What Does a Commercial Refrigeration Engineer Do?

Your fridges and freezers and cold rooms work hard every day. Most of the time you are unaware of the effort. Then one morning the temperature climbs and stock is at risk. This is when you need a skilled person to arrive quickly to resolve the situation. What does a commercial refrigeration engineer do? The following guide provides a brief overview.

 

Who Is a Commercial Refrigeration Engineer?

A commercial refrigeration engineer is a qualified professional who looks after refrigeration systems in business sites. They work in shops and restaurants and hotels and food factories and warehouses fitting new and servicing old systems and resolving faults.

Their aim is to ensure your stock is kept cold and safe and your system is running at a sensible cost. A good engineer will solve problems and help prevent them.

 The Main Roles of a Refrigeration Engineer

The engineer’s role covers all aspects of installation and servicing plus fault finding and refrigerant gas handling and emergency call outs and giving advice on energy use.

 The Installation of New Systems

Many engineers spend a considerable amount of time dealing with new builds. They can be walk-in cold rooms and freezer rooms and shop fridges and display chillers. The engineer takes time to study your premises and requirements and plans accordingly.

A good cold room installationrequires a certain amount of planning and skill. The engineer selects suitable panels and a cooling unit and doors and fits these and connects the circuits and power supplies. The system is then tested before loading goods into the new facility.

 Servicing and Planned Maintenance

Servicing is a big part of a refrigeration engineer’s work. The machines need regular attention as dust and worn seals and aged components can cause small faults and eventually result in a costly repair.During the inspection, several checks are performed, for example, the coils are cleaned from the dirt or ice buildup that reduces the efficiency and increases the energy consumption of the unit. In addition, the door seals are checked for proper functioning and the possibility of letting warm air into the evaporator.

The pressure of the refrigerant gas in the circuit is tested to detect possible leaks, and the condition of the fans, controls, and alarms are also examined, and a report on the results of the work is presented.

 For example this company provides 4 visits for air conditioning unit maintenance as part of an annual contract to ensure the equipment functions correctly and meets all legal requirements. Fault Detection and Diagnosis – When a malfunction occurs, specialists can identify the cause of the failure to eliminate it promptly. They listen to your description of the fault and then carry out a number of tests. Some of the most common faults encountered are listed below

•  A fan motor that has stopped
•  A faulty controller or sensor
•  A blocked or iced coil
•  A worn door seal
•  A refrigerant leak
•  A failed compressor

Once the engineer has identified the cause, a repair will be made. Many engineers carry spares in their vans, so that a number of the most common faults can be resolved on the same day as the visit.

 Handling the Gas in Your Refrigeration System

The gas that circulates through your system is used to keep your stock at the correct temperature. However in the event of a leak the gas can have an adverse effect on the environment. As a result gas handling and filling are strictly regulated.

Engineers in the UK are required to complete approved training when working with gases. This is known as F-Gas certification and an engineer must be able to recover and charge gas into the system as well as keep records of the work carried out. Always ask to see the engineer’s F-Gas Certification when hiring their services.

 Emergency Call Outs

Systems can fail at the most inconvenient time, a weekend or bank holiday or during a busy festive period which can result in considerable losses of stock. Having an engineer on call can be crucial in such circumstances. When a call out is required the team should ask a number of questions before arriving on site for example what the system is doing and how long it has been faulty for and how much stock is at risk. They then arrive equipped with a fully stocked support van. While waiting for the engineer to arrive all doors should be kept closed to retain the cold air and, if possible, at-risk stock is moved to a back-up store or chiller. A good emergency cooling supportteam will also advise on any further actions that might be necessary.

 Advice on Energy Use

Power consumption is one of the main costs in the running of many food premises and a good engineer can provide advice on reducing this. Modifying the settings can also help.

Who Needs a Commercial Refrigeration Engineer?

Almost all food and drink businesses require the services of a refrigeration engineer at some point. Restaurants have walk in rooms, shops have display chillers factories and warehouses have large amounts of stock stored at set temperatures but the type of business can affect which system is needed and the degree of refrigeration expertise that is required.

 How to Choose a Good Company

Not all companies are the same and a few questions should be asked before hiring the service;

•  Are the engineers F-Gas certified?
•  Is the company licensed by an approved body such as Refcom
•  Do you provide planned servicing and emergency visits?

 Are genuine parts used?

A satisfactory answer should be given to each question. A company should be avoided if they refuse to answer your questions or give a reasonable cost.

 Why Choose ColdTec?

ColdTec has 15 years of experience in the sector. The company offers a complete range of industrial refrigeration services throughout the UK. The engineers are all F-Gas certified and the company holds ISO 9001:2015 certification and is also Refcom approved. The company offers installation and repair and servicing for shops, kitchens and warehouses and has a comprehensive commercial refrigerationsupport service covering display chillers, shop fridges, and heavy-duty freezers. ColdTec uses genuine parts from Copeland and Bitzer and provides a full written quotation before any work is carried out.

FAQs

• Who is a commercial refrigeration engineer?
• They are professionals who install and service and repair cooling systems for businesses.
•  Do refrigeration engineers require extra training?
• They need to complete F-Gas certification before handling the refrigerant gas in your system.

Conclusion

A commercial refrigeration engineer has a much wider role than simply repairing fridges and freezers and cold rooms. They carry out the installation of new systems and keep old ones in good working order and find and repair faults and handle the gas in your system plus deal with emergency situations. A good engineer can also help to reduce your power consumption.

The best way to protect your valuable stock is to establish a good relationship with a company of your choice before a problem arises. Ask about servicing and emergency visits and a skilled and reliable team will be on hand to give you the support you need.

 

Contact Us

Name: ColdTec Cooling Service

Phone: 020 3773 1250  +442037731250

Email: info@cold-tec.co.uk

Address: Unit 7 177 Hook Road Surbiton 

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