No business owner wants to bear the expense of a new walk-in cooler or freezer. Especially not when it is unexpected. It’s one thing to simply replace your appliance, but when it breaks unexpectedly, you might not even be financially prepared to make the replacement.
A1 Portland Commercial Refrigeration Repair
Sometimes it just makes more sense on safety and production levels to go ahead and replace older appliances, but you’d be surprised at the business owners that don’t always see things this way. In their minds, it seems cheaper to keep the older appliances running.
Knowing when to replace and when not to replace your walk-in cooler or freezer could make all the financial difference in the world
Higher Utility Bills
It should go without saying that all newer coolers and freezers are going to operate with much more efficiency. Not only because they are newer, but because you simply can’t buy anything these days that wasn’t designed with energy consumption in mind.
Everything mechanical you can buy comes with an energy efficiency guarantee. Of course, there are still those models that are more efficient than others, but that’s an entirely different story.
One can uncover a lot from their utility bills. You’ll be doing yourself a great justice if you make it a common practice to know what you are paying out each month. Most people put their payments on automatic and never take a second glance at them.
Unfortunately, that can be a bad practice, as you might miss huge billing increases. Spending more to keep your coolers and freezers running could be the first sign that something is wrong.
When freezers and coolers aren’t working properly, it usually results in longer and harder run times, which always results in more electrical consumption.
Build-Up Of Ice And Frost
A certain amount of frost and ice build-up is common and expected in arctic conditions. However, there is a point when too much of either can indicate major problems. If you are losing inventory because it’s freezing and thawing out too rapidly or simply staying frozen, this indicates problems.
Coolers and freezers are specifically designed to keep your inventory within perfect temperature parameters.
Regular Leaks
Damaged seals and gaskets are a common problem with coolers and freezers. Although this is the case, you’d be surprised at the major potential problems such a simple scenario can cause.
Leaky seals and gaskets mean anything from fluctuating temperatures to excess ice, frost, and water build-up. In some scenarios, these conditions can even create the perfect environment for mold and mildew growth.
Although seals and gaskets can easily be replaced, if you are experiencing such problems more frequently than expected, it could be a big indicator for replacement. Always keep track of reported leaks and problems.
Fluctuating Temperatures
Your coolers and freezers are specifically designed to always be working to regulate temperatures. These appliances work around the clock at accomplishing this very task. So, when your appliances aren’t working like the well-oiled machines they should be, it is only normal to expect temperature fluctuations.
While temperature fluctuations are common problems, they are without a doubt some of the most frustrating.
The reasoning for this is that temperature fluctuations could represent anything from dirty coils and filters to employees leaving the doors propped open for prolonged periods. There could also be an indication of a malfunctioning sensor. Your thermostat itself might not be reading temperature properly. This is a problem that is best approached in stages.
Failed Inventory Before Expiration
Any business owner knows enough to write off some inventory. It’s almost the cost of doing business. One can only expect to lose items here and there. That said, you should never be losing items because they are spoiled before their expiration dates.
Damaged, lost, or misplaced inventory is one thing, but when your items are going bad before their expiration dates, that’s the very exact thing your cooling appliance is supposed to prevent.
If this is something you are experiencing, you’ll want to jump on the problem immediately. If you haven’t come across any obviously noticeable problems, it likely means that your freezers or cooler are just simply getting older and can’t keep up with the demand. Have you increased inventory?
How old are your appliances? Have you changed the order in which inventory is stored? These are all things you’ll want to consider.
