For a restaurant, café, pub or food business, the coolroom is one of the few pieces of equipment that can stop trade overnight. Most coolroom breakdowns give warning signs first — and a simple routine catches them early.
Here’s a practical checklist we recommend for hospitality and food businesses.
Daily
- Check and record the temperature. Food safety rules require potentially hazardous food to be kept at 5°C or below. A logged reading at opening and closing is the simplest early warning you have.
- Keep the door closed and the doorway clear. Propped doors and overloaded shelving in front of the evaporator are the most common causes of warm coolrooms.
- Look for ice build-up on the evaporator coil, ceiling or floor.
Weekly
- Inspect door seals for splits, gaps and damage, and make sure the door closes fully on its own.
- Check the floor and drain area for water pooling, which can point to a blocked drain or defrost problem.
- Listen to the plant. New noises, rattles or the compressor running constantly are worth reporting early.
Monthly
- Clean around the condensing unit and make sure leaves, boxes and rubbish aren’t restricting airflow.
- Check strip curtains and door heaters if fitted.
- Review your temperature log for slow upward trends.
Leave these to a licensed technician
Some tasks need a refrigeration technician — and refrigerant work legally requires an appropriately licensed person:
- Cleaning evaporator and condenser coils properly
- Checking refrigerant charge and testing for leaks
- Testing defrost, controls, fans and electrical components
- Inspecting insulation panels, joints and door hardware for damage
For most commercial coolrooms, a professional service at least every six months is a sensible starting point, with more frequent visits for busy kitchens and freezer rooms.
Signs you need a service now
- Temperature creeping above setpoint or taking longer to recover after deliveries
- Heavy ice on the evaporator or around the door
- Water on the floor or a blocked drain
- The compressor running constantly or cycling on and off rapidly
- Unusual noises, or tripping breakers
Need help with your coolroom?
Treadies installs, services and repairs coolrooms, freezer rooms and commercial refrigeration across Perth and Sydney, under ARCtick authorisation AU52285. See our refrigeration services or contact us to book a service.