If you’re the owner of a restaurant, grocery store, cafeteria or market, you rely on your commercial refrigeration systems to constantly operate with great efficiency and reliability. Problems with these systems that force them to stop working could result in your business taking a significant blow to its finances and reputation.

Staying on top of regular preventative maintenance can help you to avoid common issues with commercial refrigeration systems in Eugene, OR. However, it’s also important to be aware of the steps you should take if any of those issues manifest in your equipment.

Here’s a quick overview of some common refrigeration issues and the steps you should take to resolve them.

• Temperature problems: If you’re having a hard time keeping food cold, you should check the settings to make sure you’ve got the refrigerator set to the proper temperature. If the issue isn’t with the thermostat, it could be a problem with dirty evaporator coils or fans, malfunctioning compressors or poor air flow in the commercial refrigerator unit.
• Buildup of frost: Have you started to notice a buildup of ice or frost inside the refrigerator unit? This is almost always a sign of poor ventilation or an air leak. You should first check the temperature of the fridge and the frequency of its defrost cycle. Next, carefully inspect the unit for common potential causes of air leaks, including loosened door gaskets or broken, damaged seals. When these problems occur, there can be issues with condensation, wet floors, frost and ice within the system. Finally, you should check and see if any of your fans or filters are dirty, as this could also cause frost issues.
• Broken motor fans: Motor fans are a crucial part of regulating the temperature inside your refrigerator unit and venting the air properly. If the evaporator fan motors are damaged or completely broken, you’ll quickly start to have issues with the general operation of the refrigerator.
• Loud or unusual noises: All refrigerator units will make some noise during operation—a healthy hum is perfectly okay, for example. However, if you notice strange, loud noises, this could indicate problems with the compressor, fans, motors or other mechanical components within the system. In such cases, it is important for you to contact an appliance repair technician.
• Compressor problems: The compressor is tasked with compressing the refrigerant and transferring hot gas to the condenser. If you don’t hear the humming sound you’d hear during normal refrigerator operations, this is likely an issue with the compressor. You’ll need a repair technician to come out and inspect the unit to determine what sort of repair work needs to be done. In other circumstances, you might notice your energy costs getting out of control. This could be a sign that there is an issue with the compressor that’s making it less efficient. You may need to replace the part.

If you’re interested in learning more about common issues with commercial refrigeration systems and how you can fix them, contact our commercial refrigeration team in Eugene, OR, today.