Top tips for looking after your commercial refrigeration equipment this summer

July 27, 2023

By Shane Jay:

If you don’t take steps to look after it now, you could be faced with a costly repair bill further down the line, not to mention unwelcome downtime at what may be a very busy period for your commercial kitchen.

At TWO Services, we specialise in repairing and maintaining all manner of kitchen appliances on behalf of our clients. Our Senior Refrigeration Engineer, Shane Jay, has shared some of his top tips on how to care for this vital equipment yourself to avoid expensive breakdowns, higher-than-necessary bills, and excessive wastage.

Adjust the temperature (if you can)

You do of course need to follow food storage guidelines – but Shane’s first tip is to find out if you could potentially increase the temperature settings on your fridges and freezers without affecting the quality and longevity of your produce. Sometimes, turning these units up by even a degree can significantly reduce your energy usage, and over the years, Shane has helped many businesses save hundreds if not thousands of pounds per annum just by readjusting their thermostats. His advice? Look at your products’ requirements to see if there’s scope for increasing the temperature.

Refrigeration = storage

Shane says: “Fridges and freezers are designed to hold products for longer periods of time. They’re not going to operate at their best if they’re used on a more grab ‘n’ go basis,” he said.

With this in mind, train your staff to only open and close your fridge doors when absolutely necessary. This will prevent outside heat from affecting the ambient temperatures and causing your equipment to work harder to keep your food cool.

Install PVC strip curtains

They’re often overlooked, but PVC strips added to the door of your walk-in chillers and fridges can stop warmer air from entering the space. They’re cheap, they’re easy to install, and they’re simple to maintain – to keep them clean, all you need to do is wipe them down with warm water on a regular basis.

Going through a quiet period? Give your extra fridges a break

Why spread your produce across two or more fridges, when you could condense it all into one? You’ll save energy on running multiple appliances, keeping your energy usage to a minimum.

Keep your equipment well-ventilated

Shane says: “Always make sure your fridges are located in areas that are well ventilated, as this will prevent them from overheating. Many storerooms are located around the back of a building, where there’s no extraction or ventilation in the evenings or when the area is not in use – but having your equipment in these kinds of hot and stuffy environments this can prevent your refrigeration from working efficiently.”

With temperatures of 30 degrees Celsius or more fast becoming the norm, you need to make sure you’re doing everything you can to avoid your storerooms reaching 40 or 50 degrees, as your refrigeration equipment will struggle to cope in these conditions.

Invest in a robust maintenance plan

Shane says: “I can’t stress enough just how important it is to get your refrigeration equipment serviced on a regular basis. Doing so will ensure that you’re getting the maximum benefit, even from gear that’s 10 or 20 years old.”

Our engineers can make sure all your refrigeration systems are calibrated correctly and all components are clean and free from debris. They can also replace any worn parts right away to ensure maximum efficiency. Trust us when we say that regular maintenance will play an important role in reducing breakdown costs and spotting any potential issues before they become much bigger problems!

Talk to TWO Services about our commercial kitchen maintenance plans today. In cases where it makes economic sense to purchase new refrigeration equipment, remember we can also supply and install fridges, freezers, coolers, ice makers, chillers, and other appliances from leading manufacturers, then install them for you onsite.

Discover the TWO difference

Visit our website for more information on our services and our approach, or email [email protected] to discuss your company’s commercial cleaning and maintenance requirements in more detail with a member of our team.