| Now that we are entering the hottest time of the | | | | of your refrigeration unit. Most units don't even |
| year, it's a good time to examine the refrigeration | | | | have a frost problem, and so the heater just |
| units in your restaurant and make sure they are | | | | uses up energy. If you do have a problem with |
| operating as efficiently as possible. No matter | | | | frost buildup or have water pooling in front of the |
| what you do, you're going to end up spending | | | | unit, then you absolutely must have the door |
| more money on refrigeration this time of year | | | | heater on. More often than not, however, it's not |
| than any other. However, that doesn't mean you | | | | an issue. |
| should have to spend any more than absolutely | | | | Outfit your walk-in. Strip curtains help drastically |
| necessary. | | | | reduce the loss of cold air when the door to your |
| Have you optimized your refrigeration efficiency? | | | | walk-in is open, and when it's closed, the curtain |
| Doing so can save you a LOT of money. Here's | | | | adds an extra layer of insulation. Also make sure |
| the main areas you should focus on: | | | | the door latch is working properly and actually |
| Clean those coils! You've probably heard it before | | | | catching when you close the door. A worn or |
| but if you haven't gotten behind your | | | | broken latch means the door gasket isn't fully |
| refrigerators and freezers and cleaned off the | | | | sealed, and you're losing cold air. Also use a door |
| coils, you need to hear it again. The condenser | | | | closer to automatically pull the walk-in door shut |
| and evaporator coils take the heat inside your | | | | quickly after it's opened. The less cold air you |
| refrigerator and disperse it outside the unit, and if | | | | lose, the better off you'll be. |
| air can't pass over the coils, then they radiate | | | | It's amazing how much in energy savings you can |
| heat much more slowly. That makes your unit | | | | realize from a few simple steps. Of course, there |
| work harder to keep things cool and it consumes | | | | will always be a point where you cannot optimize |
| more electricity. | | | | your refrigeration equipment any more, and |
| Replace worn or torn door gaskets. The door | | | | natural degradation in performance will occur no |
| gasket forms a seal when the unit's door is | | | | matter what you do. When the time comes to |
| closed, preventing cold air from seeping out and | | | | buy a new commercial refrigerator or freezer, |
| warm air from seeping in. If that gasket isn't | | | | buy an Energy Star rated model if at all possible. |
| sealing properly, it's costing you money. Health | | | | Even if you can't find an Energy Star unit that |
| inspectors also don't like torn gaskets because | | | | works for you, simply upgrading to a new unit will |
| food bits and grime gather in them and create a | | | | mean better efficiency because new technologies |
| breeding ground for bacteria. Luckily, replacing the | | | | are being added to commercial refrigeration units |
| gasket is an easy process. | | | | all the time, and a new unit will perform better |
| Turn off door heaters. All this heater does is | | | | simply because it's newer. |
| prevent frost from building up on the inside door | | | | |