What Are The Effects Of Freezing In Commercial Refrigerators?

Ice in a commercial refrigerator may look cool, but it's not. There are many reasons, but simply put, frosting and icing are bad because they cost money.

Icing prevents the freezer from running properly, causing the compressor to work overtime to keep the temperature at ideal conditions. When the frost builds up and excessive defrost cycles are required, this inevitably leads to higher energy bills as temperatures are kept cooler.

Frost and icing can also cause freezer burn. This ultimately destroys the integrity of the food. When ice crystals form on valuable ingredients in an operation, they can spoil the flavor, aroma, and even the safety of food stored in the freezer.

In order to prevent cost reductions due to icing, you must first understand the cause of icing. If warmer, more humid air enters the refrigerator, the cooler, drier air inside converts this water vapor into solid ice. This comes in the form of crystals that form on walls, ceilings, and yes, even floors. Ice on the floor creates a dangerous slipping hazard for kitchen staff.

Freezing can occur for a number of reasons. Maybe the door didn't seal properly or the timed defrost function was out of date or incomplete. Regardless, to eliminate the possibility of frost or ice formation, a smart defrost system is required.

A smart system, or on-demand system, is a commercial refrigeration defrost system that operates only when actually needed. Unlike other options that run defrost cycles based on a manual timer, the smart system kicks in when frost is detected.

An important aspect of demand defrosts systems is that they can be retrofitted into existing refrigerator and freezer configurations.

Eliminate Freezer Frosting

On top of that throwing away spoiled food or running the compressor when you don't need it is a huge waste of money. The good news is, whether you're a new food service operator or an existing one, there's an easy solution.

By using "smart" technology to eliminate frost build-up, on-demand defrosting offers some of the greatest cost-saving opportunities in commercial kitchens.