19

Apr

How To Clean And Maintain Your Ice Cream Freezer?

If your food business sells ice creams in any capacity, then you will be using a commercial ice cream freezer for displaying the ice cream and keeping it frozen yet soft. As it’s an important appliance for your business, you must ensure that it functions smoothly. For that, you have to stay on top of its cleaning and maintenance requirements. You can do cleaning yourself, but maintenance is recommended to be done by a commercial appliances repair expert. But apart from that, you can do many things that can minimize issues and breakdowns. Let’s get started!

Cleaning A Commercial Ice Cream Freezer

Daily cleaning of ice cream freezers is vital, but once or twice a month, a deep cleaning is also important for abiding the food storage codes and keeping your stock fresh and free of contamination.

Pick A Date And Time

If you have already created a cleaning schedule for your commercial appliances, you might have a date and time with you to deep clean the ice cream freezer. If you haven’t yet, you should choose a day when the sales are slow and the time should be right after you close so that you can clean the appliance and let it dry in the end till the morning. The right time depends on how your business operates and what works best for you and your staff while keeping the operation smooth for customers.

Unplug It

A basic but important step is to unplug the ice cream freezer before cleaning or maintaining it. You can turn off the switch on the appliance or remove the power cord. Experts suggest removing the power cord because it’s considered safer.

Unload The Ice And Ice Cream

The next thing to do immediately is to take out ice and ice cream from the appliance and keep it in a freezer or cooler. It’s important to discard the ice and use fresh ice after cleaning the ice cream freezer.

Regarding the ice cream, make sure you never keep ice cream in the freezer that’s past its use-by date because it can cause mold and bacteria growth in the freezer, which can affect the health of your customers and also impart a bad taste to your ice cream.

So, if the ice cream is not usable anymore, discard it and only keep the leftover ice cream in the cooler, for now, that’s still fresh.

Let The Interior Reach Room Temperature

Initiating the cleaning process right after plugging off the ice creamer freezer can lead to damage like cracked interior. So, wait for at least a few hours after turning off the appliance. This step is ignored by many people which can cause premature wear and tear to their ice cream freezers.

Take Out All The Removable Items

Now that the wait is over and your ice cream freezer has reached room temperature, take out all the parts of the appliance that are removable. It may be drawers, shelves, etc.

Clean The Interior

Use a microfiber cloth and dip in a mixture of warm water and soap or cleaner to remove stains. Choosing the correct cleaner is vital because the wrong one can cause abrasion and damage to the interior. Consult the user manual or an expert to pick the right cleaner. If you’re dealing with tough stains on the interior walls, use a soft-bristled brush to clean them.

Then, wipe the entire interior with warm water and a cleaner. After wiping, rinse the interior with warm water to ensure no product residue left on the interior of the appliance.

Use a vacuum cleaner to clean the condenser fins. Make sure that you don’t take the cleaner too close to the fins or put any pressure because this can bend the fins. This will make them ineffective and will need to be repaired or replaced.

After that, clean the glass from the inside as well. The outside part can be cleaned when you clean the exterior. You may have to use a glass cleaner recommended by the manufacturer. However, if the manual allows you to use the same cleaner you employed for cleaning the interior, then go ahead with that cleaner.

During cleaning, don’t put anything in the air-inlet and outlet valve else the airflow and cooling performance of the ice cream freezer will suffer.

After cleaning all the interior parts, make sure to let it dry. In the meantime, you can go ahead and clean other parts.

Clean The Cabinet Door And Its Seal

The cabinet door is opened and closed countless times during operation so you have to keep it clean as you use it. However, during deep cleaning, you must clean it with a cleaner and warm water. Check the seals and wipe dirt and debris off them. If they are too stiff, you may even need to replace them.

Vacuum The Condenser

You should never use a hose on the rear of the ice cream freezer where the condenser, compressor, and other important parts are housed. Use a vacuum cleaner to clean the area or use a microfiber cloth for dusting.

Clean The Exterior And The Removable Parts

Now, wipe the exterior of the ice cream freezer with the manufacturer-recommended cleaner and warm water. After that, clean the removable parts.

Let Everything Dry

Plug in the ice cream freezer only when everything including the interior, exterior, glass, and removable parts are dry.

