Depending on your business, your refrigeration equipment may be a vital part of your store, and signs that the refrigeration unit is broken, like loud noises, spoiled food or wet and slippery floors, are an early warning of an issue you may not be able to afford.
Even worse, if any issues with your cooling equipment aren’t resolved in time, you may have to buy a new one. Not only will this cost money and possibly slow down your business, but one less fridge means less products to store, and possibly more to pack into a different unit until your new refrigerator arrives. Here are 5 signs your refrigeration equipment needs servicing, so you can stay on top of all your cold storage needs.
The Food is Spoiling Too Fast
If you notice that meat and raw produce are spoiling sooner than you expected, or the drinks you place aren’t getting colder, this could be a sign that your refrigerator is malfunctioning and needs service.
Food spoiling in the refrigerator is caused by a malfunction or other issues with the temperature regulation, meaning the inside doesn’t feel cold enough, or is generally not maintaining the proper temperature you have set for it and any food you have stored inside will be spoiled or unusable as a result, if the cold air is not maintained for long enough.
There’s Too Much Ice and Frost
Unlike a freezer, a refrigeration unit should be kept at a temperature where everything inside is preserved but not iced over. If there is ice build up inside, or there is frost everywhere and all your products are now frozen, it is time to book a service for your unit.
Too much ice and frost in your refrigeration has multiple causes, such as a break in the rubber part of the door causing more moisture to come in, customers could be leaving a door open, or a part of the fridge, like the condenser fan, isn’t working properly. Alternatively, there is a chance that the thermostat has simply been set too high by accident, and can be lowered without any issue, although the excess ice will need to be defrosted first.
There’s an Increase in Your Energy Bill
Modern refrigeration equipment tends to be designed to be more energy efficient than past models. If there is a spike in your energy bill, something is wrong with the fridge that may need to be addressed by a professional. The following are reasons the fridge could be using too much power:
- The refrigeration equipment isn’t properly placed: a fridge that is placed in the sun or in an area where the temperature fluctuates will be using more power to function properly.
- The fridge door isn’t sealing properly: If the sealing that aligns the door is broken, the fridge will be attempting to cool down a constant barrage of the air outside instead of just regulating its storage space, greatly increasing power usage.
- Parts of the refrigerator are broken: If an important component of the refrigerator is broken, the fridge will keep trying to use more power to correct the temperature, even when it lacks the parts it needs, inflating the energy bill.
There is also a chance that the fridge is of an older, less energy-efficient model and should be replaced as soon as possible.
The Refrigerator is leaking
There are many reasons a refrigerator could be leaking too much water, and leaving the problem unresolved could result in the water spillage affecting your business due to wet floors or create health risks like an electric fire.
Refrigeration equipment could be leaking because of:
- Clogged pipes.
- Excessive condensation buildup.
- An issue with the water line.
- Melting frost caused by poor temperature regulation.
- A break in the sealing.
Many of these issues can be easily solved with a professional’s assistance, meaning you may not have to replace the whole fridge.
The Fridge is Too Noisy
A noisy fridge is a sign that something inside the unit is broken and is causing the fridge to malfunction.
The fridge could be too noisy because the condenser fan, condenser coils or evaporator fan may be broken or need a cleaning, the compressor could be damaged, the drain pan could be misplaced, or the temperature could be too cold, causing the equipment to work hard enough to create a noise. Issues such as dirty fans can be resolved by a service professional, without needing to replace the entire refrigeration unit.
Other Visible Damage
A fridge having cuts or marks may not result in an immediate malfunction, and it may not cause any parts to stop working, but damage to the rubber or any part of the fridge that is generally covering and sealing in the unit, may result in buildups of frost, more energy usage and broken parts from overworking.