It’s crucial to keep your fridge in tip-top condition — which is why we put together this guide featuring commercial refrigeration maintenance tips.

Keep your customers safe, your bottom line stable and your foodservice business up and running with a little help from the information below.

Keep the condenser coils clean

The condenser coils in your commercial fridge are responsible for transferring heat out of the fridge in order to maintain desired temps. If they’re not cleaned regularly, build-up occurs leading to eventual overheating and breakdown.

To clean the condenser coils in your commercial fridge, you’ll want to take the following steps:

1. Turn off the power. Before cleaning the condenser coils, you should turn off the power to the fridge. This will prevent any accidents and keep you safe. If you’re concerned about anything in the fridge, you can transfer it to one of your other fridges while you clean.
   
   
2. Locate the coils. They’re usually located on the back or bottom of the fridge. You may need to remove a cover or access panel to reach them.
   
   
3. Gently clean the coils with a soft-bristled brush. Once you have located the coils, you can use a soft-bristled brush or a vacuum cleaner with a brush attachment to remove any dust or debris that has built up. When you’re cleaning, move the brush or vacuum in the direction of the fins to avoid damaging them.
   
   
4. Check for damage. While you’re cleaning the coils, take the opportunity to inspect them for any signs of damage like bent or broken fins. If you do find any damage, you’ll want to contact a professional technician to repair or replace the damaged coils.
   
   
5. Replace the cover or access panel. Once you’re finished cleaning the condenser coils, make sure to replace any covers or access panels that you removed. This will protect them from further damage and ensure that they continue to function.

Check to make sure the door seals are intact

When it comes to commercial refrigeration maintenance tips, our number one suggestion is to maintain your door seals. Are you struggling with maintaining your fridge’s interior temperature or facing inexplicably high energy bills? Worn-out door seals could be the culprit.

Here’s how you can tell if your commercial fridge’s door seals are working properly:

• Visually inspect them. The seals are made of rubber and can be found along the interior edge of the fridge door. Open the door to your commercial fridge and examine them closely. Look for cracks, tears, or other signs of wear. Don’t forget to look in the corners or around the hinges.
  
  
• Do the paper test. You can test the seals on your fridge using a piece of paper. A dollar bill is convenient for this task, but any sheet of paper will do. Place your piece of paper so that it is partially inside the fridge and partially outside the fridge, and then shut the door on it. Attempt to pull the paper out. If it comes out easily, then the seals aren’t sealing properly. If it stays in place when you try to pull, your seals are doing their job.

Taking a look at how your commercial fridge’s door seals are working every three to four months can help you to catch any small issues before they become major problems. If you’ve inspected your seals and believe they’re in need of replacement, it can easily be done by a trained professional.

For more commercial refrigeration maintenance tips, check out the full article here.