You may not need a huge walk-in wine refrigerator or a massive wine vault for your dining establishment, but it’s a good investment to have a decent sized cooler to preserve the taste and quality of what’s offered on your wine list. After all, though bottled, wine needs storing at the right temperatures before being served. But none of this can happen when a wine chiller is not maintained properly or inspected on a regular basis. From cleaning the inside of the refrigeration unit to checking all electrical components, don’t put off important preventative maintenance—do it yourself or hire a pro.
If you are like most people, you want to avoid needing restaurant refrigeration repair in Eugene, OR. Let’s take a look at some helpful tips to keep your business’s wine cooler running efficiently.
Place it in an ideal location
The first thing you want to take into consideration is the placement of the wine refrigerator’s ventilation system. Units with front ventilation can slip under counters just fine, or you can even custom-build them into your bar’s or kitchen’s cabinetry or shelving. Wine coolers without front ventilation should not be placed in confined spaces, unless there are at least a few inches of breathing room on each side. Alternatively, leave front or side vented wine refrigerators standing on their own, as long as ventilation grates are not hindered.
A word of caution: To protect your wine from high temperatures that will ruin your product, keep wine coolers away from direct sunlight and sources of heat, like stoves and other large appliances.
Don’t overload with bottles
Bottle shape plays a role in whether you can chill six oversized bottles of sparkling wine per rack or eight regular shaped chardonnays and still be able to have organized rows. Professional grade wine refrigerators are typically made to hold standard size bottles of wine (that’s 750 ml per bottle). Consider this: not only does overloading your wine fridge run the risk of bottles falling out and an overworked refrigerator, it also won’t chill your wine to the proper drinking temperature. This can lead to spoilage.
If your restaurant or bar serves a variety of wine in different bottle shapes and sizes, then it’s best to purchase a large capacity wine cooler to accommodate your wine selection.
Keep it clean
Hands down, cleaning your wine refrigeration unit will ensure that it performs as it should. While wiping it down, take the opportunity to inspect for frost buildup on the inside, as well as moisture pooling around or inside of the cooling unit. Always remove bottles and shelves and unplug it from its power source before a cleaning. Clean it so you don’t have to spend money on restaurant refrigeration repair in Eugene, OR every month, especially repairs that are easily avoided with occasional cleanings.
At American Refrigeration Inc., we are here to help with all your needs for restaurant refrigeration repair in Eugene, OR. This includes, but is not limited to, repairs to specialty equipment like custom wine vaults, walk-in coolers and reach-in coolers. Call us today!
If you have improper levels of humidity in your commercial refrigeration equipment, this could not only cause poor visibility through glass doors and windows, but also damage the food items you have inside the units. Therefore, it’s extremely important that you be familiar with the different humidity levels for each type of commercial refrigeration in Eugene, OR, so you can keep your inventory as fresh as possible.
Here is some information about humidity levels in various types of coolers and refrigerators, from highest to lowest humidity:
Floral coolers: Coolers that are storing flowers tend to have much higher humidity levels than other types of units, as you need to be able to prevent the flowers from drying out, wilting and falling apart. You’re going to keep humidity at 90 percent or higher at temperatures between 35 and 45 degrees. Flowers also require gentle airflow to keep them fresh, which you should also account for in your cooler.
Fresh meats and fish: When storing fresh meat and fish in commercial refrigeration, you should maintain 85 to 90 percent humidity at a temperature of 35 degrees. The higher levels of humidity in meat coolers prevent the meat from losing its weight while sitting in storage. Otherwise, evaporation could cause the meats to begin to shrivel up.
Beverages (beer): When storing beers and other beverages, keep humidity between 60 and 75 percent at a temperature of 35 degrees. This is especially important for the rare beer that has a cork in it. When humidity is too low, the cork can dry out, but if the humidity is too high, then you could have mold begin forming in the beer.
