Cold Room Repairs And Maintenance
Cold room repairs and maintenance are essential as building a cold room is expensive even more costly to upkeep if not looked after properly. Without proper maintenance checks, you may need to invest a lot more in getting a cold room repair done.
Imagine if your cold room took approximately six months to set up, repairing can often take longer. This is because unlike other rooms in the building a cold room is built upon multiple layers. These layers include but are not limited to insulation modules and an efficient refrigeration system. If your cold room has been flagged for much-needed repairs, chances are an expert team may need to do a thorough sweep to identify the root cause of the problem. This may not only take a lot of time but will also include a hefty cost as teams strip through the layers to identify the root cause.
However, to prevent such a hefty charge on your monthly expenses, we recommend doing a sweeping check of the main parts of the cold room regularly. This will help identify problems in a timely manner and save you from future troubles.
Addressing the issues on cold room repairs
Any number of problems can warrant a cold room repair. However, by identifying problem areas in a timely manner, you can sometimes get away with a smaller maintenance check as well.
Here are some of the common problem areas to keep an eye out for:
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Condensation
Cold rooms are designed to keep the moisture out. However, if you notice droplets of water on any surfaces including walls, then chances are your cold room may need some repairing in certain areas. If the cold room was achieving the desired optimal temperature, then condensation would not be taking place. A great place to start is with the insulation system. It is recommended that you check the insulating rubber sealing around the openings to determine if they are performing optimally. If these are moist or wet with mildew and mold forming, then the sealing may be causing the condensation within the cold room.
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Ice or Frost
Ice or frost in any of your appliances such as fridges and deep freezers is not a good sign. If you notice ice or frost in the following places, then you may need to get a cold room repair done:
- Cold room door
- Evaporator coils
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Ice build-up on surfaces inside
Ice or frost is a sign of inefficient cooling. This means the temperature within the cold room is not held constant. This may be due to unnecessary high exposure to warm air from the outside which is also letting humidity travel within the cold room. The constant fluctuation in temperature is causing the system to run over time because of the ice build-ups leading to inadequate airflow supply.
Although freezers and cold rooms need to be set at low temperatures, chunks of ice forming are never a good idea especially if you need to defrost your cold room often.
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Unhealthy Sounds
Your cold room’s refrigeration system is meant to make some low-key noise, however, any excess levels of noise are not healthy. Essentially, the refrigeration system is responsible for making some sounds. While a quiet whirring is considered normal, consistent buzzing or cranking is not healthy. Depending on the refrigeration system installed in your cold room, the cooling fan or fans may need some maintenance and cleaning. However, if the fan or fans are cleaning and well kept, but there is still some noise, we recommend calling some experts to take a look at the different components of your refrigeration system.
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Increased Electricity Bills
When appliances are not running at optimal levels, a lot of times this is identified via higher than usual electricity bills. If you notice any changes in your electricity bill, we recommend getting a thorough maintenance check done to identify any issues in the refrigeration system installed in your cold room.
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Material Spoilage
One of the initial signs of your appliance not working at optimal levels is when you identify material spoilage. Cold rooms are designed to enhance the overall shelf life of products stored within them. However, if you notice things going bad, then chances are there is a fluctuation in the temperature levels within the cold room. If you notice the thermostat is not highlighting the preset temperature that the cold room is set on, then chances are your refrigeration system needs a thorough check-up.
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Ineffective Insulation Curtains
If your cold room has insulation curtains to help reduce the amount of air transfer between rooms, then keeping a close eye on their maintenance levels is also important. Insulation curtains are made from high-grade vinyl material but are naturally susceptible to wear and tear.
If they are not resting snugly from roof to floor, or have tears and damages then they will not be able to perform at an optimal level of protecting warm air from entering. Before you are forced to repair or replace certain aspects and arts of your refrigeration system, we recommend doing a thorough check of your insulation curtains to ascertain their viability. Insulation curtains are easily replaceable and do not cost as much as replacing and repairing the refrigeration system.
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Structural Damage
As mentioned earlier, cold rooms are designed and constructed over layers. While this helps ensure structural stability, there is also a chance that any of the layers and parts may become damaged. Cracked walls, doors, or insulation damages can cause the cold room envelope to stop working efficiently. Keep a close eye on the structural components of your cold room such as the door should close properly and there should not be any cracks on the walls. If identified, these issues must be resolved immediately to ensure optimal working conditions.
Conclusion
Cold rooms are only as good as the temperatures they are able to uphold. Any damages in the structure or refrigeration system can cause a domino effect where other parts of the cold room may start to fail as well. To ensure the healthy working of your cold room, experts recommend that owners undertake regular maintenance checks.