R-22, also known as Freon, has historically been one of the most common refrigerants used in air conditioning units and other cooling applications. However, its use has been steadily getting phased out since 2010 by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) due to some of the negative effects it has been shown to have on the earth’s ozone layer.
Since that time, there has been a massive reduction in how much R-22 is being produced in the United States, leading to a significant increase in the cost of R-22 for homeowners. By 2020, R-22 will no longer be produced or imported in the United States at all, which means homeowners who have older AC units that rely on that coolant will likely need to upgrade to a new unit.
Therefore, if you are still using R-22 as your primary refrigerant for your commercial HVAC in Eugene, OR, it’s time to start preparing for the full phase-out, which is less than two years away.
How do I know if my HVAC system uses R-22?
If you have an older air conditioner or heat pump, there’s a chance it’s reliant on the use of R-22. You can check your unit to make sure of this before you start worrying about paying for a replacement.
First, look at the nameplate on the side of the outdoor unit. It may very well indicate the presence of R-22 with a note that says “Contains HCFC-22” or “Contains R-22.” You can also check the owner’s manual for the equipment if you have it, or contact the company that installed the equipment in your business for you.
If you have the manufacturer’s name and the model number of the equipment, you can also look up the information online to find all the specifications you need, including the type of refrigerant used by the system. If you schedule a tune-up of your HVAC system, you can have your service technician tell you the type of refrigerant the system takes.
What else do I need to know?
Fortunately, if you had your system installed after 2011, there’s nothing to worry about—you’re very likely not affected at all by the R-22 phase-out. Even if your system was installed before then and/or uses R-22 refrigerant, you still don’t need to be concerned unless your system requires some type of repair that would involve adding or removing refrigerant.
Still, the phase-out is important to keep in mind when you consider the costs of making repairs to your system. Knowing that the refrigerant your system uses is obsolete, you might decide it’s more worthwhile to purchase an entirely new system, especially if your system is already on the older side.
Going forward, the most popular choice for refrigerant is expected to be R-410A, a hydrofluorocarbon that does not damage the ozone, and is even more efficient than R-22.
For more information about the phase out and how it could affect you, contact the team at American Refrigeration Inc. about commercial HVAC in Eugene, OR.
All food service establishments must maintain certain standards of cleanliness. Part of this comes through regularly cleaning your commercial walk-in coolers in Eugene, OR.
Over time, it’s easy to build up collections of foods that are long past their expiration date, especially if your coolers aren’t particularly organized. The longer these foods hang around in your refrigerator, the more they can become a safety hazard, in that they harbor bacteria. This is especially true if any old food spills out into the refrigerator and does not get wiped up right away.
Here are a few steps to take to help you clean and organize your fridge to ensure you maintain the best standards of cleanliness possible in your restaurant or other commercial operation:
- Always unplug the unit first: You should never start cleaning with the unit still on. Eliminate the possibility of electrocution by unplugging the refrigerator before you get to work.
- Empty every shelf and drawer: Take everything out and put it in coolers with ice or other cold containers where the food will be safe during your cooling process. The best time to do this is right before you receive a new shipment of food, so your fridge is as clear as it’s going to get. Throw away anything that’s expired or has otherwise gone bad—even if it’s not clearly past its expiration date, you should get rid of it if you have any reason to suspect they’re compromised. Your motto should be “when in doubt, throw it out.”
- Wipe down the entire interior: Using a mixture of warm water and soap, take a sponge and thoroughly clean the inside of your refrigerator. You can also use microfiber mitts or cloths to scrub down the hard-to-reach spaces without worrying about leaving behind any debris. Toothbrushes can also be of assistance in tight corners—the bristles are just flexible and strong enough to do the trick. Once you’ve finished scrubbing the entire interior of the refrigerator, rinse it out with clean water.
- Disinfect: Once you’ve finished cleaning with soap and water, you should disinfect all the surfaces with a food-safe sanitizer. This will kill off any remaining bacteria or mold and will offer some additional protection for some time after you place your food items back inside the refrigerator. You don’t need to use as much sanitizer as you probably think you do—a little spread throughout the equipment should go a long way.
- Clean other parts while you’re at it: Once you’ve finished the inside of the fridge, clean some of the other parts, including the condenser and coils, as well as the top, sides and underneath sections of the refrigerator or freezer.
- Restock: Restock your items, but make sure you keep them organized so you don’t have to worry about items getting lost and going bad once again.
For more information about how you can better clean out your commercial refrigeration in Eugene, OR, contact the experts at American Refrigeration Inc. today.
Every now and then your commercial freezer is likely to have an issue that requires some repairs—this is just a fact of life when dealing with such large, energy-consuming equipment. However, you can lessen the likelihood of needing significant repairs at any given time by staying on top of your ongoing maintenance, just like you do with a car.
With this in mind, here are some tips for better ongoing maintenance of your commercial freezers in Eugene, OR:
- Clean your freezer: Always keep your freezer clean. A simple mixture of water and soap will do just fine—the use of harsh chemicals could result in your doing some damage to the metal surfaces or some of the other fixtures inside the freezer. If any spills occur, make sure you clean them up quickly to prevent them from freezing and causing damage (or just being unsanitary).
- Clean the parts: Cleaning the plastic and metal surfaces isn’t enough—you should make it part of your maintenance routine to clean some of the individual parts of the equipment as well. Blades and evaporator fan coils, for example, should be cleaned once a quarter. This also gives you a good opportunity to inspect them for damage so you can replace them as needed.
- Check the condensing unit: Add regular checks of the condensing unit to your routine, and never allow any garbage or other debris to collect across the walk-in area.
