Commercial Refrigerator Repair and Maintenance Guide

Industrial refrigerators are an essential part of a food service business. You need to make sure that you have reliable, industrial refrigerators that can keep your food cold or completely frozen. 

If you have owned a restaurant or foodservice business for a number of years, you are probably already aware that your refrigerator can be your greatest ally or your worst enemy. Any food service business owner that has had a refrigerator knows that they can cause major problems if they stop working. Your refrigerator or freezer could fail overnight or during a day or weekend, you are closed, which can cause you to lose hundreds or even thousands of dollars worth of food and drink. 

This commercial refrigerator repair and maintenance guide will help you make sure that your refrigerator is in top working order, helping you avoid these kitchen disasters. 

Your Weekly Commercial Refrigerator Checklist

There are some things you need to be doing on a weekly basis to make sure that your commercial refrigerator is in healthy working conditions. 

The first thing that you want to do is to check your temperature. Make sure that your temperature stays at the temperature that you set it at. If your temperature gets too high, your food can spoil, causing you to lose money or put your customers at risk. Conversely, if your refrigerator temperature is too low, you can overwork your refrigerator. This can lead to more frequent maintenance and causing your fridge to burn out early. 

Make sure that you have plenty of clear space around the cooling units in the refrigerator. Crowding the fans or motor of your refrigerator can cause it to run inefficiently, leading to higher utility costs. This may also increase the demands on your refrigerator components, causing them to wear out early or need repair more often. 

Also, be sure that you turn off the lights inside of your walk-in refrigerators and freezers. Leaving lights on increases your electric bill and heat up your refrigerator as well. This will make your refrigerator have to work against your light to keep your refrigerator cooler. We recommend you use fluorescent bulbs which create less heat, inside of your refrigerator or freezer. 

Another small weekly task that goes a long way in making sure your refrigerator is clean. Refer to your refrigerator owner’s manual or the manufacturer for the best and safest way to clean your refrigerator. 

Checking for leaks is another important part of commercial refrigerator maintenance. Leaks can drive up your utility bill and lead to inadequate cooling of the foods you need to keep cool. If you have a leaky refrigerator, make sure you check your owner’s manual or contact the manufacturer as soon as possible for the best way to fix it. 

Monthly Commercial Refrigerator Checklist

Besides your weekly maintenance and repair checklist, there are some things that you should be doing monthly and quarterly to make sure that your refrigerator stays working at all times: 

• Check and clean the condensing and evaporator coils. 
• Clean the ice makers. 
• Make sure your fan and compressor are working properly. 
• Look for all parts that could be subject to wear and tear. 
• Clean the fan blades. 
• Clean the gaskets. 
• Lubricate the hinges. 
• Repair leaks. 
• Check your refrigerant levels. 
• Make sure your electrical connections aren’t loose. 
• Calibrate your thermometer. 

All of these commercial refrigerator repair and maintenance precautions will extend the usable life of your refrigerator while minimizing risks and losses.