The buildup of ice in your commercial freezer might look cool, but it's not. There are a whole host of reasons, but simply put, frost and icing are bad because they cost money.

Icing can prevent freezers from operating properly, causing compressors to work overtime in order to keep temperatures at ideal conditions. When frost forms and excessive defrost cycles are required, this inevitably causes energy bills to rise as temperatures are kept low.

Frost and icing can also cause freezer burn. This ultimately damages the integrity of food. As ice crystals form on an operation's valuable ingredients, they damage the flavors, aromas and even the safety of food products being stored in the freezer.

In order to prevent the cost-eating results of icing, you must first understand why ice builds up in the first place. If warmer and moister air enters a freezer, the colder and dryer air inside the freezer will transform those water vapors into solid ice. This takes form in crystals, which builds up on walls, ceilings, and yes, even floors. Ice formation on the floors presents a dangerous slip hazard for kitchen staff.

Ice buildup can happen for a variety of reasons. Perhaps a door doesn't seal properly or timed defrost functions are ill-timed or incomplete. Regardless, in order to eliminate the possibility of frost or icing, a smart defrost system is required.

A smart system, or an on-demand system, is a commercial refrigeration defrost system that only operates when it is actually needed. Unlike other options that run defrost cycles based on manual timer, a smart system will kick in when frost buildup is detected.

One great aspect of on-demand defrost systems is that they can be retrofitted into existing refrigerator and freezer configurations.

The bottom line is throwing out damaged food or running a compressor when it's not needed is a huge waste of money. The good news is there's an easy fix whether it's a new foodservice operation or an existing one.

On-demand defrost can result in some of the largest cost-saving opportunities in a commercial kitchen by eliminating frost buildup using "smart" technology. 

Find out more about this type of defrost control by watching this short but comprehensive animation that explains how it works.