4 Essential Parts to Maintain on Your Commercial Refrigerator

Refrigeration is an essential food safety component in any commercial kitchen. Most commercial kitchens rely on oversized refrigerators to maintain the safety of their perishable inventory. Keeping these giant coolers functioning efficiently is critical to the success of your kitchen.

Timely maintenance and repairs are the best methods for keeping your oversized refrigerator in good shape. Discover four refrigeration components that you should monitor, inspect, and maintain regularly to keep your commercial kitchen running smoothly.

1. Lights



Commercial refrigerators are vast, windowless appliances. Artificial illumination is necessary for employees and vendors to see while inside the oversized cooler.

Although lighting might seem like a trivial refrigeration element, poor illumination could lead to serious problems. A poorly lit refrigerator could cause you to overlook minor maintenance issues that need addressing in order to keep your perishables cool.

Also, older refrigerators were manufactured with incandescent lighting. This type of lighting is not as efficient as LED lighting.

An experienced appliance technician can update the lights in your oversized cooler to maximize visibility and reduce energy costs in the future.

2. Hinges

The doors on your commercial refrigerator open and close multiple times throughout the course of the day. This extensive use can put a lot of stress on the unit's hinges.

The doors on a commercial refrigerator tend to weigh a lot more than their residential counterparts. Heavier doors can increase the strain on hinges. Loose hinges prevent cooler doors from closing properly.

The interior temperature of the cooler is compromised when air transfer between the kitchen and the inside of the refrigerator occurs. Faulty hinges can cause perishable foods to spoil faster than they should.

Inspect the hinges on your commercial refrigerator often, and replace the hinges as soon as you identify evidence of deterioration. This is the only way to preserve the integrity of your kitchen's food supply.

3. Door Closers

Employees can easily walk out of an oversized cooler and forget to close the door completely. To prevent improper door closure from compromising the integrity of perishable foods, many restaurant owners opt to install automatic door closers on their commercial refrigerators.

Automatic door closers can help eliminate the possibility of refrigerator doors being left ajar. This will reduce your monthly power bill and extend the life of your perishable products.

When an automatic door closer malfunctions, the results can be costly. You should monitor the door closers closely. If they appear to be sluggish or no longer close the refrigerator doors completely, replace these components.

4. Gaskets

Although gaskets appear to be a small component in your commercial refrigerator, these items work very hard to maintain the efficiency of your commercial cooling system.

The rubber gaskets on oversized refrigerator doors create an airtight seal when the doors are closed. This prevents any cool air from escaping from the cooler's interior.

Intact gaskets allow your commercial refrigerator to remain cool without having to keep the condenser in constant operation. The result is a reduction in the amount of stress placed on the mechanical element of the cooler.

Check your gaskets for evidence of damage or deterioration. Keep the gaskets oiled properly so they do not split or crack. Have an experienced technician replace bad gaskets immediately so that your oversized cooler will continue to serve as a valuable asset in your commercial kitchen.

Paying close attention to the condition of the lights, hinges, door closers, and gaskets on your commercial refrigerator will allow you to ensure you have access to efficient cooling equipment in your facility. Contact Hawkins Commercial Appliance Service Inc. to help you maintain your commercial cooling system.