They say that one ounce of effort put into prevention is worth one pound in the stress you’ll avoid when it comes to dealing with an unfortunate (and preventable) situation. Whoever dreamed up this old adage must’ve been familiar with commercial refrigeration in Florida!

All kidding aside, the very best thing you can do for your commercial refrigeration system is to stay up to date on routine maintenance and regular services. However, between those scheduled services, there’s also something else you can and should be taking upon yourself to do: basic inspections.

It’s easy to walk past your various refrigeration components each and every day and pay them no mind—after all, if they’re in good working order, they might not even cross your mind! However, taking a few seconds to perform a few basic inspections could be the difference between catching a problem and letting it go until your next maintenance appointment. Take a look at five simple inspections you can perform in just minutes:

1. First, go through and open up your various doors and check the seals (called gaskets). Inspect them all the way around the door to ensure they’re not ripped or missing sections. Then, wiggle them a little to make sure they’re not loose or falling off. Finally, close the door and open it again, listening for a sticking sound as the seal is formed and broken.
2. Next, you’re going to want to check the condenser coil that powers the refrigeration unit. Depending on where this is located on your unit, you might have to get creative! Usually, however, it can be seen by removing the lower front panel of your unit. Check for debris or dust on the coil and clean it off. Also, listen for any noises that might be issuing from the condenser—it should be free of squeaks, squeals and creaks.
3. Next, check the outer drain on your unit to make sure it’s functioning appropriately. Clear away any obstructions that may be blocking it up and check to make sure there’s no contaminants issuing from the drain. If you suspect a blockage, call a contractor to have the line blown out.
4. Next, do a temperature check. The thermostat in your cooler may say one temperature, but it’s a good idea to make sure that’s accurate. Place another thermostat in the unit for an hour and check it to make sure it reads the same. If there’s any more than a degree or two’s discrepancy, test it for another hour and after that, call a professional.
5. Finally, take a few minutes to look at your alert log, if you have one. This report is generated when failsafes within a commercial refrigeration system are tripped and can yield insight into inefficiency. You might see problems you might not otherwise be privy to, such as a compressor that’s cycling too much. Inspecting the data means getting empirical evidence to your unit’s function.

When you think about it, isn’t it worth it to spend just a few minutes each week accomplishing the inspection tasks above, instead of paying for costly repairs and service for your commercial refrigeration in Florida?