Ice Cream Freezer Care Tips

Run The Ice Cream Freezer Empty For 1-2 Hours Before Stocking

After cleaning or defrosting, you must plug it in and let it run empty for about one or two hours. When the time is up, you can safely stock the freezer with ice cream and frozen products.

Don’t Place It Too Close To A Wall

There should be enough distance (a few inches) between the nearby object or wall and the ice cream freezer so the heat is dissipated efficiently. If not, the wall or the object will obstruct the vent. This will overheat the unit and also cause ineffective freezing.

Keep The Cabinet Door Closed When Not Taking Out Ice Cream

It’s part of the training of staff members who use ice cream freezers. They have to make sure to close the door after they take out ice cream for the customers. Because if the door is left open or not closed properly, the freezer will use more power to freeze the ice cream. Plus, this can spoil the ice cream as well.

Don’t Keep The Ice Cream Freezer Under Direct Sunlight

No refrigeration unit apart from an air conditioner’s outdoor unit can function well under direct sunlight. If an ice cream freezer is under direct sunlight, it will use more power for refrigeration. In spite of that, the ice cream might melt. If the location of the unit is not changed and the ice cream freezer is operated like this for months, the appliance might require repairs more often.

Conclusion

For your ice cream to be delicious, fresh, and healthy, prepare a schedule for daily cleaning and monthly deep cleaning. Moreover, follow the ice cream freezer care tips to avoid common mistakes and extend the lifespan of your commercial appliance. In case of any issue, consult an authorized ice cream freezer repair Fairfax service.

29

Sep

Solved: Ice Cream Freezer Is Melting Ice Cream

No one wants to buy ice cream or gelato that appears to melt even in the ice cream display freezer. So, if your ice cream freezer is not keeping the ice cream frozen or there are crystals on the ice cream, it can directly impact your business. Therefore, you should get help from commercial appliances repair services. In case you want to try a few fixes yourself, here is what you can do.

Check The Power

Like other appliances, ice cream freezers also show a clear light indicator that it’s receiving power. So, no power is out of the equation. But if the power cord, the outlet, or any other wiring is malfunctioning, the unit might not receive power constantly.

The freezer will run fine for some time and due to the mentioned issues, the power might cut off for a few seconds only to resume again. This cycle might keep repeating. It can affect the performance of your ice cream display counter and the ice cream might start melting.

What to check? Inspect the power cord and the power outlet for damage. Make sure the power cord is firmly plugged into the power outlet, there is no visible damage on the cord, and the outlet is fine.

Temperature Settings

Many times, incorrect temperature settings are the culprit of ice maker issues. Check the temperature settings and make sure they are optimal. Keep in mind the outside temperature as well when setting the temperature.

However, the temperature control panel or the thermostat may be faulty if you’re setting the correct temperature and the ice cream is still melting inside the freezer. Hire an appliance repair expert for the inspection of the temperature control panel and other components of your ice cream display freezer.

Obstructed Vents

Gelato display freezers have vents inside the unit and on the exterior as well. Both these vents should be unobstructed.

The vents inside the ice cream freezer can get blocked by spillage or ignoring regular cleaning of the inside of the freezer. Due to this, the airflow is affected. You will notice that the ice cream display counter is not maintaining temperature as it was before. You might also see that the ice cream is melting even inside the freezer. So, make sure to keep the vents clean.

There are also vents on the exterior that are to remove heat from the coils of the ice cream freezer. These can get clogged by ignoring regular cleaning of the exterior of the appliance. Moreover, another reason is obstructed vents. If the ice cream display freezer is too close to a wall or an object is blocking the vents,  heat won’t be properly removed from the coils which will hinder the performance of the unit. The freezer won’t be cold enough and the ice cream will melt.

So, if your ice cream is showing problems, clean it daily, and make sure nothing is obstructing the vents of the freezer.

Don’t Store Ice Cream In The Ice Cream Display Freezer

If you have less space or feeling tired, you might want to leave the leftover ice cream in the ice cream display freezer till the next morning. But remember that ice cream display freezers are for displaying ice cream during business hours. They are not for storing ice cream or any other item.

If you don’t follow this advice and keep the ice cream freezer running even in the off-time, ice will build up and it will make it difficult for the freezer to maintain temperature. With temperature issues, the ice cream will melt even when inside the freezer.

