How to tell if your convenience store freezer is properly refrigerated

That freezer in the corner of your convenience store works wonders. Whatever it holds, from ice cream to frozen meals, pizzas, chips, fruit, vegetables or frozen Yorkshire puddings, it gives your business an extra unit to make a sale.

But how do you know if it’s cooling properly? That’s where a few extra checks and maintenance come into play.

Thermometer on shelves

First things first. Your freezer most likely has a temperature display on the outside, along with its thermostat control settings. Most of the time, these readings are accurate, but not always.

It’s important to use an internal temperature probe, placed somewhere between products in the middle of your freezer. It should, of course, be food- and freezer-safe. Take readings from this thermometer at regular intervals and record them in a log, along with the readings from the freezer’s display. An inspector will expect to see temperature monitoring readings like these.

If the numbers match up, and are consistently low (around -18 degrees Celsius for a freezer), this is a good sign. But it’s not the only check you should rely on.

Watch recovery speed after door openings

Recovery speed can give you a more accurate picture of how your customer-facing freezer performs in the real world. You’re watching to see how quickly the freezer regains its preset temperature after you leave the door open for a minute or so.

Despite your requests, you’ll always have customers who leave the freezer door or the lid of a chest freezer open for much longer than necessary. The freezer loses all that cold air, letting in heat and humidity.

At this point, an efficient display freezer should kick into gear. The compressor springs into action, removing all that heat and humidity as quickly as possible. It should only take a few minutes to get back to your preset temperature.

If it takes any longer, it’s time for some freezer maintenance, or possibly a new model altogether.

Look for excess or fast frost build-up

As a convenience store operator, the last thing you want is to spend your time defrosting your freezers. You have other things you need to get done.

Most modern commercial freezers shouldn’t need much defrosting at all, because the system runs an automatic defrost cycle several times per day.

However, yes, freezers sometimes do need defrosting, especially older models. But this should be an occasional job, say every three to six months. It needs doing whenever frost buildup reaches between 5mm and 10mm. If you find yourself needing to defrost your freezer (or freezers) every week, there’s a problem somewhere.

You might find that the heat exchange system isn’t working properly, or that your freezer simply can’t cope with how often customers open and close it.

Listen to the freezer

And this little point is also well worth a mention. Listen to your freezer for a few minutes. You can identify a surprising number of temperature-related issues from simply listening.

For example, if you never heard the compressor turning off even when nobody opens the door, that’s an issue. You’re using far more energy than you need to, indicating a struggling heat-exchange system.

Also, keep an ear out for loud rattling or buzzing, fans erratically cutting in and out, or clicking noises.

Anything like these usually indicate a problem with the fans, compressor or another electrical system component. And any issues like this will likely cause your freezer to be warmer than it should be. 

Maintenance: check airflow, inspect seals, vacuum, logs

So, what can you do to stay on top of all this?

Aside from the checks we’ve mentioned so far, conduct the following:

• Check internal airflow – all freezers need space to circulate the cold air. If someone has packed it too full, it will hamper the unit’s ability to cool itself. Consider removing some items and storing them in a storage freezer for now, and re-stocking when necessary.
• Check external airflow – freezers need space around their edges to disperse the heat they remove from their interiors. These gaps don’t have to be large, but they must meet the manufacturer’s guidelines. Check your manual for more information. Without big enough gaps, the heat exchange system can’t cool the inside air efficiently.
• Inspect seals – the seals around the door edge will eventually wear down. Wipe them off with a damp cloth. Now, place a piece of paper between the door and the seal, and close the door. If the paper slips out easily, replace the seals.
• Vacuum condenser coils – the condenser coils at the rear or underside of your freezer release the heat absorbed from inside the cabinet into the surrounding air. If these coils are covered in dust, heat can’t dissipate as efficiently, forcing the system to work harder. Vacuum them regularly to keep them working as efficiently as possible.
• Keep maintenance logs – as well as the temperature logs mentioned earlier, keep a log of all the maintenance activities you and your team perform. This is great for your records. Plus, a health inspector may want to see them, so they could be a bonus when it comes to compliance. 

Get your new freezer from Fridgesmart

Your freezer may have reached a point where it’s more cost-effective and safer to order a new one. And that’s where Fridgesmart can help. We stock commercial freezers for convenience stores, supermarkets, corner shops and a wide range of other food- and drink-related businesses. No matter whether you’re after an upright glass door freezer, a glass-lid display freezer, or a countertop freezer, we have something for you.

Get in touch with our team (hello@fridgesmart.co.uk; 01792 677169) to discuss what your convenience store needs from a freezer. We promise a commitment-free chat where we walk you through your options and help you find the perfect model to meet your budget, maintenance requirements, and stock types.