LOOK AFTER YOUR FRIDGE IN THE WARM WEATHER

Just as healthcare is 24/7, your medical fridge provides a 24/7 service, 365 days of the year. Many Shoreline fridges celebrate their 10th birthdays, a fact we are particularly proud to shout about and testimony to Shoreline’s reputation for reliability. So how can you help your medical fridge reach this golden age?

As the warmer weather is upon us, your medical fridge may need some special attention, especially if left in a warm room for the weekend! Here are some ‘medical fridge warm weather care’tips:

Your medical fridge needs to ‘breathe’ to work efficiently. As the surrounding temperature rises, the fridge motor will need to run longer to keep vaccines safe and below +8c. Running longer means the fridge will get hotter, compounding the raised temperature issue.

Airflow around the medical fridge is very important to ensure correct temperature performance is maintained. An unventilated room will only circulate warm air and a pharmacy fridge may struggle to maintain its optimum performance temperature of +5⁰C as the surrounding air temperature increases. Room temperatures could reach up to +40⁰C in hot weather over a long hot weekend.

If doors and windows need to be locked over weekends then consider buying, or hiring a portable air-conditioner or some inexpensive desk fans positioned over the rear of the fridge. Monitor room temperature regularly by using a simple MAX/MIN thermometer during closed periods. Perhaps consider moving your fridge to another cooler room if you know its current location could be problematic in hot weather.

Your pharmacy fridge is designed to maintain an internal air temperature of +5⁰C (+/-3⁰C) and a free flow of air around it at all times is an important factor in ensuring this temperature is achieved – your fridge may fail if airflow is inadequate.

Avoid positioning near sunny windows and small closed rooms at all costs.

To summer-rise!:

• Keep your fridge away from bright sunny windows.
• Allow plenty of air around the fridge – move it forward away from the wall if necessary.
• Do not keep your fridge in closed windowless rooms unless air-conditioned.
• Keep your fridge door openings to a minimum.
• Monitor room temperatures – particularly over weekends.

Try to keep your fridge cool at all times. If in doubt contact the manufacturer.

For further details and advice, please contact Shoreline (UK) Ltd “Tech Support Team”

Shoreline Medical Refrigeration, Littlehampton, West Sussex

Tel: 01903 733877 ask@shoreline-medical.co.uk