Commercial fridges and freezers have become an integral part of restaurants, grocery stores, fast food joints and many other establishments. However, they can be costly to run. Commercial refrigerators and freezers are generally turned on all the time to keep food cold or frozen for long periods. Because of this, commercial refrigerators generally use up to 17,000 kilowatts of electricity per hour. It is usually due to this that electricity bills become expensive.
Bringing down this energy consumption can be challenging for business owners or managers who are facing high demands and other burdens at work. However, implementing energy-saving tips can help you maximise your profits. This article will delve into tips you can use to help make your commercial refrigerator more energy-efficient and cut down on energy consumption.
When your commercial fridge isn’t operating efficiently, it is, in effect, spending more energy to function normally. Consequently, this causes your energy bill to increase. Here are 12 tips you can follow to optimise your fridge and lower your utility bills.
1. Check the size of your fridge
If you’re yet to purchase a commercial fridge, go for one with a size that is suitable for the amount of storage you need. Bigger freezers and refrigerators require more energy to function because they have extra space for storing food. So before purchasing a unit, consider how much space you will need to adequately store your products while still keeping your energy costs low.
2. Don’t place the fridge in direct sunlight
Another factor to consider is location. Ensure that you keep the unit in an appropriate area, meaning it shouldn’t be exposed to direct sunlight. In addition to this, it is a bad idea to place it in close proximity to a heat source, such as an oven or a heater. A fridge situated near heat sources consumes more energy to keep the temperature within the acceptable range.
3. Inspect door gaskets routinely
Gaskets and seals on fridge doors are subject to wear and tear. If they’re not functioning properly, leaky seals may allow warm air into the fridge. This can result in a severe loss of energy in the long run. It can lead to spoilage of food as well. This makes it essential for you to routinely check door gaskets for proper performance.
If you find damage or cracks in the refrigerator gaskets, replace them immediately. This can lower energy bills considerably by reducing wasteful energy usage.
4. Clean the fridge coils
Keep the refrigerator coils as dust-free as possible. Clean coils allow heat to transfer more efficiently within the system. This means that your fridge, in turn, will be able to utilise its energy more efficiently. It’s also important to note that dirty coils increase the risk of more maintenance issues, which is both time-consuming and costly.
5. Prioritise proper air circulation
The importance of proper airflow can’t be stressed enough. When there is a lack of airflow, the fridge’s coils won't work correctly, which will result in the fridge using more electricity than it needs to. So make sure the fridge has plenty of space around it.
6. Turn on anti-sweat heaters only when needed
Anti-sweat heaters keep glass doors of commercial fridges from becoming fogged up with condensation and frost. However, if they are constantly running, they can significantly boost your energy consumption. To solve this, it might be a good idea to consider installing heaters with adaptive controls. These detect whether heat is required, regulating the heat as necessary.
7. Never place hot foods inside the unit
Make sure that you do not store hot food in the commercial fridge. This will cause the interior of the fridge, as well as other foods stored within, to become warm. Before placing them inside, you should give them some time to cool down first.
8. Add motion sensor lighting
If you have a walk-in commercial fridge or freezer, adding motion sensor lighting can help you reduce your energy costs. Motion sensor lighting instantly turns on when someone enters and automatically turns off when they leave.
9. Ensure proper defrosting
As ice accumulates in the freezer compartment, it insulates the interior. This means the fridge will use more energy in order to provide a cool interior. To avoid this, it’s advisable that you defrost your freezer on a regular basis.
10. Consider adding night curtains
Do you have refrigerators with open-case displays? These types of commercial fridges offer you an enticing way to present food to your customers. They do, however, consume plenty of energy.
Thus, you may want to consider installing night covers for your open-case fridge. This is to prevent the cool air in the refrigerator compartment from escaping outside of business hours.
11. Invest in LED lighting
LED lights will allow you to see the items in your freezer more clearly. This is an essential quality if you have high-demand products like meat.
LED lighting is a great way to reduce your energy consumption. It also produces less heat than other types of lighting.
12. Upgrade to more energy-efficient models when necessary
Often, replacing your commercial refrigerator or freezer can provide significant energy savings and cost savings for your business. When a unit is older, it will be less efficient at conserving energy.
Are you looking for a service provider that can install and manage your commercial fridge units? Besides providing professional assistance and advice, The Bond Group also offers commercial fridge repair and servicing. Contact us now to learn more.
The Bond Group,
Bond House
New Road,
Sheerness
Kent
ME12 1BB
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