ALFRESCO FRIDGES – Frequently Asked Questions & Important Information

Direct Sunlight will impede fridge performance. It is recommended that the unit be in a covered area and away from contact with sunlight or other variables which will heat up the area in which the fridge is located. Glass door fridges work harder than a normal domestic fridge, especially when your desired temperature is set low (approximately 2°) for the beer chilling. Exposure or contact with sun, rain, water or hear sources should be avoided at all times. Fridges located inside will generally perform more efficiently due to the average lower temperatures.
The fridges require minimal ventilation. However, they do vent from the back and therefore a space of at least 10mm is required each side and 30mm above the unit, and a minimum 60mm at the rear. Cool air is drawn in under the unit and the air circulates so that when warm air is vented from the rear it can easily rise and clear rather than being sucked back in to the cool air inlet. Failure to provide adequate ventilation will make a fridge work harder, lower its life expectancy and increase your energy consumption. Compressor failure is not covered under these circumstances.

This is the actual temperature of the outside air in the area the fridge is located. All units are rated 38° or 43° depending on the model. When ambient temperatures exceed these, it takes far longer for the units to get the set temperature. If you’re planning a party on a hot day, we would recommend filling the fridge the night before with as many cold ones as possible to help the fridge maintain the temperature during the hot day. Adding warm drinks on a hot day can result in a long chill time, especially when the doors are opened and closed repeatedly by you and your guests. Condensation can and will occur on the doors depending on the humidity level in your area; it is normal and unavoidable in some areas and weather conditions.

These are commercial fridges therefore the dB rating is between 45-55db. You will hear the compressor cut in and out as the fridges goes through the normal operation of running, and it is not unusual for a compressor to turn on/off up to 10 times per hour. A normal domestic fridge may be around 35dB. The internal evaporator fans do run continuously whilst the fridge is on.

All fridges should not be returned on for a minimum of 2 hours after relocation, transport or movement.

Oil in the compressor will be relocated to the walls of narrow ducts and needs to find its way back before operation. Failure to let a fridge “settle” can result in compressor failure and an expensive repair which is not covered under warranty. The fridge will run more efficiently when it is full of product. This is because the fridge has to only chill about 25% of the air volume of what it would normally chill if empty. When first starting a new fridge, it is best to load it up with drinks and let it run for 24 hours. This effectively runs it in and will settle it into its normal operation. The thermostat control in most commercial fridges has a variance of 3-5°. This means that if you set it for 2° it will turn of at 2°, but will need to get to 5-7° before it starts up again. As the fridges have an electronic display and you see 7°, don’t panic. It is perfectly normal as the temperature probe is measuring the air temperature, and not the temperature of your drinks. Without being too scientific, the air temperature may get to 7° but the drink will only have raised 1-2° from the fridge turned off, so will quickly return to 2°.