. Depending on the level of gasket damage, the temperature may increase above zero degrees Fahrenheit. Do not hesitate to contact your HVAC contractor to have the gasket replaced as soon as possible.
Assess the door for physical damage like cracks, holes, or gouges in the aluminum sheet metal. All damage should be reported immediately to the manager or supervisor. A certified HVAC technician will order a replacement because it is rare for freezer doors to be in stock.
It is also recommended to inspect the hinges for signs of damage. Some wear can be expected but damage should be reported to your HVAC technician.
Importance Of Preventive Maintenance
Like all appliances, walk-in freezers and coolers sustain damage every minute when in operation. While the damage is minuscule, it is damage, nonetheless. A malfunction is inevitable, which is where routine preventive maintenance comes into play. Preventive walk-in freezer maintenance plays a major role in ensuring efficiency around the clock. When a freezer or cooler is running inefficiently, it is draining more energy than in normal operation.
Restaurants, supermarkets, food warehouses, and grocery stores report thousands of dollars in financial losses related to food spoilage annually. These losses cannot be recouped without filing an insurance claim, which is a complex, lengthy process. Businesses try to avoid filing insurance claims because it has a tendency to drive up the annual premium. So, they absorb the financial loss instead. This could all have been prevented, with routine maintenance.
A certified HVAC technician will not only inspect the appliances but also conduct testing and clean the coils. If any abnormalities are detected during the inspection, the technician will consult with the owner.
Know When To Call An HVAC Technician
Your business relies on appliances for healthy perishable food storage. Just the slightest drop or increase in temperature is a sign of a potential malfunction. Walk-in freezers and coolers are integrated with intuitive technology and components. These features can endure years of normal wear and tear, but they do wear out over time.
Knowing the signs of a potential malfunction will put you and your workers one step closer to resolving the issue. Even the slightest delay could result in hundreds or thousands of dollars in loss due to food spoilage.
Protect Your Freezer And Cooler Doors
There is no doubt, that freezer and cooler doors sustain a significant amount of damage with each closing and opening. The hinges, gaskets, seals, and other components are exposed to damage at least 12 hours a day. The mere fact that the doors swing back and forth is concerning. A replacement could set you back anywhere between $200 and $1,000. This expense is deducted from your profit.
Keep the area around the freezer free of debris. Never store boxes, machinery, appliances, cleaning supplies, or other items around a freezer or cooler. A worker could simply open the door and bang it up against a box of frozen food, resulting in significant damage.
Summary
If every component of a walk-in freezer or cooler is not working properly, it puts your stored food and beverage at risk of spoilage. Regular visual inspections by workers will reduce the risk of a full malfunction. Visual inspections combined with regular refrigeration maintenance could reduce malfunctions, spread malfunctions further apart, and decrease repair expenses. Keep the area around the appliances free of debris to add an additional layer of protection for the doors. Encourage workers to do their part to protect the appliances in the workplace.
