Running a leisure business means having a bar fridge or two to showcase your drinks and beverages. That refrigerator equipment keeps your drinks at the best serving temperature that your patrons love.  

Whether you’re using it for a leisure business or as catering equipment, preventive and regular maintenance is essential to keep the unit in optimal performance.  Proper maintenance for your fridge will extend its lifespan and ensure that your items' quality is not compromised. 

By doing basic maintenance a few times a month, your bar fridge functions better and uses less energy.  

Keeping the Exterior Sparkling Clean

Aesthetics is very important when running a leisure business.  Your fridge has to be presentable to your customers and staff. It must be well-sanitised and cleaned. The good thing is, the exterior of a fridge is easy to maintain. 

It’s even easier if it's built with stainless steel.  The rule for cleaning a stainless steel fridge is to never use soap-filled scouring pads or any harsh cleaners. Using a gentle soap or a stainless steel cleaning solution, wipe the surface then dry.   

For painted or coloured fridge exteriors, you can use warm water and mild soap to wash the enamel surfaces. Then wipe to dry using a microfiber cloth.

Cleaning the Insides of Your Fridge

It’s important that your fridge not only look good on the outside but also smells fresh and clean on the inside. After all, it's the space where you stash those drinks for your patrons. 

Germs and bacterias are in the doors, walls, and shelves of your unit. Create a regular schedule to do general cleaning, ideally twice a month. If something spills, clean it right away. Make sure to take out items that are past their expiration date. If something smells off, then that is a sign that the interior has to be cleaned and sanitised. 

Eliminate Ice Build-up

Defrosting is essential for bar fridge maintenance. Whether you have a self-defrosting unit or a manual one, it should be regularly defrosted.

We do not recommend using sharp tools to remove ice build-up. Instead, use a wooden spoon. 

Most of the time, the build-up is tough to scrape off. Do the hot water trick. Fill a bowl with hot water, place it inside the unit and let it steam. It will accelerate the melting of the ice, making it easier to remove the build-up.

If your fridge builds up ice more than it should, then it might need a professional check.  Occasional thin layers of ice are not a sign that your unit is faulty. But, there shouldn’t be blocks of ice on the walls or any compartments. 

Keep it Filled with Drinks All the Time

Yep, the volume of items you store in your fridge affects its performance. Sounds unlikely? Not really. Fridges need thermal mass to maintain their optimal temperatures. 

When you open the fridge,  those cold drinks and beverages you stored absorb the warm air from outside. This makes the unit use less energy to refrigerate the items properly. A filled fridge will help reduce temperature fluctuations due to inadequate thermal mass. 

If you do not have enough inventory to fill your bar fridge, simply stash in water bottles to help balance its thermal mass.  Now while it's important that the unit stays filled, it shouldn't be overloaded. There must be enough space to allow air to flow throughout the unit to effectively chill all items inside. 

Check the Gasket Seal

The refrigerator’s gasket seal is one of the most overlooked parts. When they're not sealing properly, the coldness escapes from the unit. The leaking cold air risks the quality of your drink and also leads the unit to consume more electricity. 

Create a schedule to check your bar fridge’s gasket seal. Ensure that this part is properly cleaned.  Dirt and grime accumulated affect the sealing efficiency of the gasket.  

A bar fridge’s gasket seal has to be moisturised. You see, when the gasket seal dries out, it hardens and shrinks. With it, the door may not properly lock leading air to escape. A tiny amount of petroleum jelly after wiping clean can improve the lifeline of the seal. Remoisturizing the gasket seal helps it get back to its top shape. 

If the gasket is torn or damaged, there's no other trick than to replace it. 

Know the Signs When to Change Filters

If your commercial fridge has filters, then they should be cleaned and changed. The way you clean the filters will depend on your unit type. Follow the manufacturer’s manual for instructions. The rule of thumb is to change filters twice a year. 

Signs that the fridge needs filter replacement:

• Water coming from the fridge smells off.
• Black specks in the water.
• Filter lights flash. 

Clean Your Bar Fridge’s Condenser Coils

There is no particular schedule for cleaning up a fridge's condenser coil. But if your space is particularly dusty or greasy, then it's highly recommended to clean the fridge’s condenser every two months. 

Condenser coils are responsible for making your fridge's compartment cool down to your desired temperature. Dirty coils can lead to temperature inefficiency which makes the unit work harder, thus, consuming more energy. 

Locate the coils. They're usually placed at the back, top, or behind the unit. Before cleaning, unplug the unit. Remove the base grilled if you can. Dust out dirt, grime, hair and other dirt accumulated in the coil. 

Signs Your Fridge May Need Service

No matter the make and model of your fridge,  there may come a time when it needs service or repair. It's important to know the signs when to have your bar fridge serviced. 

Unusual Loud Noise

While a fridge may not be completely noise-free, any excessive noise than usual can be an indicator that there's something wrong with the unit. If you hear unusual humming or buzzy sounds, then your equipment needs a check-up before the problem persists. 

Overheating

Fridges generate heat under normal operation but that heat is usually limited to the rear parts of the unit. If the fridge's side and front case feel hot to the touch, there might be something that needs to be fixed in its coils and compressors. 

Excessive Power Consuming

Modern fridges are built energy efficient. We're assuming you have picked the most energy-efficient one you could find. If your fridge starts to use a spiking amount of electricity than usual, then it's definitely time for a check-up.

Too Much Condensation

A little condensation is not a sign to be alarmed. But when the unit is soaked with condensation, then the fridge needs a check-up. It's usually because the air is escaping from somewhere in the unit.  

Does Your Commercial Bar Bridge Need a Check-up?

We are committed to keeping our reputation as one of the most trusted refrigeration equipment and catering equipment suppliers in NZ and Australia. We’re always here when you need us. If you have acquired a bar fridge or a bain marie from us and you think something’s not working properly with the unit, don’t hesitate to reach out. You can contact us via email at  sales@leadingcatering.com.au