- Check the doors: Door seals and hinges are extremely important in cooling and freezing units, because they prevent warm air from getting in and cold air from getting out. The hinges should all be properly lubricated to ensure they open and close smoothly without any issues. The seals should close properly to create an airtight seal. Never keep the door propped open for any prolonged period of time, and always make sure the door closes tightly. Seals and hinges should be replaced as soon as possible if they develop any noticeable wear and tear or if they are no longer working as they are supposed to.
- Track the temperature: Keep a log of your freezer temperatures and note any fluctuations. These fluctuations could be a sign that there’s something malfunctioning in the freezer system. Many systems allow you to store a temperature history for up to 10 years, which can help technicians to search for patterns in this history and diagnose a potential problem.
- Develop a relationship with your maintenance technician: Having a good relationship with your maintenance technician will make it easier for you to create a good scheduled maintenance program that keeps all of your equipment operating in optimal condition. Plus, your technician will get familiar with your system and know when something is not operating as it should be.
Looking for more tips about how to keep your commercial freezers in Eugene, OR in great condition for many years to come? Contact the team at American Refrigeration Inc. today and we’ll be happy to answer any questions you have.
One of your many responsibilities as a business owner is to make sure all of your employees and customers are comfortable in your facility. One of the best ways to do this is to make sure your commercial HVAC in Eugene, OR is in solid operating condition at all times.
Here are just a few of the most common commercial HVAC problems that could necessitate some equipment repairs or replacements:
- Bad air quality: Air quality can be affected by a wide variety of factors, including dirty air filters and gas leaks. If you have strange odors emanating from your ducts, either of those issues could be the cause, as could melting debris on a heat exchanger, stagnant condensed water or overheating parts. Make sure you change your filters regularly and keep up with system maintenance.
- Strange noises: If you notice any odd noises coming out of your HVAC system, it’s probably time to contact a professional. There could be a broken part, or a section of ductwork that has started to rattle loose. The problem may or may not be serious, but you never want to take a chance when you hear these noises pop up out of nowhere!
- Inefficient operation: If it seems your HVAC system is no longer operating with the same power or efficiency it once did, you might need to seek out a repair technician. The fix could be as simple as cleaning the condenser coils or evaporator, or you might have some parts that are starting to break down. Whatever the issue, you should never ignore poor HVAC performance.
- Drain line clogs: The drain line in your HVAC system transports water and condensation away from the unit. However, it’s common for these lines to become clogged over time with dirt, algae or mineral deposits. When this happens, the water backs up into the drain pan, causing leaks and potential water damage. Make sure to check these drain lines regularly to ensure they haven’t been inhibited in any way.
- Poor system capacity: The system installed for your business might be too small or large for the needs of your space. A system that is too large will run inefficiently, and a system that is too small will lead to poor heating or cooling results.
- No maintenance: HVAC requires regular service to keep it in shape and operating smoothly. If you have ignored its maintenance and service needs for some time, it’s likely you will have issues that pop up due to this negligence. This problem is easily avoided simply by undergoing routine maintenance inspections.
- Fuse issues: If your HVAC unit regularly shuts off unexpectedly, there might be a problem at the circuit breaker. Check to see if you have any blown fuses or flipped breakers, and if the issue keeps happening over and over again, it’s likely there’s another issue causing the shutdowns to occur.
For more information about the most common problems with commercial HVAC in Eugene, OR, contact American Refrigeration Inc. today.
Walk-in coolers are highly advantageous for any business that either specializes in food service or needs to store a lot of food at any given time. They are available for many types of businesses, and provide the following benefits:
- Plenty of storage space: Perhaps the biggest advantage of using a commercial walk-in cooler in Eugene, OR is the large amount of interior space it provides. When storing perishable foods on a large scale, you need plenty of space to keep them all from going bad. Walk-in coolers are very large, especially compared to other options such as dedicated freezers. You can get them in sizes ranging from 15 cubic feet to more than 400,000 square feet—entire cooled warehouses for you to store your perishables. You can assume that a single cubic foot of storage space in a walk-in cooler will accommodate about 28 pounds of solid food products.
- Financial savings: A truly effective walk-in cooler can save you a lot of money, not just on your electricity bill, but also with your food, because it will keep it preserved for a long period of time. Therefore, any business looking to trim costs in as many areas as possible would do well to look into purchasing a commercial walk-in cooler of its own.
- Technology: Walk-in coolers have evolved just as many other types of technology have in the last several decades. Today’s walk-in coolers are equipped with Bluetooth technology, which means you can be notified on your smartphone or other device any time the temperature goes outside of its settings. This means you’ll be alerted to problems immediately, which can help you save money on repairs as you’ll correct the issue before it becomes severe. In addition, many walk-in coolers now are outfitted with motion detectors to turn the lights on and off, which helps to reduce overall levels of power consumption.
- Power: Speaking of power, the amount of power behind a walk-in cooler is extremely impressive. Some walk-in freezers will use a large compressor to keep temperatures at -10 degrees Fahrenheit, others will use smaller horsepower compressors. But you can rest assured that your cooler will have the power you need to keep all your perishable food items reliably cold.
- Safety: Walk-in coolers have deadbolts on their doors and high-quality, heavy-duty hinges, which ensure their safety. In addition, they all have functionality to allow them to be opened from the inside, just in case someone accidentally shuts themselves in.
- Versatility: Walk-in coolers are very versatile in nature. For example, you can set the interior temperature range to your desired preferences—typically around 35 degrees for the cooler and -10 degrees for the freezer. You can establish your own footprint for the cooler layout, as well, based on the space you have available in your kitchen or storage area.
These are just a few of the biggest benefits associated with commercial walk-in coolers in Eugene, OR. Contact American Refrigeration Inc. today for more information about our services.
