Heating and cooling costs demand the most from businesses, and that includes your commercial freezers in Florida. Often an energy hog and yet a complete necessity, your commercial freezer can be managed to prevent excessive costs. Review these best practices to help your commercial freezer run efficiently for utility savings and less wear and tear.
Choose Energy Star freezers
Energy Star is not just limited to consumer products. Restaurant equipment suppliers will also provide a variety of appliances for the commercial market that offer the Energy Star rating. Purchasing freezers with this designation can save your business as much as 50 percent each year. Depending on your operation, those dollar figures can range from $1,000 to $2,500 annually.
Efficiency standards are set to increase in the coming years, which means the development of new models that offer even more energy savings. If you are looking at an upgrade, Energy Star is the way to go if you wish for lower business utility bills.
Location, location
Placing your commercial freezer in an area where it will receive the most heat will not help it run efficiently. In fact, it will be at constant war with environmental elements. If you have the option, keep your freezer away from cooking equipment and HVAC ductwork. Place it on the side of the building with the least sunlight. While this may not always be within your control, take advantage of location if you do have a choice as to where to put your freezer.
Purchase a blast chiller
If your restaurant frequently needs to cool food quickly, do not use your freezer for this job. Placing hot food in a freezer makes it work harder and it will take longer to return to the desired temperature for good storage. Instead, use a blast chiller as it will do the job better without putting needless stress on your freezer.
Invest in an open-door alarm
Encourage employees to avoid propping the door open as that jeopardizes food safety and lets cold air escape. You do not want customers poisoned by compromised food integrity, even if you are willing to pay the higher power bills. To make sure employees do not absentmindedly leave the door open, find models with an open-door alarm or have one installed. This small investment saves money by avoiding waste and reducing the energy load due to air escape.
Monitor temperature
Many models, especially the ones with Energy Star ratings, come with a digital thermometer. Check the settings frequently as low settings will make the condenser unit run longer and waste energy. Meanwhile, set the temperature too high and you risk spoiling food. No matter which calamity you wish to prevent, monitoring temperature is a good step to maintaining your commercial freezer.
If your commercial freezer needs maintenance or repair to help its efficiency and functioning, Five Star Refrigeration & Air Conditioning, Inc. offers expert service. We can also install commercial freezers in Florida when you are ready for an Energy Star model. Give us a call today to set up a repair or installation appointment.