10 Fridge things

Whether you are opening a new food business or already operating an existing business, it is important to have reliable commercial refrigeration.

Read on to see features and benefits that you should be looking for when purchasing a new fridge or freezer for your food business.

1.    Air Flow from the internal rear panel allowing the cold air to be distributed more evenly onto the products for maximum cooling effect.

2.    External Finish of either a powder coated finish or stainless steel. These are the 2 most durable surface finishes and will keep your fridge looking great for years to come.

As a general rule, colourbond clad fridges can scratch more easily.  

3.    LED Lights give improved internal product visibility, they last up to 6 times longer than traditional fluoro tubes. With LED lights there is less heat transfer from the light into the cabinet, so this lighting doesn’t adversely affect the temperature inside the fridge.

4.    Electronic Controllers with digital temperature display allow for stabilising temperatures and precise control. They are simple to use and easy to read. Some offer an on-site diagnostic capability.

5.    High Temperatures are a common issue in Australia. Make sure your fridge has been tested to a high ambient temperature. If not, then performance can be compromised, especially in difficult conditions.

6.    High Humidity especially in tropical areas of Australia can cause significant problems, especially with glass door models and it is best to outlay extra and add heated or tropical doors to the model you are purchasing.

Heated doors reduce unwanted condensation on outside of the door. Without them the doors can become covered in condensation, not to mention the danger to your customers from the pool of water that forms in front of the fridge.

7.    Refrigerants that safeguard food and protect the environment are becoming the standard. A shift to using natural refrigerants like R290 is already happening and due to its low environmental impact and excellent thermodynamic performance.

Minimising the impact of climate change through responsible energy use and reducing carbon footprint should be key environmental objectives for both the manufacturer and the end user.

Did you know that companies like Coca-Cola are demanding changes in commercial refrigeration around the world and in doing so are improving the way these fridges work and effect the environment?

As one of the largest users of refrigeration products, just think about all those Coca-Cola fridges just in your local area, filled with their products, they set challenges to the manufacturers every year to produce better and better products.

These changes are driving this industry into the future and improving not only the environment but also impacting on your businesses bottom line. I guess “things do go better with coke!”

8.    Energy Savings should be at the top of your bucket list. Once you have purchased the fridge and start using it, your biggest ongoing expense is the cost of running that fridge.

Some fridges can cost thousands of dollars each year and the older they are the more they cost. Yikes!

We actually sell refrigeration that would allow you to buy a new fridge inside the typical life cycle of that fridge just on the energy savings alone. If that fridge lasts 7 to 10 years, which is not unreasonable, then you are so far in front.  

9.    Cassette Systems for the fridge motor and compressor units are becoming more and more popular with many manufacturers upgrading their fridges to accommodate this.
 
The advantage here for you with this is that, into the future, if your fridge breaks down they can quickly and easily exchange the broken motor or compressor with a fully reconditioned and matching unit just by simply sliding out the old one and sliding in the replacement.

Downtime will be significantly reduced allowing you will be back in business fast. I know we are not totally there at this time, but that day is thankfully not that far away.
 
10.     Used versus New should no longer be a serious consideration. There is little to no chance that a used fridge will have many, if any, of the above features.

Even if you just consider the cost of electricity use alone, a new eco-friendly fridge will hands down outperform a used fridge everytime.