Protect Your Walk-In Unit Doors And Help Them Last

As a business owner, you are responsible for protecting one of your most valuable commercial assets. The walk-in freezer and walk-in refrigerator are a crucial component of cafes, pharmaceutical facilities, grocery stores, food manufacturing plants, and convenience stores. A1 Dallas Commercial Refrigeration Repair A walk-in freezer carries a price tag of $10,000 or more. This is not to mention, many of the above businesses have multiple units. When you think about it, the total value can add up to $100,000, depending on the size of the business. The high price tag should be enough to encourage businesses to take extra precautions to protect their refrigeration units. It is recommended for businesses to develop a training exercise for their employees. The exercise should focus on visual assessment and prevention strategies to ensure the integrity of the walk-in unit. Since the swinging or sliding doors are the most visually operational components, this is what your employee training exercise should be geared toward.

• Quality Door Installation – Large walk-in freezers are generally installed as a single unit. The doors may be installed later for larger units. Quality door installation is key to avoiding premature damage a few months down the road.
• Additional Safety Measures – It is not unusual in fast-paced environments for workers to utilize their feet to close swinging walk-in freezer doors. Installing kickplates on the bottom of each door to reduce damage from both the employees and moving equipment like shopping carts and forklifts.
• Keep Surrounding Area Free Of Debris – Never install furniture, appliances, and machines in proximity to walk-in freezers. Ensure the swinging doors can open freely without coming into contact with nearby objects.
• Perform Routine Maintenance – Devise a maintenance strategy that includes routine hinge lubrication, door seal inspection, and door gasket cleaning. Encourage your employees to partake in the routine maintenance to add even more protection for your expensive walk-in freezer.

Any sign of damage should be immediately reported to the supervisor. The supervisor, in turn, should contact the Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning “HVAC” contractor. Undetected, overlooked, and ignored damage will eventually result in food spoilage. Businesses across the nation report hundreds or thousands of dollars in financial loss related to spoiled food.

Other Reasons To Keep Walk-In Freezer Doors Well-Maintained

Walk-in freezers utilize a substantial amount of electricity each month. Malfunctioning doors require the walk-in refrigerator to work harder and longer to just to maintain a cold-regulated interior chamber. The end result is more electricity usage and a higher electricity bill.