8 Commercial Refrigerator Maintenance Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

The cost of refrigerators ranges anywhere between $320 and $3,300. Commercial refrigerators are a big investment, and so they need proper care.

Commercial refrigerator maintenance mistakes will decline your appliance’s performance. They can also affect the quality of stored food.

Proper and regular refrigerator maintenance will extend its lifespan. It will also save you from the repair or even replacement costs that result from common refrigerator issues.

Part of enjoying your office’s refrigerator service requires knowing what not to do. Here are commercial refrigerator maintenance mistakes and how to avoid them.

1. Overloading the Refrigerator

Many people love seeing their commercial refrigerators overfilled with foods and drinks. It’s a great feeling but can easily damage your appliance.

Overfilling can damage your commercial refrigerator in many ways.

First, it will block the refrigerator vents. This means that cold air circulation in the refrigerator will reduce.

Besides this, blocked vents force the condenser and refrigerator motor to overwork. Overworking of these parts risks wear and tear of other parts of the appliance. .

There are ways to avoid this mistake. Don’t buy too much food that will overload your appliance.

Organize the foods properly and avoid piling them too high in the refrigerator.

2. Poor Ventilation

Refrigerator motors gain heat when the appliances work for a long time. Releasing this heat maintains the better performance of the refrigerators.

The refrigerator vents will feel warmer than other parts of the unit.

Poor ventilation causes heat buildup in the refrigerator. This can cause serious refrigerator damage, subjecting you to costly repairs.

There are ways to avoid this mistake.

First, ensure that refrigerator vents are always in the right condition. Try to feel if they are releasing the air from the appliance.

The vents should not be clogged with debris or dust. Clogging prevents the release of air, causing poor ventilation.

3. Lack of a Cleaning Schedule

Cleaning commercial refrigerators has many benefits. However, you must have a good schedule for cleaning the appliance.

Every customer will notice a dirty refrigerator upon entering your office. A dirty refrigerator can decline the curb appeal of your office space.

Cleaning commercial refrigerators also prevent germs and bacteria that cause food damage and poisoning.

Have the right refrigerator cleaning products. Vinegar, baking soda, water, and soap detergent are the best cleaning products.

Unclog the refrigerator’s drainage system to prevent leakage and bad odour in your office. You should also clean the refrigerator’s top surface to prevent dirt buildup.

Consider workbench fridges for your office since they are the easiest to clean.

4. Not Closing the Door

It may seem harmless to leave your commercial refrigerator door open. However, it is a big mistake.

Not closing your commercial refrigerator door will cause the inside cold air to leak out. The warm outside air may also get into the refrigerator.

The refrigerator’s cold air leakage makes the interior temperatures rise. This makes the motor work harder than normal. The motor will overheat and get damaged in the end.

You don’t want your food to take a long time to cool. So, make it a habit to close your office’s refrigerator door always.

5. Refrigerating Hot Food

Refrigerating hot food can damage your commercial refrigerator very fast. It is a mistake that will affect the appliance’s performance with time.

This mistake increases the interior temperatures. High temperatures mean overworking of the motor and condenser.

This will cause complications to other parts of the refrigerator. You can also expect to pay higher electricity bills at the end of the month.

Refrigerating hot food will also affect other perishables in the refrigerator. Their temperatures will rise, resulting in germs/bacteria.

Avoiding this mistake will protect your refrigerator and your health.

Don’t refrigerate hot foods. They can be warm but should not be very hot.

6. Not Replacing Filters and Torn Gaskets

Water filters are key components of refrigerators. They remove bacteria and impurities like chlorine from water.

Damaged water filters cause bacterial growth. The water taste will also get affected.

You can hire an expert if you can’t replace the water filters on your own.

Door gaskets are other key parts of refrigerators.

Refrigerator door gaskets prevent leakage of interior cold air. They also prevent warm air from getting into the refrigerators.

Immediately replace torn or worn-out gaskets. Follow the right guide to replace your torn refrigerator gasket quickly.

Replacing your refrigerator gasket will prevent the spiking of your energy bills.

Have a schedule to replace damaged water filters and torn gaskets.

7. Setting the Temperatures Too Low

Setting the temperatures too low can shorten the lifespan of your commercial refrigerator.

Like in the case of high temperatures, extremely low temperatures will interfere with the motor’s performance.

The motor will again overwork to make the temperatures normal. Because of this, your appliance’s performance will be at stake.

Extremely low temperatures will also freeze your food. A habit of eating frozen foods can affect your health in the long run.

You don’t have to worry about this mistake if your commercial refrigerator has an automatic thermostat.

For manual thermostats, you must check to ensure the temperatures are not too low.

8. Not Defrosting

Frost will build up inside your commercial refrigerator after some time. It’s a normal thing but can affect the refrigerator’s performance.

More frost limits the storage space in the refrigerators. It can also make the refrigerator temperatures too low.

Extremely low temperatures will affect the quality of stored food. Your refrigerator doors can also get stuck, causing damage.

Defrosting the refrigerator will prevent these and other negatives. You can leave the refrigerator door open for some time until the ice melts completely.

Avoid These Commercial Refrigerator Maintenance Mistakes Today

These mistakes will damage your commercial refrigerator with time. Avoiding these commercial refrigerator maintenance mistakes will protect your appliance.

Do you need a commercial refrigerator? At Federal Hospitality Equipment, we import large and exclusive commercial refrigeration to give our customers value and quality.

If you’re in the market for quality commercial kitchen equipment, look no further than Federal Hospitality Equipment. We import and supply a wide range of products, including commercial refrigerators, bain maries, chest freezers, and ovens. Our products are designed with durability and reliability in mind, so you can be confident that you’re investing in equipment that will stand the test of time. Check out our range of products today and take the first step towards outfitting your kitchen with the very best equipment available.

Contact us today for more information.