Meticulously Maintaining Your Walk-in Cooler

A well-maintained walk-in cooler is the only thing that stands between your restaurant and copious amounts of spoiled food. That being the case, it’s in you and your patrons’ best interest that your eatery’s cooler remain in tip-top condition. Luckily, as long as you’re consistent in performing basic upkeep, you should have no problem keeping your cooler in working order. In your efforts to keep your cooler operational, take care to tend to the following tasks.

Keep the Door Closed

While keeping the doors firmly closed may seem like a no-brainer, a surprising number of walk-in coolers break down as a result of doors continuously being propped open. Unless someone is inside the cooler, the door(s) should remain shut. As is the case with refrigerators, leaving doors open for extended periods wears out compressor motors, effectively preventing coolers from functioning properly.

Perform Regular Gasket Checks

Every few months, make a point of checking the gaskets located between the cooler panels. This will enable you to monitor for cracks and other signs of wear. If you come across any gaskets that look particularly weathered, it’s strongly advised that you promptly replace them. Fortunately, O-Reps, the Web’s foremost purveyor of walk-in cooler accessories offers amazing deals on high-end gaskets from a wide range of well-known manufacturers.

Keep the Lights Off

Just as you need to keep the door(s) shut, make sure to turn off the lights when no one is inside the cooler. Lights produce heat, which makes the compressor motor work harder to account for the increase in temperature. Like opened doors, lights that are left on can lead to prematurely kaput compressors. 

A faulty walk-in cooler can mean big problems for your restaurant. In many respects, functional coolers are the most important tools an eatery has, so it behooves responsible restaurateurs to keep them in good condition.