6 Reasons Your Commercial Refrigerator Might Be Leaking
Your commercial refrigerator leaking water can be stressful, no one wants a broken unit! But there's often no reason to panic, most issues can be easily fixed. We've come up with 6 of the main reasons for a leaking refrigerator and how to fix them!
1. Blocked Drain Holes
Most of the time this is the cause of a leaking refrigerator. With so many things being stored inside a commercial refrigerator, bits of food or debris can fall and end up blocking the discharge outlet. Luckily, it’s an easy fix! If the drain is accessible, try using a pipe cleaner or soft straw to remove the blockage. Blockages can be easily prevented by making sure to maintain your refrigerator, clean up any spills straight away and clean out any debris that falls from items stored inside.
⬅ How a drain hole should look, clear and free of any debris.
2. Check Your Doors Close and Seal Correctly!
If your door seals are damaged, then this can cause the unit to let warm air inside which can cause excess condensation and potential water leaks. Check your door seals for any rips or tears and if you find any, it’s time to replace them. It’s also important to properly maintain your door seals so they don’t get damaged often – never put them through a dish or glass washer, instead use a water-based cleaner and gently wipe them until they are clean, also making sure to clean inside the unit where the door seals sit.
⬅ This is how your door seals should look - if they start to get rips or tears then it's time to replace them.
3. Check The Temperature Around Your Unit
The ambient temperature around most commercial fridges needs to be above 16°c and the humidity around the unit shouldn’t be too high, either. If these things are the case they can cause a build-up of condensation, which in turn can cause water to leak out of your refrigerator. Move your fridge to a warmer (not exceeding the maximum operating temperature), drier location to stop condensation from building up.
4. Level Your Equipment
If your refrigerator is not level, or your drip tray is misaligned it can result in an overflow, which looks like a leaking refrigerator. Always ensure that your unit is level when installing it, this means that the drip tray is able to keep the water where it’s meant to be until it has evaporated. If your unit is not level, you can either move it to a location where it is level or if your refrigerator has screw feet, adjust these so it is level.
5. Keep Your Vapourising Heater Switched On At All Times (If Your Unit Has One)
This helps to disperse the condensate water collected in the drip tray, which in turn stops it from overflowing. However, it will only evaporate water so making sure that debris and other liquids don't find their way into the tray is essential to it working properly.
6. Professional Maintenance
Ensure that your refrigeration equipment is maintained by a qualified technician at regular intervals (a minimum of twelve months, depending on the environmental conditions). They will be able to detect any potential problems and fix them before they become serious issues, as well as perform necessary tests to ensure your unit is in full working order.
If you’re ever unsure about anything concerning your unit the best thing you can do is speak to a professional. Our service team is contactable Monday – Friday, 8:30 am – 5 pm on 01254 614450 or service@pentlandwholesale.co.uk and they’ll be able to help you with any issues you may be experiencing.