To avoid this, remove everything from the ice cream freezer and store it in a freezer that you use for storing frozen items. Turn off the ice cream freezer so it defrosts. This should be done at the end of each day. If you can’t do this daily, do it at least once a week.

Some ice cream display freezers have storage freezers as well apart from the display freezer. If you have one of those, make sure to defrost the ice cream freezer once a month.

Clean The Freezer

We mentioned the importance of cleaning in an earlier point and how ignoring it can block the vents and negatively impact their performance. Let’s know how to clean your ice cream display freezer.

  1. Turn off the ice cream freezer, unplug it, and let it be for some time so its temperature reaches room temperature. Cleaning a freezer right away after turning it off can lead to cracks in various components.
  2. Remove any ice cream and keep it in a storage freezer.
  3. Take out all the removable shelves and other parts to clean them separately. Use a cleaner recommended by the manufacturer to avoid problems.
  4. Wipe the internal parts of the freezer.
  5. Clean the doors, especially the door seal.
  6. Dry the unit with a cloth or leave it to air dry overnight.
  7. Put the shelves back into the freezer.

This thorough cleaning is required usually once a month. However, don’t forget daily cleaning because it’s as important. Keep in mind that if your region is too humid, there’s a lot of food spillage, or there was a power outage that lasted for hours, you should clean the ice cream freezer more often.

Check The Doors

The doors of ice cream freezers are frequently used. Many times, the door may not be closed properly. It can allow warm air to reach the freezer and cold air to escape. Now, when the door is wide open for selling the ice cream, it’s for a short time, but if the door is left improperly closed, it may be for many minutes or hours. So, instruct your staff to close the door properly every time

In some cases, the door seals are worn and even when the staff member closes the door properly, it doesn’t seal and allows some air to escape. This can also be the reason your ice cream freezer is not maintaining the temperature well and melting the ice cream or crystals form on the ice ruining the softness of the ice cream. Have the door seal repaired or replaced by a professional.

Is The Fan Running?

If your ice cream freezer has a fan that blows hot air from the exterior vents of the ice cream freezer, check to make sure that it’s running. If not, clean the internal parts of the freezer. In case the fan doesn’t work, the fan motor may be blown.

Get The Whole Unit Inspected

If you checked the above-mentioned things and the ice cream freezer is still melting the ice cream, get the whole unit inspected. There could be low refrigerant levels, the unit may be overheating, or the compressor may be malfunctioning.

Many kinds of problems can occur and if your ice cream freezer is too old and requires repairs often, you may be better off replacing the unit instead of spending more money on replacing expensive components like the compressor.

Conclusion

As you can see an ice cream display freezer struggles to maintain the temperature or melts the ice cream due to many reasons. To save time, hire a ice cream freezer repair Springfield technician who can properly inspect your unit and fix the issue.

25

Mar

What kind of refrigeration is best for a restaurant?

Refrigeration system is the integral part of any restaurant kitchen. Restaurant refrigeration ranges from small coolers, ice-machines to colossal walk-in freezers, refrigerators, and everything in between. It is important to choose the right refrigeration units according to needs and requirements of your commercial kitchen, and it is also important to hire the True refrigerator repair services for proper maintenance of your refrigeration appliances.

Buying Restaurant Refrigeration

Carefully purchasing the right type of refrigeration units for your restaurant will help you in running your restaurant smoothly and will be an add-on for staff members. Before investing in any refrigeration appliances, you need to figure-out what kind of appliances you really need in your commercial kitchen. The concept and size of your restaurant will play an important role in deciding what refrigeration appliance you should buy.

If you have small space for kitchen, then a large walk-in refrigerator won’t be suitable for it. If you serve a lot of frozen foods, such as chicken wings, fries, and onion rings, then you will to have to buy a big freezer. There are plenty of refrigeration appliances for commercial kitchens, you should wisely invest your money in right appliances.

Types of Restaurant Refrigeration

Reach-In Coolers

Reach-In Coolers are useful in kitchen and bar of the restaurants. These refrigeration units are low to ground, and have 2 or 3 doors. These refrigeration units should not be placed near cooking area. You can install them in waiting area.

Refrigeration Drawers

Refrigeration Drawers are under counter refrigeration. These refrigeration units are great for small commercial kitchens. They can be installed directly into a cooking line and can store poultry, seafood or meat for the grills.

