Preventive maintenance: how to avoid costly breakdowns in your cold room?
In a city like Brussels, where restaurants, food service businesses, food shops, and laboratories are constantly bustling, having a reliable cold room is not a luxury, but an absolute necessity. Whether you are a caterer in the Saint-Gilles district, a butcher in Ixelles, or a hotel manager in Uccle, your products must be kept at the right temperature at all times.
But what happens when a malfunction occurs? A cold room breakdown can cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars: expired food, interrupted service, dissatisfied customers, and in some cases, health penalties.
Fortunately, there is a simple and effective solution to prevent this scenario: preventive maintenance. Still overlooked by some professionals, this proactive approach allows you to detect the warning signs of a problem and significantly extend the life of your refrigeration equipment.
In this article, we explain everything you need to know to keep your installation running at peak performance, reduce your operating costs, and ensure business continuity. Because at Frigotec Brussels, we know that anticipation is the key to success.
Why do cold rooms break down?
1. Lack of regular maintenance
Like any technical equipment, a cold room is subject to wear and tear over time. Without cleaning and inspection, mechanical parts and refrigeration circuits can deteriorate silently, eventually causing a sudden breakdown.
2. Accumulation of dust or frost
Condensers and evaporators are sensitive to dirt and moisture. When dust or frost builds up, they lose efficiency. As a result, the system overheats, consumes more energy, and risks shutting down.
3. Refrigerant leak
A lack of refrigerant gas (such as R290, CO₂, or other natural fluids used by Frigotec) leads to a drop in thermal performance. The interior temperature no longer remains stable, which puts your products at risk.
4. Ventilation failure
Proper air circulation is essential to the functioning of a cold room. A blocked fan or clogged filter causes cold air to stagnate, and sometimes a sudden rise in temperature.
5. Worn or defective components
An electrical relay, a temperature sensor, a worn-out motor… These small parts can cause major breakdowns if they are not checked and replaced in time. Preventive maintenance allows you to identify these faults before they cause downtime.
Curative or preventive: which approach should you choose?
Many companies wait until a problem arises before calling a refrigeration engineer. This is known as corrective maintenance: we intervene to repair the damage. But at this stage, it is often already too late. The loss has already been incurred.
Preventive maintenance, on the other hand, is based on a logic of anticipation. It consists of:
Inspect the installation at regular intervals (every 3 to 6 months, depending on usage).
Check temperatures, pressures, tightness, leaks, fluid levels, etc.
Clean sensitive parts: filters, condensers, evaporators
Testing alert and control systems
At Frigotec Brussels, we offer customized preventive maintenance contracts tailored to each type of cold room, depending on its size, use, and the customer’s requirements.
The concrete benefits of well-implemented preventive maintenance
Preventive maintenance is not simply a technical choice or an administrative formality. It is a genuine risk management strategy that offers direct benefits for your business, your profitability, and your peace of mind.
1. Significant reduction in breakdowns
By identifying weak signals—such as decreased performance, unusual noises, or temperature variations—regular preventive maintenance allows you to take action before the problem becomes critical. This avoids unexpected downtime that can ruin a day’s work or, worse, a shipment of fresh produce.
2. Extending the life of equipment
A well-maintained cold room can last 10, 15, or even 20 years without any loss of performance. Conversely, a neglected system will begin to deteriorate after only a few years. Simple cleaning, lubrication, or seal replacement operations carried out as part of a preventive maintenance contract play a decisive role in the longevity of your installations.
3. Improved energy efficiency
Clean, well-adjusted components consume less energy. A well-calibrated temperature sensor, a defrosted condenser, or a well-ventilated compressor can make a big difference to your electricity bill. With energy prices continuing to rise, optimizing the efficiency of your cold room is becoming a crucial financial issue.
4. Compliance with health standards
Inspections by the AFSCA (Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain) impose strict requirements in terms of temperature, storage, and traceability. By integrating preventive maintenance into your daily management, you can avoid unpleasant surprises during inspections, while guaranteeing food safety for your customers.
5. Fewer emergency interventions… and greater peace of mind
Emergency repairs cost more, take more time, and always happen at the worst possible moment: during busy periods, high traffic times, or important deliveries. With a planned preventive maintenance program, you gain stability, predictability, and ease of management.
What does preventive maintenance with Frigotec Brussels include?
At Frigotec, we know that no two customers are alike. That’s why our preventive maintenance contracts are tailor-made, flexible, and adapted to the realities on the ground.
Here is what we provide during a standard service call:
✔ Complete inspection of the refrigeration unit
Refrigerant circuit inspection
Pressure and temperature control
Testing of electronic and mechanical components
Checking joints, relays, and sensors
✔ Nettoyage professionnel
Defrosting if necessary
Dust removal from filters, condensers, and evaporators
Cleaning fans for better air circulation
✔ Prestatiediagnose
Electricity consumption assessment
Analysis of operating cycles
Proposed improvements or adjustments
✔ Detailed visit report
Tracking document for your internal traceability or in case of inspection
Personalized recommendations
✔ Support and advice
Reminder of good daily habits
Alerts on components to monitor
Forecasting upcoming replacements
Our team of refrigeration technicians is certified and trained in the latest technologies, including installations using natural fluids such as CO₂ or propane (R290), in full compliance with environmental standards.
Frigotec: your responsive partner in Brussels
Located in the heart of the capital, Frigotec Brussels responds quickly to calls in all municipalities of Brussels and the surrounding area (Ixelles, Etterbeek, Uccle, Forest, etc.). Our customers appreciate not only our responsiveness, but also our long-term support.
With our preventive maintenance contracts, you benefit from:
Personalized support with a dedicated contact person
A flexible intervention schedule
Available 24 hours a day in case of emergency
And preferential prices on repairs and parts
We know that in your line of work, every degree counts. That’s why we treat every customer with rigor, transparency, and professionalism.
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