The Spring Clean Advantage for Your Storage Coolers
Commercial storage coolers are a critical appliance for many businesses. It is essential that these units receive periodic cleaning and maintenance to keep them operating efficiently and safely. Storage coolers are the hubs of the high-volume activity in the foodservice industry. The arrival of spring presents an advantageous time for the cleaning and maintenance of your commercial refrigeration units. Keeping your beverage storage refrigerator clean can significantly reduce the potential of contamination and bacterial growth, while increasing content quality and operational efficiency.
Extend Storage Life with Deep Cleaning
Regular deep cleaning of your storage cooler can extend the life of the unit and its contents. Routine maintenance on the mechanicals of outside storage refrigerators maximizes the unit’s cooling and energy efficiency, hence extending the life of the cooler. Neglecting these tasks puts more stress and strain on the machine to maintain the proper temperature, leading to frequent break-downs and higher energy costs. Beverage storage refrigerators that have to work harder to keep their contents at the proper temperature often have shorter lifespans.
During periods when the temperature in the storage cooler is not maintained, the potential of food and beverage spoilage and harmful bacterial growth can multiply exponentially. Deep cleaning your commercial refrigeration units can prevent such losses and maintain the quality of your beverage storage refrigerator’s contents.
Proactive Maintenance Pays Off for Storage Coolers
There is no better time to implement a proactive maintenance program for your storage coolers than the springtime. Investing in a routine maintenance plan can significantly reduce repair costs and minimize inventory losses. The key mechanicals that require routine maintenance are:
- Door gaskets
- Condenser/evaporator coils
- Fans
- Drain pans and tubing
- Refrigerant levels
- Electrical connections
Proactive maintenance routines should be conducted by trained professionals. Annual maintenance and inspections can prevent potential and costly breakdowns and lengthen the life of the storage cooler.
Revitalize Storage Coolers with a Spring Refresh for Peak Performance
A spring cleaning can breathe new life into your storage cooler. Aside from the professional maintenance of the mechanicals, there are several routine practices that can improve energy efficiency and life span of your outside storage refrigerator. An essential element in revitalization is sanitation. Beverage storage refrigerators, if not keep clean, can provide an environment for harmful bacteria and mold to thrive. Education and training is a valuable tool to enable your staff to exercise the best practices in cleaning and maintenance. Revitalizing your storage cooler should include:
- Organizing and decluttering items to create maximum airflow
- Utilize shelves and bins to maximize space
- Replace worn or damaged door seals
- Clean and sanitize spillage
- Improve lighting
- Rotate stock to minimize opening and closing
Spring presents an excellent time to ensure your outside storage refrigerator is clean and performing at its optimum level.
A Deep Defrost Helps Restore Efficiency and Prevent Ice Buildup
When warm air enters your storage cooler, frost can build up. Over time, frost can be detrimental to the efficiency of your beverage storage refrigerator and can damage its contents with freezer burn. Defrosting is a good practice to eliminate the icy build up inside the unit and enable the outside storage refrigerator to run properly. Without defrosting, frost accumulates in a layer of ice over the evaporator coil and disrupts its capacity to expel heat and supply the cooler with cold air. Whether the process of defrosting is completed in new models equipped with a defrost cycle or done manually in older ones, the evaporator coil is warmed and is freed from the icy build up. If done properly and routinely, defrosting will not affect the quality and safety of the frozen food items.
Spring Cleaning Catches Small Issues Before They Become Big Problems
Inspecting and monitoring your storage cooler during your routine cleanings can prevent the potential malfunctions to your refrigeration unit. Visual inspections of seals, water leaks, puddles, temperature fluctuations, and unusual noises are harbingers of troubles to come. Proactively monitoring your beverage storage refrigerator unit and quickly addressing any problems can alleviate costly repairs and product spoilage.
Contact Powers Equipment for advice on maintaining storage coolers
As Spring approaches and storage cooler cleaning commences, contact the experts at Powers Equipment for all your questions on commercial refrigeration maintenance. We pride ourselves on industry-leading customer service for our commercial refrigeration products!