Guide To Cold Storage Facility Maintenance

Guide to Cold Storage Facility Maintenance Refrigeration is among the most important aspects when it comes to ensuring the cooling efficiency of cold storage facilities. Proper preventive cold storage maintenance includes checking the compressors, fan coil units, condenser, and evaporators. Unlike any other equipment, you should perform daily, monthly, quarterly, and yearly preventative maintenance checks on your ​cold storage facilities.​

Due to the importance of refrigeration systems in the foodservice industry, practicing preventative maintenance on cooling systems to minimize the possibilities of clogs and breakdowns is a necessity. The breaking down or clogging of refrigeration systems often leads to wasted food. Below is a guide to cold storage facility maintenance. It is, however, important to note that following the preventive cold storage maintenance steps listed below does not guarantee that your unit will not clog or break down.

On a daily basis: • Check every single fan blade for stress or wear signs. Replace the blades that are cracked, worn, or bent.

• Check every single compressor for signs of oil leakage.

• Check each system’s level of Freon.

• Check the evaporator for ice formation.

• Check to confirm whether the PLC switchboard is functioning properly.

• Check the head pressure of your secondary system.

• Check to confirm suitable cold room temperatures.

On a monthly basis: Performing daily cold storage maintenance checks on a monthly basis is of uttermost importance when it comes to ensuring the efficiency of your systems. Below is a checklist to help you achieve optimal performance.

• Ensure the condenser coil fins remain clean.

• Check the evaporator and unit cooler fins to ensure they are clean.

• Ensure the reverse blowing is working properly.

• Ensure proper full load cooling.

• Ensure your refrigerant levels remain well-maintained and function properly.

• Ensure the control valves are functioning properly.

• Ensure adequate performance of the defrosting functions.

• Ensure the evaporators are working properly.

• Calibrate cold room temperatures.

• Clean the evaporator casing and blower fans.

• Perform a comprehensive system functional test to check for any malfunctions.

On a quarterly basis: • Perform the monthly maintenance checks.

• Check the overall functionality of your cold storage facility.

On an annual basis: • Perform the daily, monthly, and quarterly checks.

• Perform a chemical washing on the heat exchanger.

Cold room doors:​ Includes the cold storage facilities’ sliding doors, roller doors, and exit doors. Carry out the inspections involving cold room doors every two months to ensure proper functionality. Routine checks should always include door components such as rollers, door limit switches, brackets, door alignments, timers, door hinges, control boxes, IR reflectors, emitters, as well as the overall functionality of safety devices such as door sensors.

Cold room pumps:​ Involves warm double and cold pumps, through which cold room facilities remove wasted heat to remain cool. Remember to check the power consumption, pressure difference, and capacity of these pumps to ensure optimal performance. You should also look out for any leakage signs, loose electric contacts, and improper Glycol percentages.

General Cold Storage Facility Safety Information: • Only qualified and certified personnel familiar with this particular type of equipment should install and maintain cold storage facilities.

• Evacuate every unit before you charge the system with refrigeration, especially since some units use an inert gas or dry air for pressurization.

• Check to confirm all field wirings conform to the equipment’s requirements as well as every national and local code applicable.

• Because sharp edges and coil surfaces pose potential injury hazards, you should always avoid contacting them.

• Ensure you disconnect every power source before performing any service work on the units.

Performing routine cold storage maintenance checks is arguably the best way to ensure the optimal performance of your cold room facilities. However, only certified and experienced

industrial chiller and cold room facility experts such as Southwest Vault should perform these maintenance checks. When in need of professional and reliable maintenance services for your cold storage facility, contact ​Southwest Vault.​ As experienced professionals, we provide high-quality and satisfactory services to all our clients.

Source: ​http://www.southwestvault.com/guide-cold-storage-facility-maintenance/