If your business relies on a cold room to safely store fresh food, pharmaceuticals, or other perishable goods, it is always important to deal with any problems that arise as quickly as possible. A distinct smell coming from your cold room's interior may be unpleasant, but it can also be a useful early warning sign of mechanical problems or other issues.
If you notice any of the following types of smells in your cold room, call in a professional cold room repair service to determine the cause of the odour and repair any issues that may be causing the smell to arise.
Sweet, chemical smells
If the interior of your cold room produces an artificially sweet, cloying smell, vacate the area immediately. This sweet smell may be caused by a leak in your cold room's refrigerant gas lines. Refrigerant gases are highly toxic, and while most cold rooms are too well ventilated to allow the gas to build up to dangerous levels, it's always better to be safe than sorry.
If the sweet smell is caused by a refrigerant leak, you may notice other signs that something is wrong with the cold room. A continuous hissing noise, ice build-up around the evaporator coils, and overall loss of refrigerant power are commonly caused by refrigerant leaks. You may also notice that the cold room uses significantly more power than usual.
If you suspect your cold room has a refrigerant gas leak, call in a professional cold room repair service as soon as you can to find and fix the source of the leak. These services can also refill your cold room’s refrigerant supplies, getting your cold room back up and running safely as quickly as possible.
Rotting smells
If you use your cold room to store vegetables, meats or other fresh produce, you may notice an unpleasant rotting smell from time to time as items expire before they can be used. However, if you notice a persistent rotting smell, and prematurely rotting produce is becoming a frequent occurrence, your cold room may not be keeping your perishable goods at a sufficiently cool temperature.
A variety of problems could be causing your cold room temperature inconsistencies. If any of your cold rooms fuses or circuit breakers have been tripped, electrical problems may be undermining your cold room's refrigeration efficiency. Problems with the cold room's thermostat can also create excessively warm temperatures; use a thermometer to compare the thermostat readout with the actual ambient temperature inside the room.
Problems with your cold room's insulation can also cause produce to rot before its time, allowing excessive amounts of warm air to enter the cold room. If your cold room has been in use for many years, or the area around the cold room has recently been remodelled, some of the insulation may be degraded or damaged and will need to be professionally replaced.
Musty smells
Preventing the spread of mould is vitally important in any cold room, and if you detect a musty odour, it may signify that mould has already taken hold. When mould does start to proliferate inside a cold room, it usually starts to spread in hidden, poorly ventilated areas, such as the walls behind shelves or densely stacked crates. Use suitable mould removal compounds to remove any mould deposits you find.
Mould can also be caused by liquid condensation accumulating on the walls, floor and ceiling inside your cold room. This is another problem that may be caused by damaged or insufficient cold room insulation. Excessive moist air entering the room through a faulty vapour seal around the cold room door can also cause mould. Have the insulation and vapour seal(s) professionally inspect and, if necessary, replaced.
By acting swiftly whenever you detect an unpleasant odour in your cold room, you can tackle mechanical issues and prevent expensive product losses. If you have any more questions about cold room maintenance, contact the cold room experts at
Cool Air Conditioning Pty Ltd
today.