Beverages (wine): When storing wine, maintain a 55 to 70 percent humidity level at a temperature of 45 degrees. Wine corks can also become dried out if the humidity levels are too low. When this happens, the top of the cork will likely crack or shrink, exposing the wine to the air and ultimately spoiling it. If the environment is too damp, the cork could begin to develop mold, which would also ruin the wine.
Produce: Keep all fruits and vegetables in refrigeration environments that maintain a 60 to 75 percent humidity level at a temperature of 55 degrees. Moderate levels of humidity in this refrigeration prevent the fruits and vegetables from shriveling up and becoming unappealing to customers. Most grocery store customers associate the appearance of produce with its freshness, so keeping this appearance is extremely important. Additionally, having humidity too high could cause mold to begin to form on fruits and vegetables.
These are general guidelines you will need to follow for each of these different types of refrigeration systems and products, but as always, you should consult your equipment manual for more detailed information and guidelines. If you find yourself in need of any repairs or other work done to your commercial refrigeration in Eugene, OR to ensure you are able to maintain these proper humidity levels and temperatures, contact our trusted team today at American Refrigeration Inc.
If you run a business in Eugene, OR that has commercial refrigeration and ice machines, you are most likely at some point going to have to have your equipment repaired. Having an understanding of how your ice machine works and the most common problems experienced with those types of machines will help you to know when you need to enlist the services of a repair specialist. Ultimately, the work of a professional will save you time and money, as they’ll get the job done correctly the first time and keep your equipment running great long into the future.
With all this in mind, here is a list of the most common forms of ice machine repair in Eugene, OR that you might have to make at some point:
Poor water flow: If you aren’t getting enough water coming into your filter, this means your ice production will more than likely be affected as well. If this is the case, professionals can figure out why the water flow has slowed down and work to improve it. In some situations, however, bad water flow could merely be a symptom of other larger problems within your system, in which case additional repairs could be necessary.
Leaks: If you have a leak in your ice machine’s inlet water valve, the ice cubes forming in the system will become larger than usual. While this might not seem like a problem initially, it could eventually become a larger issue as these ice cubes get bigger and bigger and eventually get stuck in the production line. This will stall the entire machine. If you notice this problem happening, unplug the icemaker until a professional has looked at it.
Buildup of minerals or ice: A buildup of ice or minerals on the evaporator plate or various other parts inside your ice machine can cause malfunctions to occur. Therefore, you should simply have your ice machine regularly cleaned and serviced to keep this buildup to a minimum and ensure your machine is constantly functioning as efficiently as possible.
Higher water temperature: If you have water coming into your ice machine that’s 90 degrees or more, it’s going to take significantly longer to freeze, which will stall your ice production. This likely isn’t due to an issue with your ice machine—it’s more likely to be caused by other appliances you have in the area, such as dishwashers, that are putting hot water into the cold water line. Therefore, you might consider asking your repair professional to check out some of the other appliances you have as well.
High room temperature: Unlike the other items on this list, this definitely does not have anything to do with the ice machine itself, but is still a problem often uncovered by repair professionals working on an ice machine. If the temperature in your room is extremely warm, the ice machine is going to try to work too hard and ultimately will not be able to produce ice. This is especially problematic in areas without air conditioning during hot summer days.
For more information about ice machine repair in Eugene, OR, contact us today at American Refrigeration Inc.
By now, many people across the United States have realized that they can save a significant amount of money on their energy bills by switching over to energy efficient appliances. This is especially true in commercial settings, where there are likely to be many more appliances eating up a whole lot more energy. In restaurants, hotels or cafeterias, for example, commercial refrigeration accounts for a significant portion of energy costs.
But when exactly is the right time to purchase energy efficient commercial refrigeration in Eugene, OR? Is it better to replace an appliance that is currently functioning well, or wait until it dies to replace it with a more efficient unit?
