ColdroomMarch 16, 2016by ADKFour Most Common Cold Room Problems And Possible Solutions

Cold rooms are often used in industrial and food manufacturing set ups.  They are very useful for storing large quantities of ingredients and food for restaurants and cafés for instance, to ensure that they get the maximum shelf life from their produce while ensuring they are hygienically safe to use.

As with anything really, especially refrigeration set-ups like cold rooms, as well as proper maintenance, if you are the owner or operator of such a room, you should also make a point of becoming familiar with some of the more common problems that can affect it.  Determining the problem and what might be causing it can help you work out whether it is necessary to contact a company with cold room maintenance experience, such as adk.co.uk if you live in London or the south east of England.

In the following post we will look at what we believe to be four of the most common problems you could face with your cold rooms, the causes of these problems and some possible solutions.

Unable To Switch The Refrigeration Function On

Possible Causes

If you are unable to switch the refrigeration function on it could be the sign of a number of different issues, including:

  • Actual switch is broken
  • A loose connection at the power source
  • Too low or too high line voltage
  • Circuit breaker is not functioning properly or at all

Possible Solutions

In the first instance, you should check the switch by trying to switch the refrigeration off and then on again.  If still nothing happens, you can also check if the power is connected to the mains properly and that the line voltage is suitable for the refrigeration system you are using.

Products Are Rotting

Possible Causes

If products stored in your cold room are rotting before they should be, then the most likely causes are:

 

  • Temperature is too high, especially for products and ingredients stored on the higher shelves
  • The products were rotting already before you stored them

Possible Solutions

It is crucial that you always check products and ingredients for any that are overripe or damaged before putting them in your cold room.  If you know the room has an unbalanced temperature, you should be aware that the products kept on the higher shelves will be exposed to warmer temperatures, due to the fact warm air travels upwards.  Always stack products wisely with this in mind and remember that as well as rotting them, high temperatures can also make them age quicker.

While Some Products Over-Freeze, Others Do Not

Possible Causes

If some products stored in your cold room are over-freezing while others are not, the cause could be:

  • The freezing air that comes from the evaporator coils is directly reaching the products
  • There are products that are too closely stored next to the coils
  • The products are not arranged and stored properly

Possible Solutions

It is worth considering the installation of some form of restraining device beneath the coils that will deflect the cold air from it.  When arranging and stacking products, do it in a way that enables the cold air to travel freely around the room, and where possible stock the majority, if not all the products in the lower parts of the room.

 Products Have A Build-Up Of Water

Possible Causes

When the products stored in your storeroom have a build-up of water in them, the possible causes of this could be:

  • A warm temperature around the product
  • Frozen products having contact with warm products
  • Defrosted water that has leaked on to the product

Possible Solutions

One of the first things you need to check is that the defrost drain tubes do not have a leak which is causing them to drip water onto products.  As another preventative solution you could think about stacking the warmer products somewhere else in the room away from products that are already frozen.

If you are having any of the above issues and need quick & professional help, call our office to arrange an engineer visit: 0208 831 8900

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