Saving money on refrigeration is important for the success of the business. The display refrigerators are among the highest consumers of energy in restaurant and catering business. They are also an essential part of this business. You cannot run a food catering business without proper refrigeration. The food needs to keep fresh and nutritious. There is also a need of storing large stocks of food products. The huge stocks of food product are required in food business but if you do not have adequate storage space then it can all go to waste. Without proper cold storage your money will be spent in vain and there will be a lot of food wastage.
There are several easy and simple tips which can ensure that the energy efficiency of the catering fridges. Having energy efficient refrigerators saves so much money. There are several ways money can be saved and energy can be saved on catering refrigerators. Most of the ways in which energy can be saved are affordable and very simple.
Here are some of the useful tips for saving energy on catering fridges from UK. Efficient refrigeration helps in reducing the overall cost of food business.
Turning the door heaters off:
Turning off the door heaters of the catering appliances can save a lot of money. The heaters should be turned on only when there is a significant frost on the door. If there is water dripping on the floor from the front of the appliances. Once the heaters get rid of the frost, keeping the heaters on is unnecessary. Turning them off when not needed can save so much energy.
Allowing better air circulation:
The catering refrigerators should not be installed in tight spots. The refrigerators should be installed so that there is better air circulation. If the air circulation is unhindered then the energy consumption of the appliance will be lowered. Heat can build up pretty quickly if the refrigerators are installed in tight spots. If the appliance gets heated, its life is shortened and it loses its efficiency. It also consumes more energy. Installing the appliances in the right place is very important for energy efficiency of the fridges.
Cleaning condenser and evaporator coils:
If the condenser coils and the evaporator coils are not cleaned, the energy consumption of the appliances can increase significantly. Dirty condenser and evaporator coils can create a blockage in the air flow. The blockage in air flow can lead to maintenance problems as well. Maintenance can lead to spending a lot of time and money. Cleaning the coils can save money and time.
Setting defrost cycles:
The defrost cycles should not be run too long. A defrost cycle that is 15 minutes is long enough for a day. The time of the defrost cycle can vary according to the appliance. The length of the defrost cycle should be adjusted very carefully. A lot of energy can be saved by setting the right length of defrost cycle.
Insulation of the suction lines:
The refrigerant is transported to the compressor through the suction lines. In the remote refrigeration, the suction lines are important for the efficiency of the appliance. It is important that the suction lines are kept from adsorbing heat during refrigeration system. Insulating the suction lines makes the refrigerators energy efficient. The energy consumption can also be reduced significantly. It is not very expensive either.
Checking the refrigerant charge:
If the refrigerant in the refrigerator is at low level, then it can put extra strain on the compressor. There is a small window on the condenser through which the refrigerant level can be tracked. If the bubbles can be seen in the refrigerant while the appliance is running. It means that the refrigerant needs to be recharged.
Replacing the old gaskets:
The crack in the door gaskets can be cause of high energy consumption. It is important that the seals are kept air tight so that the cold air does not escape from the refrigerator. If the gaskets get old and they are no longer air tight then they need to be replaced.
Using self-closing doors:
The self-closing doors are the best way of decreasing the energy consumption of the appliance. The cold air can escape if the doors are opened again and again. The self-closing doors make sure that the doors are not left open, even by mistake.