Commercial Refrigeration Maintenance: How to Prolong Your Fridge’s Lifespan

Commercial refrigeration maintenance doesn’t take much time, but it does take a routine. This guide covers where to place your unit, how to set and check temperatures, how to load shelves so air can flow, and how to clean a fridge or freezer step by step. You will also find a maintenance schedule and a troubleshooting FAQ for when something goes wrong.

How Long Should a Commercial Fridge Last?

A well-maintained commercial refrigerator can last around 15 years, and some reach-in units stay in service for up to 30 years. Units that never get cleaned or that sit in bad conditions rarely come close. Lifespan depends on the model, the kitchen it sits in, how hard it works, and how well it’s cared for. Luckily, most of these are in your control as an operator.

Unfortunately, neglect will cost you money at the end of the day. If you don’t maintain your kitchen equipment, including your refrigeration, you’re putting unnecessary strain on the unit to keep working every day. Dirt buildup on the condenser coil works like a blanket, stopping the unit from releasing heat. The compressor runs harder and longer to make up for it, your electricity bill climbs, and eventually the compressor fails from overworking. It’s one of the most expensive repairs on the machine, and a failure overnight can mean losing a full cooler of food.

Most manufacturers expect you to follow the cleaning and care steps in the manual, and they usually make the warranty contingent on you maintaining the unit to their satisfaction. If a breakdown traces back to a clogged coil or a torn gasket that was never replaced, the repair may not be covered and the brand may void the warranty altogether.

The same upkeep applies to freezers and walk-ins. If you’re still deciding between unit types, our guide to Reach-in vs Walk-in Refrigeration explains how each one works.

Where Should You Put a Commercial Refrigerator?

Where a unit sits matters as much as how you clean it. A fridge that can’t breathe, or that sits beside a heat source, works harder every hour it runs. Set it up correctly once and you avoid that wear for years. Follow these steps when you install a new unit or move an old one:

• Leave space around the unit. Keep about 2 to 4 inches (5 to 10 cm) behind and beside it, and about 3 inches around any louvered or vented panel. Clearances differ by model, so check your product manual for the exact recommendations.
  
• Move it away from heat. Keep it clear of ovens, toasters, coffee warmers, direct sunlight, and the hot air exhaust from other equipment. Room temperatures should sit somewhere between 15°C and 26°C (59°F to 79°F). Humidity levels in the room matter as well, since high humidity will make it harder for the unit to breathe overall. Check your product manual for the exact temperature limits and recommendations.
• Level it. Adjust the feet until a level set on top reads flat. The unit will sit securely and the doors will close and seal evenly.
• Plug it into its own outlet. Many customers have fried a unit’s components because there were too many units plugged into one power line. Never use an extension cord either. Always plug the unit directly into the wall. Some manufacturers will void the warranty for this.
• Run it empty first. Let the unit run for at least four hours before you load any food. This way the unit can reach the proper interior temperature before having to cool down food inside.

Here in Canada, we’re blessed with hot and humid summers and cold and dry winters, two extreme environments for a refrigerator or freezer to be in. Follow the steps above, and you’ll maintain a consistent environment for your unit year-round.

What Temperature Should a Commercial Refrigerator Be?

In Canada, a refrigerator should hold food at 4°C (40°F) or below, and a freezer at -18°C (0°F) or below. Set the unit to hit those numbers, then check them, because the display on the front isn’t always right. For the full rules, see our Guide to Commercial Refrigerator and Freezer Temperatures in Canada.

Here is how to check your temperatures:

• Put a separate thermometer inside the cabinet, away from the door and the fan. We carry thermometers made for fridges and freezers.
• Check it at the same times every day, like when you open and close your store.
• Write it down. Record the date, time, temperature and your initials, plus a note on anything you did to fix a bad reading. [Download our printable temperature and maintenance log (PDF)]
• If readings drift, check the gaskets and the condenser coil before you touch the dial.

Don’t set the unit colder than it needs to be. A thermostat turned too low is a common cause of ice buildup, and it keeps the compressor running longer, which adds to your electricity bill and shortens the compressor’s lifespan.

If the power goes out, keep the doors closed and check food temperatures before you use anything. Follow your local health inspector’s guidance for what is safe to keep.

How Do You Pack a Commercial Refrigerator So Air Can Flow?

A refrigerator cools by moving cold air around the cabinet. When food blocks that air, you get warm spots, a compressor that never gets a break, and food that spoils faster. Blocking the evaporator fan is the worst offender, and it can end in compressor failure. Pack your unit using these methods:

• Keep the back wall clear. Leave 2 to 4 inches (5 to 10 cm) between your product and the rear wall so the evaporator fan can pull air through the cabinet.
  
• Don’t cram the shelves. Leave small gaps between items so cold air can reach all sides, and never stack boxes against the fan or the vents.
  
• Keep delicate produce away from the fan. Leafy greens sitting right in the airflow can freeze, so give them a spot further away.
  
• Store food in order, top to bottom. Ready-to-eat food and produce go on top. Then seafood, raw beef and pork, and ground meat. Raw poultry goes on the bottom shelf, so nothing raw can drip onto food that’s already cooked.
  
