There are times when you may hear your freezer running, but nothing is cooling, or worse—it is all melting away. Industrial freezers in Florida have this ability, and when your business depends on them, you will have to act fast. Here are tips to not only attempt to get your freezer to work again, but also to prevent it from quitting on you in the first place:

• Check doors: You might feel foolish to call in a technician only to discover the problem is a door that was left open. Freezers do not work efficiently when doors are blocked from closing completely, or when they’re left open. You may want to look into an automated door closer or invest time in an education effort for your employees. There can also be shortcomings with latches or other door parts that definitely need expert attention to keep your freezer running well.
• Use freezers appropriately: If you find an employee is using the industrial freezer to cool items from the kitchen, stop that behavior immediately. Exposing freezers to hot air consistently will reduce their cooling power and cause inadvertent defrosting of items inside. Your freezer needs to be limited to storage, not used to perform essential cooking steps.
• Pack with awareness: Your restaurant may be hosting a big event like a wedding, or you gain extra inventory one day. When it looks like your freezer may be extra full, place items into it in such a way as to allow good airflow. Freezers also have fan vents in back, and you want to be very careful not to block them. Packing items too tightly can reduce the likelihood of items being adequately frozen. This risks food safety and preservation, so take the extra steps to assure good packing, even if you are in a hurry or stressed about the future event.
• Clean coils: Like refrigerators, freezers also have coils that ensure their efficient functioning. You will need to keep these clean, either by vacuuming them yourself or by arranging for regular maintenance appointments to clear the dust and debris. This will not apply if you use a chest-style freezer that has internal coils. In those cases, you will need to be careful not to block them.
• Defrost when necessary: Ice can build up and also block air circulation and reduce cooling. While most modern models can keep themselves defrosted, there are sometimes circumstances in which those efforts fall short. If you need to continue storing food in a freezer until a technician comes by, melt the ice around the vents and motor. This will allow some short-term solutions until you can arrange for diagnosis and repair.
• When in doubt, call for help: When the issue is not obvious or you find parts are hard to access, it is better to be safe than sorry. Call in an expert to find what is wrong and repair the problem. You do not want to risk continuing your food business without a functioning freezer.

5 Star Refrigeration & Air Conditioning, Inc. repairs and maintains industrial freezers in Florida. If yours is in need of cleaning or has been acting up recently, call us today to set up an appointment.