As high temperatures continue across the UK, commercial kitchens are coming under added pressure, with Airedale Group urging hospitality businesses to plan refrigeration maintenance in advance rather than waiting for equipment to fail.
Periods of hot weather can further strain commercial refrigeration, as fridges, freezers and cold rooms work harder to maintain the correct temperatures needed to safely store food and drink.
Equipment failure can quickly become more than just a maintenance issue for business owners and teams. A breakdown can put stock at risk, interrupt service, affect trade and leave the business facing an unexpected repair bill.
Around four in five critical refrigeration call-outs are linked to maintenance differences
Data from across Airedale Group’s refrigeration specialists, Flowrite Services, demonstrates the difference a planned approach can make.
Analysis of two similar UK hospitality and foodservice operators, each with approximately 500 sites, found a significant difference in refrigeration call-outs between an operator using planned preventative maintenance (PPM) and one relying on reactive support.
During July 2022, which also saw record-breaking temperatures exceeding 40°C, the operator with twice-yearly planned refrigeration maintenance recorded 42 critical refrigeration call-outs, compared to 216 for the operator without PPM in place, resulting in 81% fewer breakdowns.
Looking across a full year, PPM meant the business recorded 38% fewer breakdowns overall.
The findings highlight why businesses should consider refrigeration maintenance before temperatures rise, when any developing faults can be identified and addressed before equipment comes under greater strain, and the demand for emergency support increases.
Refrigeration warning signs kitchen teams should be looking for
Alongside scheduled maintenance, operators shouldn’t wait for equipment to stop working before raising a concern. Changes in how equipment is running can provide an early indication that something needs attention.
During hot weather, teams should particularly look out for:
- Refrigeration struggling to hold temperature: If a fridge or freezer is taking longer than usual to reach the set temperature, fluctuating more frequently, or running constantly, it could be an early sign that the system isn’t working as effectively as it could be.
- Error Codes, equipment sounding or behaving differently: Unusual noises, excessive heat or equipment running for noticeably longer than normal shouldn’t simply be put down to the warmer weather.
- Small issues becoming more frequent: Repeated resets, intermittent faults, or the same problem recurring after a temporary fix can indicate a broader issue that needs investigating.
For operators, spotting these signs earlier and having scheduled maintenance in place can mean more control over when and how a problem is addressed, rather than being forced to react once equipment has already failed.
With hotter periods becoming an increasingly common challenge for businesses, the focus should be on maintenance before equipment comes under peak pressure, rather than relying solely on emergency call-outs when something goes wrong.
Terry Clark is the Publisher and Content Director of 365 Retail, with more than a decade of experience covering retail design, technology innovations, store openings and the wider retail industry. He also works closely with leading retailers, suppliers, agencies, events and industry awards across the UK.