This can be a difficult question to answer for companies that have tight budgets and might not necessarily want to spring for a new commercial refrigeration unit right away. But it’s one that’s worth answering. To do so, consider the following factors:
The cost of the appliance versus the savings you’ll earn: Models that use less energy cost less to operate than other comparable appliances that are not made to be energy efficient. This we know. But you also have to factor in the upfront cost of the appliance itself. Will you eventually recoup the purchase price? Consider how much you spent for your current units, how long ago you paid for those units and how much you would potentially spend on a new one. In many cases, unless you have brand new appliances, the switch to energy efficient commercial refrigerators could make a significant difference.
Available sales: If you know there are going to be sales on refrigeration units at certain times of the year, then it’s worth putting off your purchase until you know you can get a discount. This is especially true for companies that are operating on tighter budgets and are on the fence about whether or not they want to make the upgrade to their equipment.
Incentives: There are a number of rebates and recycling programs from local utility companies, as well as a variety of government tax incentives, that can benefit people and businesses that decide to purchase energy efficient appliances. Therefore, not only will your operating costs be lower when running the equipment, but you could also save money in taxes or other costs. You must factor this into your calculations as well.
Selling your business: If you are planning on selling your business at any time soon, it can actually be a good idea to upgrade your appliances in advance of the sale. Already having energy efficient appliances, like commercial refrigerators, on site can add to the appraised value of your property and increase what you can get out of the sale.
Do you have further questions about purchasing energy efficient commercial refrigeration in Eugene, OR? If so, we encourage you to reach out to our professional team at American Refrigeration, Inc. today. We look forward to working with you and finding the best solutions to your commercial refrigeration needs.
If you own a restaurant, grocery store or any other type of business that makes heavy use of commercial refrigeration, then you know the importance of keeping the refrigeration unit as clean and well maintained as possible. However, many companies do not necessarily understand all of the cleaning tasks they need to accomplish, or the frequency with which they need to perform them.
There are several different aspects of keeping your commercial refrigeration in Eugene, OR clean:
All food should be properly culled and rotated so only fresh food is being served. Old, spoiled food will contaminate the refrigerator, and potentially other foods.
Food must be properly labeled and stored in containers, and separated according to all health code regulations. This helps to avoid raw and cooked foods mingling.
All shelves, drawers and bins should be kept clean to prevent bacteria from forming and foul odors from growing.
Any mechanical elements, such as coils and gaskets, should be regularly cleaned and maintained to keep the unit in good working order.
The exterior surface should be cleaned frequently to avoid potential cross-contamination of germs, as there are likely many different people who touch the unit on a daily basis.
Strategies for cleaning commercial refrigeration in Eugene, OR
Now that you know what needs to be done, it’s important you know how to accomplish it.
The most basic cleanings should occur after every shift. Take the time to inspect the exterior surface and give it a wipe down so it looks clean and ready to go for the next day’s work. Pay specific attention to the handle of the unit, as that is where most germs are likely to congregate. There are plenty of special cleaners made for refrigerator use. These cleaners should never have dyes, acids, ammonia, butyl, caustics or harsh fragrances.
If you do not prepare food but simply have a refrigerator on hand, make sure employees always take care of any messes that form inside the refrigerator. Even if these refrigerators are just used to store lunches, there can still be leaks that occur inside them.
Beyond daily cleanings, you should engage in weekly deep cleaning sessions. These should be performed with a heavy-duty cleaning agent meant for commercial use. Empty food into another refrigerator or stack it into ice-filled coolers first. This is a good time to throw away any food that has spoiled or reached its expiration date. Unplug the refrigerator, then wipe the entire interior clean using a non-toxic cleaner. Work from top to bottom, and remove the drawers to soak them, clean them and rinse them, letting them dry before putting them back in.
Finally, you should also periodically clean the gaskets, seals, condenser coil and fan. Gaskets can simply soak in a soap and water solution, and then be reattached once they’re dry. Condenser coils must be dusted on a regular basis with a safe, water-based coil cleaner. Fan blades should only be cleaned with a soft cloth.
For more information about cleaning commercial refrigeration in Eugene, OR, contact American Refrigeration Inc. today.
