If you own a cafe, food shop or restaurant and are seeking to boost your profits, updating your catering equipment is an excellent investment. For example, an professional electric crepe maker or waffle maker allows you to serve delicious, freshly cooked snacks at any time of day, while a commercial refrigerated display case showcases sandwiches, drinks, cakes, desserts, salads or seafood. 

Refrigerated display cases are the ideal cold presentation for food retail. Customers can easily view and find the desired products, and items are presented at the optimum conditions. 

Commercial refrigerated display cases are designed to maintain the right temperature to display and store food and drink items during opening hours while providing an appealing presentation to customers. Unlike closed refrigerated cabinets, open-display fridges must be well constructed to prevent cold air loss. Commercial refrigerated display cabinets are available in both vertical, high-capacity models and horizontal units for positioning at the point of purchase.

Grab-and-go packaged food products such as sandwiches and salads are very popular with customers and are an excellent way to increase sales. So a refrigerated display case that keeps food fresh is ideal for meeting customer demands in bakeries, restaurants, airports, businesses and schools. 

The lifespan of a refrigerated display cas

A wide range of countertop refrigerated display cases is available, and there are several factors to bear in mind when purchasing one. Naturally, as well as size, style and price, the expected lifespan of this equipment is a significant consideration. The average service life of a commercial refrigerated display is around ten years. However, many other factors, such as initial quality, use, maintenance and environment, come into play and can create a deviation from the average.

If you have a display refrigerator that is several years old, you may find it is starting to experience maintenance issues which increase the cost to the owner. So do you keep repairing it or purchase a new one? When deciding whether to replace or repair, consider the following factors: 

Maintenance

Cleaning the evaporator and coil on a monthly schedule can extend the useful life of a refrigerator by 30 - 50%. Conversely, a lack of maintenance will decrease the efficiency of the refrigerated display case and shorten its lifespan. Dust and debris on the coils make the condenser work harder, and this, in turn, reduces the compressor’s life. In addition, a lack of maintenance means that the compressor must run longer to maintain a cold temperature when resting. For example, a seven-year-old refrigerator or refrigerated display that has not been adequately maintained will probably be experiencing a range of issues, and its efficiency will be more like that of a twelve-year-old fridge. Therefore, you should consider replacing it. 

Application

In a low-use setting, for example, in a church hall, a refrigerator may only be opened a few times a week and will maintain the temperature the rest of the time. Low use will extend its life by 10 - 25%. However, a refrigerator in a busy kitchen or shop that is running 18 hours a day with the doors opened and closed hundreds of times places high demands on the compressor. In this instance, the cabinet exterior and interior will undergo wear and tear - it will become unsightly and also be hard to clean. So it is advisable to replace it in year eight or nine. A refrigeration failure is expensive, especially in a busy food operation where you include the cost of spoiled food and loss of customers.

Cost of ownership

Not all commercial refrigerated display cases are of equal quality. Cabinet durability and compressor technology have a significant effect on ownership costs. For example, a refrigerator with a stainless steel interior with 10 cm of insulation and a large compressor could last up to 15 years with proper maintenance. On the other hand, a light-duty display case with an undersized compressor will need more repairs and will have to be replaced sooner.

How to maintain a refrigerated display case?

Maintenance requirements for a refrigerator will depend on the type of unit and its location. Ensure that air moves freely across the coils by placing the fridge on a level surface and allowing enough space around it.

• In a busy commercial environment, you should clean a refrigerator once a week. If your display refrigerator is outside, where it may get dusty or dirty, you will need to clean it more often. 

• Remove dust and dirt from the grills with a soft brush, then vacuum lightly. Next, clean the interior and exterior with mild detergent and warm water, and wipe with a clean cotton or microfibre cloth. Never use harsh chemicals or steel wool, as they may damage the surfaces.

• Check the temperature daily to ensure it is in the correct range, and examine the door seals for damage.