• Cool hot food first. Never load warm product into a fridge. It raises the cabinet temperature and makes the compressor work overtime. Let hot food cool down in shallow pans or an ice bath before it goes in the unit.
  
• Label and rotate. Date everything and use a first in, first out system so older stock gets used first and nothing gets lost at the back.
  

Keep door openings short, too. Plan your restock so the door isn’t hanging open while you sort things out, and don’t lean on it or hang anything from it.

How Do You Clean a Commercial Refrigerator or Freezer?

Plan a full cleaning about every three months, plus quick wipe-downs in between. Here’s the full process:

• Turn it off and empty it. Unplug the unit, move your food into another cold unit or a cooler so it stays at 4°C or below, and toss anything expired. On a manual-defrost freezer, use the defrost function and let the ice melt on its own. Never chip at ice with a knife or any sharp tool.
  
• Wash the shelves and racks. Pull them out and wash them in the sink with warm water and mild soap. Clean the shelf supports, then rinse and dry everything.
  
• Wipe the interior. Use warm soapy water and a soft cloth, and an old toothbrush for corners and tracks. A mix of baking soda and water (about 1 tablespoon per pint, or 15 mL per 500 mL) handles odours. Skip the bleach, steel wool and harsh solvents.
• Sanitize. Wipe all interior surfaces with a food-safe sanitizer, following the directions on the label, then let everything dry.
• Clean the gaskets. Wipe them weekly with warm soapy water, and pull the folds open to clean inside the creases, where mould starts. Look for tears, gaps and hardened spots. A gasket that no longer seals needs replacing.
• Wash the exterior. Use soap and water or a stainless steel cleaner on a soft cloth, and always wipe in the direction of the grain. Never use steel wool, wire brushes or chlorine-based cleaners, since they can speed up rusting over time.
• Check the drain. Make sure the drain tube is connected, the drain pan isn’t full or blocked, and there’s no water pooling under the unit.
• Dry, plug in and restock. Dry the cabinet, plug the unit back in, and let it return to temperature before the food goes back in.

Condenser Coils and Fans: The Step Most Owners Skip

All refrigeration we sell, from True and Hoshizaki to our own Duracold and Nordic Air lines, relies on a condenser coil to push heat out of the cabinet. When dust, lint and grease clog the fins, the heat stays trapped and the compressor pays for it. Clean the coil about once a month, and no less than every three months. Do it more often if the unit sits near a fryer or a flour station, or if the floor gets mopped a lot. Bottom-mounted coils collect dust and mop splash the fastest.

You’ll need a soft coil brush, a screwdriver, and a commercial condenser coil cleaner. A fin comb is handy too. Then follow these steps:

• Power it off. Unplug the unit before you touch the coil.
• Remove the grille. Most units have a front or back grille held on by a few screws. Take it off and set it aside.
• Brush the coil from top to bottom, not side to side, using a soft-bristle coil brush. Go gently so you don’t bend the fins. You can also use compressed air for this.
• Tackle grease and caked-on dirt. Apply a commercial condenser coil cleaner, following your product manual. Never pressure wash a coil.
• Wipe the fan blades with a soft cloth. Dust on the blades throws off airflow.
• Replace the grille and plug the unit in. Check that it’s cooling normally.

A unit that runs nonstop and struggles to hold its temperature is often asking for a coil cleaning. If it still can’t keep up after that, it’s time to look at the gaskets, the fan and the drain, or call a technician.

Commercial Refrigerator Maintenance Schedule

This is just a general guide for how you should schedule your cleanings. Kitchens with a lot of grease, flour or foot traffic should clean the coil more often. 

When Should You Call a Refrigeration Technician?

Cleaning fixes most problems, but not all of them. Call for commercial refrigerator repair when:

• The temperature stays out of range even after you’ve cleaned the coil, checked the gaskets and cleared the airflow.
• The door won’t close properly, or the gasket has gaps that cleaning won’t fix.
• Water or frost keeps coming back after you’ve cleared the drain and checked the gaskets.
• You hear grinding, squealing or clicking, or you notice a burning smell or any electrical problem.

Refrigerant, compressors, defrost heaters and thermostats are not DIY jobs. Handling refrigerant takes a licensed technician, and a repair done the wrong way can void your warranty. Check your warranty before you book, since many brands want service done by an authorized technician.

We recommend a yearly service visit for every unit, even when everything seems fine. A technician will catch a worn fan motor or an overworked compressor long before it turns into a failed unit. Keep the service records with your temperature log, because they back up a warranty claim. For the rest of your kitchen, our Complete Canadian Restaurant Equipment Checklist covers what to maintain and when.

Keep Your Refrigeration Running for Years

Clean coils, sealed gaskets and open airflow are what separate a unit that lasts 15 years from one that quits early. At Phoenix Food Equipment, we carry reach-in and undercounter refrigeration from True, Traulsen, and Atosa, along with our own Duracold and Nordic Air lines, and our team is happy to help you find a unit that fits your kitchen. Shop our full range of Commercial Refrigeration.