Walk-In Coolers

Walk-In Coolers comes in various sizes. They can be as small as closet and big as the living room. These refrigeration units can store big boxes of produce, blocks of cheese, buckets of food, and anything else that are bulky, large and perishable. You can select the size of your walk-in refrigerator as per the needs and requirements of your commercial kitchen.

Restaurant Freezers

Restaurant Freezers are like coolers. They can be walk-ins or reach-ins. It is good to remember that commercial freezers are not for storing or making ice. Instead, buy an ice machine for this purpose. The overuse of freezer may cause failure and you may end up with the task of ice cream freezer repair.

02

Apr

Common Problems of a Commercial Ice Cream Freezer

The last thing ice cream shop owners want is to have a malfunctioning ice cream freezer. Commercial equipment such as ice cream freezers is designed to be used for long hours per day. However, these kinds of equipment are also prone to potential damage just like any other machines. That is why it is important to choose a reliable ice cream freezer repair company in case your machine breaks down without warning.

Common Ice Cream Freezer Issues

If you love ice cream and want to cater to ice cream lovers as well, an ice cream freezer is an important investment for your business. There are a lot of ice cream freezer machines out there, so it’s important to choose one that will last you for years. But at some point, calling commercial freezer repairs services may be necessary.

As mentioned, all commercial equipment is prone to sudden breakdowns even though they are meant to last for long hours of usage. Having malfunctioning equipment can stress you out because it can greatly affect your business. In the event of equipment breakdown, you should call professional repairmen immediately to save your day.

Among common ice cream freezer issues you need to watch out for include the following:

  1. Power

If the freezer function does not work, it may be due to a defective power source so make sure to check if the power cord is plugged in properly. Also, check whether the cord is damaged or the fuse is working properly. If one or both of these show signs of damage, they should be replaced immediately. But if you think the freezer itself is broken, you should contact a commercial kitchen appliance repair service provider immediately.

  1. Light

If your ice cream freezer lighting does not turn on or off, check whether the lamp and lamp socket has any damage or signs of corrosion. In such cases, you should replace them immediately.

  1. Thermostat

Aside from power issues, your ice cream freezer may also have problems with the thermostat. The latter may be the reason why the machine does not cool up the way it should do. You can try adjusting the temperature to check whether the thermostat is working properly.

  1. Compressor

If the compressor is producing a bee-like sound, consider replacing the compressor coil. Also, check whether the fan, evaporator, and condenser coils work as well. Make sure that the coils do not have leakages. For early signs of freezer damage, have it checked with professional ice cream freezer repair companies near you.

The importance of defrosting a freezer machine

Freezer machines including commercial ice cream machines, ice makers, and refrigerators all have a self-defrosting mechanism. This function is meant to melt excess ice, to maintain cleanliness, and to maximize the freezer’s function. It is important to defrost regularly and have the freezer checked by commercial ice maker repairs companies as well.

On one hand, you can do the defrosting yourself. As mentioned, most freezer machines have a self-defrosting mechanism for easier ice melting and cleaning. On the other hand, you can also hire commercial refrigerators repairs specialists to help you with defrosting.

These professionals can also provide additional tips on proper care for your commercial ice cream freezers. Also, make sure to determine your machine’s maximum capacity to prevent premature damage and additional stress on your part.

Impact of icing problems to your freezer machine

Not defrosting your freezer can cause problems on your machine in the long run. That is why it is important to defrost regularly. Ice build-up may be due to improper sealing or leaving the equipment’s door not properly closed. Apparently, warm air from the outside causes icing issues.

Ice buildup may also occur on your evaporator coil due to fan problems. Likewise, ice can also form on the freezer’s insulation panels that can cause equipment malfunction and even take a toll on your utility costs. The latter can happen especially if the machine is more than a decade old.

If left ignored, it can damage its components and eventually the machine itself will be deemed useless. It may also be beyond repair and you may have to buy a new machine, which can be quite expensive, by the way.

Hire professionals now

For any signs of freezer malfunction, don’t delay – call the best commercial kitchen appliance repair in Fairfax now. Let the professionals do their job – and learn additional tips for taking care of your commercial ice cream freezer machine. After all, it is an important investment, so you have to take care of it as well and serve you for many years.