How Can I Check My Commercial Refrigeration Unit?
The load demand on commercial refrigeration equipment is substantial and equipment failure can be very expensive so it’s important to understand some basic troubleshooting tips to keep your refrigeration unit running in tip-top shape.
What to do when your commercial refrigeration equipment isn’t cooling:
1. Check your circuit breakers to see if the power is on. This may seem obvious, but if a breaker has been tripped a simple resetting may be all that is necessary.
2. Check the condition of your condenser – is it clean? A condenser looks like a car radiator. A dirty condenser causes longer running times excessive electrical usage, higher operating pressures and temperatures, which are harmful to the compressor and shortens its life.
You also need to determine if the condenser is obstructed. It requires proper airflow so double-check the condenser isn’t blocked.
If condenser is indoors, clean it with a brush, vacuum, or blow out with co2. If the condenser is outdoors it may also be pressure washed.
3. Check to see if the evaporator and condenser fans motors are running. If not, it’s time to call for repair.
4. Listen for any unusual noises. Any noise you haven’t heard coming from your refrigerator like grinding, squeaking, etc. means something is changing which isn’t normal.
5. Check your door gaskets for condition and proper sealing. If door gaskets aren’t sealing properly cold air escaping from the refrigerator or freezer, which causes the system to run longer. Longer running times causes excess electrical consumption and an increase in the electric bill, not to mention the additional wear and tear on equipment.
6. The unit may be low or out of refrigerant due to a leak. You need to have a technician locate, repair, and recharge the unit. If a commercial refrigeration system has a sight glass installed and bubbles are noticed in the sight glass then the system is low on refrigerant. If no sight glass is installed the only way to tell if the system is low on refrigerant is by a service tech connecting a set of refrigeration gauges and reading the pressures.