Walk-in refrigeration, in the form of cold room fridges and freezers, is essential in many businesses and industries across the world but without regular checks and pre-emptive work, these systems can grind to a halt.
While expensive and potentially damaging to normal business operations, a faulty refrigeration system can cause further damage to the cold room itself and the products within, so they are a very important component to keep an eye on – especially in hot months.
But do you know how often should you check and service your refrigeration system to maintain it?
MTCSS’ cold room experts are here to help!
Regular Checks Can Extend The Life of Your Refrigeration Systems
To avoid problems, refrigeration systems for cold room freezers and fridges should undergo daily, monthly, quarterly, and annual preventative maintenance checks.
Each check has specific parameters, as explained below:
Daily Checks Should Include Looking For –
- Oil leakage in each compressor
- Freon levels for each system
- Ice formation in the evaporator
- Proper PLC switchboard function
- Head pressure in the secondary systems
- Appropriate cold room temperature
Monthly Checks Should Include:
- Checking that daily maintenance is being undertaken properly
- Cleaning evaporator casing and blower fans
- Calibrating cold room temperature
- Performing a system functional test and checking for any malfunctions
Checking system efficiency, including: - The cleanliness of condenser coil fins, evaporator, and unit cooler fins
- The proper function of:
– Reverse blowing
– Proper cooling in full load
– Refrigerant levels
– Control valve
– Defrosting functions
– Evaporators
Quarterly Checks Should Include:
- Ensuring monthly maintenance checks are being completed effectively
- Checking overall functionality of all cold room fridges and freezers
Annual Checks Should Include:
- Check daily, monthly and quarterly checks are being carried out
- Perform chemical washing on heat exchanger, as needed
To make it easier for maintenance staff to remember, they can work closely with cleaning staff, who will be cleaning to similar (if not the same) regularity.
It is worth noting that only a refrigeration expert should carry out most technical maintenance or refurbishment works, because of the safety hazards presented by the refrigerant gases used in the systems themselves.
If maintenance staff aren’t trained or feel they aren’t qualified, it’s always better to ask or check with specialists rather than risk it themselves – from both a safety and insurance perspective.
Why Do We Need to Regularly Check and Service Refrigeration Systems?
Put most simply, with regular maintenance checks and servicing, your cold room fridge or freezer will be kept in good condition for much longer, increasing its lifespan.
Other reasons to keep on top of regular refrigeration system maintenance include:
- Helping to make any eventual repairs smaller and cheaper
- Avoiding business delays
- Keeping your stock in the best condition
- Limiting the chances of hot spots
- Ensuring the correct temperature range is achieved
- Reducing the chances of bacterial growth, mould, or other contaminants
- Promoting consumer safety.
Refrigeration maintenance without maintenance teams
As maintenance and refurbishment works should be carried out by a trained expert, many businesses will find themselves without the specialist staff they need to ensure their refrigeration systems and cold rooms are efficient and safe.
To get around this, MTCSS can provide affordable regular maintenance and expert guidance if it is needed, for businesses of any type, size, or industry.
Just get in touch today for a bespoke quote or to see how we can help.
For a bespoke servicing and maintenance package, call us at 01886 833 381 or email us at sales@mtcss.co.uk and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible!
