Refrigeration Maintenance Grand Rapids MI

How to properly maintain your commercial freezer:

Freezer maintenance is critical if you want to extend the life of your investment. A freezer is similar to your car in that it will require maintenance in periodic and frequent intervals. The frequency of intervals is dependent upon the usage of the freezer, its general location, and the environment it is kept in. Regardless, maintenance should be scheduled annually, quarterly, or monthly and adhered to as if it were the law.

Maintenance is simple and can easily be performed by the consumer or a hired hand. If however, you are unable or unwilling to commit an employee to this, we strongly recommend our customers sign up for a scheduled PM (preventive maintenance) program.

When we perform PM, we take the time to record the make, model, and serial number of each unit. We have a checklist with the items we examine and clean. Additionally, we record all of this information on a PM card as well as document any items that may need further attention.

These PMs are recorded on file in a database and copies are mailed to the customer for their records. We view this as an insurance policy.

The term “PM” traditionally stands for “Preventive Maintenance” but we also like to think of it as “Peace of Mind”.

Common maintenance tips for all freezer owners:

1.) The condensing unit (typically found underneath or above self-contained units) must be cleaned on a regular basis. This can easily be done with a vacuum cleaner, compressed air, or water depending on the location of the freezer. We recommend cleaning the condensing unit with a power washer. You want to remove the “dust bunnies” from the fans, compressor, and condenser.

IMPORTANT NOTE WHEN USING COMPRESSED AIR: Many people instinctively use the air nozzle to blow the dust bunnies through the condenser. DO NOT DO THIS!

Doing this can result in plugging the fins as the “dust bunnies” collect in-between the fins rather than push through them. Furthermore, the ones that do pass through end up on the fan(s) behind the coil and can get on the compressor. We can’t emphasize enough how damaging this can be!

Video How To: Cleaning Your Condenser

2.) Periodic cleaning of the inside of the cabinet is also important to preserve your investment. Melted ice cream and even more so – orange juice – can both be very corrosive and cause the paint to peel and rust. Many health inspectors ding retail owners when they discover rust and corrosion.

3.) A scheduled maintenance inspection by a certified refrigeration technician is strongly recommended. If you have qualified technicians look over your unit, they can typically find potential problems and make adjustments to ensure the longevity of your freezer. We recommend an annual inspection and insist the technician cleans the unit thoroughly during his inspection.

4.) Check over the fans and lights inside the cabinet. Often times, we get machines in and quickly are able to discern how well a machine was cared for or neglected simply by how clean (or dirty) the lights and evaporator (upper-inside the cabinet) fans are. The fans and lights should be kept clean and free from obstructions. The fan grill can easily be dented or pushed up into the blades of the fan causing damage to the fan, motor, etc. Also, the lights and associated wiring need to be checked over for cracking, fraying, deterioration, and shorts. This is particularly important with TRUE GDM-49F model freezers. These units may have issues with the door lights and defrost wiring as the wiring is wrapped around the freezer’s lower hinge on the door (by the factory).

5.) Inspect the door gaskets. Here again, this is a must-do. Gaskets have a life dependent upon how well they are cared for. Check the gaskets for cracking, fraying, rips and tears. A bad door gasket can make your freezer work overtime and leak out cold air. If you have a bad gasket, don’t panic. A gasket replacement is fairly simply and relatively inexpensive.

Contact Weidenfeller Refrigeration today for more information on commercial refrigeration maintenance!