Large-scale commercial refrigerators are essentially what walk-in coolers are. Everything within them is kept cold and at the ideal temperature. They are utilized for a number of purposes, including as food display at retail establishments, perishable material storage, and the storage of medications and medical supplies.
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But issues with walk-in coolers can occur at any moment for a number of reasons. The buildup of dust and filth, technical difficulties, and the aging refrigeration system are some of the usual problems.
This article addresses six typical issues with walk-in coolers and provides solutions to help you understand them better.
Typical Issues With Walk-In Coolers
The same issues arise in all industries that use walk-in coolers. If you work in the food or pharmaceutical sectors and need to handle industrial refrigeration, you could already be dealing with these problems or soon will.
The issues listed below are ones you should be aware of.
1. Variable Cooling Temperature
The most frequent issue with walk-in coolers is temperature fluctuations. It may occur if the temperature sensor gives you inaccurate data due to a malfunctioning backflow prevention system.
A backflow prevention device found in refrigeration systems prevents colder gas from flowing into the refrigeration room’s condensation chamber or storage units. When this breaks down, gas builds up in the condensation chamber, which causes the condenser’s temperature to rise.
In order to offset the heat in the condenser, this rise will push the colder temperature to decrease. As a result, the temperature sensor will provide an incorrect signal, frequently indicating freezing conditions, which might lead you to make a mistaken move.
2. Water Leakage
When the evaporator melts any ice or frost and generates water, water will continuously flow from the drain pipe of a working refrigerator. After a while, if the drain pipe clogs for whatever reason, you might have to empty the water manually.
On the other hand, the walk-in cooler may begin to leak water from other areas. If the suction seal on the door weakens, moisture may collect within and seep out. It’s possible that the refrigeration system is quite old and that you are unable to fix specific parts due to their extreme wear and tear.
Mold grows in an atmosphere that is consistently wet, therefore you need to look for any signs of development if you observe water continuously collecting below the refrigerator units. Without prompt diagnosis and thorough cleaning, there may be health hazards since mold can contaminate any food, medication, or laboratory item.
3. An Odor of Strangeness
Coolant is a component found in all coolers that serves to keep the interior temperature stable and produces a consistently chilly atmosphere. It’s likely that the coolant tank is leaking if you open your fridge unit and smell something strange that doesn’t smell like food.
If the parts in your walk-in cooler are no longer as strong as they once were and it is quite old, the coolant may leak. This indicates that you should switch to a newer type of refrigerator or replace the coolant tank.
It might be risky to remove the stench of decaying food. Additionally, a very old cooler that is unable of producing enough chilling may elevate the interior temperature, which may result in food that smells stale and decaying. It also means that the walk-in refrigerator needs to be replaced.
4. Frost in the Refrigerator
Each walk-in cooler features an evaporator coil with a defrosting mechanism to control the refrigeration temperature. To prevent internal components from being harmed by ice, the evaporator fan runs continuously, melting any frost that builds up on the coil or elsewhere in the refrigerator.
Nevertheless, the accumulation of dust and debris surrounding the evaporator coil is the main cause of the defrosting mechanism’s occasional failure. The walk-in refrigerator’s inability to heat up effectively to maintain the temperature lets ice and frost build up around different areas of the appliance. All those regions get heated by this accumulation of ice, which tries to make up for the falling temperature.
Keep the ice and frost in your walk-in cooler from accumulating. If not, the internal components will eventually experience significant wear and tear.
5. Electrical Issues
Numerous electrical problems can arise with walk-in coolers, leading to significant operational difficulties. A gentle roaring noise, your cooler abruptly shutting down, and the refrigeration unit’s flashing lights are a few basic symptoms.
Frosting in the electrical components, which ultimately results in wear and tear, is one of the main causes of these walk-in cooler issues. Ice can shrink the exterior layers of any coating substance used to protect the electrical components, leading to cracking under contraction.
Additional problems include preventing adequate airflow and dust becoming trapped, particularly in the condensation coil. Debris buildup in evaporators can lead to components of the refrigeration system heating up and producing odd, loud noises.
6. Damage to the Door and Additional Components
The refrigerator’s components begin to deteriorate with age. As they wear out, the door’s sealing panel may also lose its suppleness and suction power, and other parts such as the coils, sensors, and evaporation fan may also begin to dull and break.
As was already mentioned a few times, dust and debris are among the other things that might cause harm. These prevent excess water from draining out and prevent adequate ventilation, which damages the parts by rusting and chipping them.