Maintenance

Commercial refrigeration maintenance reduces breakdowns, extends equipment life, and keeps your food safety records compliant. Our planned maintenance programme for London food businesses includes twice-yearly engineer visits, F-Gas leak checks, full temperature verification, and written service reports for every asset on site.

Refrigeration equipment that is regularly maintained lasts significantly longer than equipment that is only attended when it fails. Condenser coils blocked with grease and dust force compressors to work harder, shortening their life and increasing energy consumption. A twice-yearly maintenance visit costs a fraction of a single compressor replacement.

What Our Maintenance Programme Includes

Our planned maintenance contracts are tailored to your site's refrigeration inventory. The following checks are carried out on every visit.

Temperature Verification

We measure and record temperatures across all refrigerated zones using calibrated temperature probes. Where temperatures are found outside the manufacturer's specified range or the FSA-required limits, we identify the cause and agree a remediation plan. All temperature readings are logged in your service report.

Condenser Coil Cleaning

Blocked condensers are the single most common cause of premature compressor failure in commercial refrigeration. We clean all condenser coils using compressed air or foam cleaner as appropriate for the equipment type. Clean condensers run cooler, use less energy, and last longer.

Refrigerant Level Checks and F-Gas Compliance

Refrigerant leaks in commercial systems can go undetected for months, wasting refrigerant, reducing cooling performance, and causing compressor damage. We check refrigerant levels on every service visit and carry out F-Gas leak checks in line with UK regulatory requirements. Systems containing over 5 tonnes CO2 equivalent must be leak-checked at least annually under UK F-Gas regulations.

Door Seal Inspection and Replacement

Worn or damaged door seals are a major source of energy loss and temperature instability. We inspect all door gaskets on every service visit and replace worn seals. A single failed door seal on a cold room can increase energy consumption by 15% or more.

Controller Calibration

Refrigeration controllers drift over time. We calibrate all temperature controllers and verify that defrost cycles are operating correctly. Incorrect defrost settings cause ice build-up on evaporator coils, which restricts airflow and reduces cooling efficiency.

Drainage Checks

Blocked condensate drainage causes water accumulation inside refrigerated units, which can trigger electrical faults and hygiene issues. We check and clear drainage on all units as part of our standard maintenance visit.

Written Service Report

Every maintenance visit generates a written service report covering all checks carried out, temperature readings, refrigerant records, and any remedial actions recommended. This report is emailed to you within 24 hours of the visit and stored on our digital system for instant retrieval.

Maintenance Contract Options

We offer two maintenance contract tiers for London food businesses.

Standard Maintenance Contract

Two planned visits per year, covering all checks listed above. Includes labour for routine maintenance work carried out during the scheduled visit. Emergency call-outs are available at standard emergency rates.

Priority Maintenance Contract

Two planned visits per year plus priority emergency response. Clients on our priority contract receive guaranteed engineer attendance within 4 hours of an emergency call, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Priority contracts also include a 20% discount on parts and labour for repair work carried out outside scheduled visits.

The Business Case for Planned Maintenance

Many London food businesses question whether a maintenance contract represents good value. The numbers are clear.

The average cost of an emergency call-out in London, including parts and labour, is between £350 and £800. A cold room compressor replacement costs between £800 and £2,500 depending on capacity. Stock loss from a single refrigeration failure can easily exceed £5,000 for a busy restaurant.

Our standard maintenance contract for a typical London restaurant site costs significantly less than a single emergency call-out. The return on investment comes from reduced emergency call-out frequency, extended equipment life, lower energy bills from clean, calibrated systems, and compliance documentation that satisfies your FSA food safety management requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

How often should commercial refrigeration be serviced?

The British Refrigeration Association (BRA) recommends a minimum of two service visits per year for commercial refrigeration in food service environments. High-volume operations with continuous use refrigeration may benefit from quarterly visits. Our engineers will recommend the right visit frequency for your site during the initial survey.

Does a maintenance contract cover emergency call-outs?

Our standard contract includes the two scheduled visits but treats emergency call-outs as separate chargeable events. Our priority contract includes guaranteed 24/7 emergency response with preferential labour rates. We recommend priority contracts for operations where refrigeration failure would cause immediate food safety risk.

Can you take over maintenance from our current refrigeration contractor?

Yes. We carry out a site survey and produce an asset register of all refrigeration equipment before taking over a contract. We confirm the current condition of all assets and agree a programme to bring any deferred maintenance up to date.

Contact our London team to arrange a free site survey and a maintenance contract proposal.