The Most Important Parts of Your Commercial Fridge to Maintain & Why

It’s a common fact of life that “nothing lasts forever”—that phrase especially applies to commercial fridges. If the lifespan is over 10 years of age, it’s time to replace the entire system. It sounds expensive, we know, because it is, but it’s better that way for your everyone in the long term.

That being said, there are certain parts of your commercial fridge that you can keep in tip-top shape to ensure you get the most out of the system, and even extend its lifespan somewhat. Here is the lowdown on the most important parts of your commercial refrigerator you need to maintain regularly.

Why it Matters

If and when your commercial fridge isn’t working the way it should, it can help you to know the most common replacement parts even if you don’t plan to perform the repair job yourself; maybe you want an HVAC technician to look into it, but you’ll need to know ahead of time what’s wrong otherwise you’ll both spend a long time inspecting and perform an incorrect diagnosis. Having a correct understanding of which appliance parts are what will also help you better understand the diagnosis your technician will give you when they quote you for the repair job.

Now, these parts require your attention and maintenance:

Compressor

The compressor is one of the most important parts. It moves the refrigerant throughout the entire machine, creating that cooling effect we want for our food. A variety of issues can arise if the compressor gets too dirty or dusty, or if it breaks.

Condenser Coils

These help with the cooling process in that they help move air over the compressor up to the condenser fan motor. If these also get dirty and dusty, the cooling process will come to a halt.

Condenser Fan Motor

This motor draws air through the coils and over the compressor. It is what circulates the air throughout the entire machine, thus regulating the temperature in the process. You’ll know if this is the part that requires your attention if there is a loud noise coming from your commercial fridge that doesn’t sound normal. The problem may either be debris caught in the fan blades, or the bearings need replacement and fixing.

Thermistor

What the thermistor does is send the reading of the current temperature in your fridge using metals different from those within a thermostat. Thermistors are designed to read changes in conductivity as reflecting changes in temperature, even minute changes.

A thermostat, if you wondering, is a cruder version of the thermistor. It only permits the metals contained inside it to rise up or press on a contact to a certain level as the temperature fluctuates.

Whether your commercial fridge contains a thermostat or a thermistor, they are both an important part because they tell you what an acceptable level of temperature is for the food you’re preparing and selling. If this part becomes faulty, it needs to be replaced.

Evaporator Fan Motor

This part has a key role in the cooling process. Much like the condenser fan motor, if your commercial fridge is running noisier and louder than usual, this is a sign of either imminent failure for the part, or the fan motor windings need to be checked for continuity. The noise will be especially noticeable when the fridge door is open, and can be detected when the freezer part is still cold while the rest of your fridge is not.

The placement of all of these parts in your commercial fridge varies from model to model. That’s why it’s so important to hold on to the owner’s manual; it will help you determine which part is located where and how best to approach proper cleaning and maintenance. Some placements may require your HVAC technician team to maintain as they may be a little tricky to get to in terms of cleaning!

All of these parts we’ve listed can be maintained, and when properly done your commercial refrigeration may last beyond the estimated lifespan. However, if a fridge is too old, say over 10 or even 15 years, it’s too old to repair—not to mention the parts you may need for repair jobs are no longer manufactured. That’s why in some cases, you need to hire a professional technician team to maintain and inspect your commercial refrigeration.

Get professional repairs done if the task is too big to handle, or a new installation if your commercial refrigeration has reached the end of its lifespan. At Rep-Air Heating And Cooling we provide our customers with many options that will best suit your needs from heating and cooling to refrigeration. Contact us today for your complimentary quote: 1-844-218-3362 or contact@repairheatingandcooling.com and don’t forget to take a look at our website: https://repairheatingandcooling.com. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram for free giveaways!