by Brianna Crandall — May 10, 2017 — As the hot summer months approach, MaintenX International wants to make sure businesses and their refrigeration systems stay cool. Commercial-grade refrigerators and freezers are crucial for restaurants, grocery stores and many other businesses in the food industry, and facilities managers and business owners know a broken refrigeration system of any size can quickly turn into a disaster, says the company.
Bill Schaphorst, vice president of Business Development at MaintenX, stated:
Businesses need to prepare their refrigeration units to beat the summer heat. But in reality, companies need efficient performance of their refrigeration units 24/7/365 in order to have a successful operation. Through proper maintenance and preventive measures, you can keep your system running smoothly, even during the hottest months.
Below are the company’s top tips to prevent refrigeration issues:
- Preventive maintenance
The best way to ensure your refrigeration system is prepared for the hot summer months is through proper preventive maintenance. This maintenance includes checking the system’s temperature readings inside the refrigeration unit and inspecting the discharge, liquid and suction lines in the condensing unit. Preventive maintenance should also include checking refrigerant levels, verifying the thermostats and pressure controls, cleaning and lubricating the motors, and cleaning the coils and drain pans.
- Invest in automated alarm monitoring
Modern facility and alarm monitoring systems can alert you and your staff immediately if something is wrong with your refrigeration units. This technology also offers proactive refrigeration equipment performance monitoring. These monitoring systems can measure and report on suction pressures, coil temperatures, compressor run status and overall energy usage. Monitoring can also minimize food inventory loss, since businesses typically have about four hours to restore appropriate temperature settings before food must be thrown out. This time frame can be even shorter during the peak of summer.
- Refrigeration location
Make sure refrigeration equipment is located away from exterior walls and windows. These walls and windows can let in heat, which can hurt the efficiency of your refrigeration and potentially make it break down quicker.
MaintenX International is a self-performing, fully licensed facilities maintenance and repair company with a wide network of knowledgeable and professional technicians throughout the country. In the event there is not a MaintenX technician in an area, the company has established a network of preferred vendor partners. For over 30 years, MaintenX has been expertly serving multi-location retail stores, restaurant chains and Fortune 500 companies nationwide.
