Paint Commercial Refrigerator Skins Made Of G90 Galvanized Steel To Protect Them

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Restaurants often call commercial refrigeration services to repair broken fridges, but repair companies are also able to perform preventative maintenance. Specifically, they can paint the skin, which is the outermost part of a refrigerator's walls, which may help extend the appliance's life if the skins are made of G90 Galvanized Steel. Not all commercial refrigerators' skins are constructed from G90 Galvanized Steel, but many are. If you run a restaurant that has refrigerators with skins made of this metal, here's how having the skins of your restaurant's refrigerators painted could help them last longer.

The Four Kinds of Commercial Refrigerator Skins

Each of the four metals used to make commercial refrigerator skins has advantages and disadvantages.

  • stainless steel resists rust and scratches, but is expensive
  • galvalume is strong, but it will eventually rust and is the second-most-expensive option
  • aluminum won't rust easily, but it will dent and is typically more expensive than steel
  • G90 galvanized steel is inexpensive and strong, but it will rust faster than the other three metals

Because G90 galvanized steel is the least expensive of the four metals used, many restaurants' commercial refrigerators have G90 galvanized steel skins. If you looked for an inexpensive model when you purchased your restaurant's commercial fridges, they probably have these kinds of skins. If you're unsure, ask your commercial refrigeration service the next time they come to service your refrigerators.

G90 Galvanized Steel Will Eventually Rust

G90 galvanized steel isn't a bad choice of skin, especially if your restaurant was or is on a tight budget, but it needs to be protected. Unlike the other metals used for commercial refrigerator skins, it will eventually rust—and you'll have to invest in a new refrigerator.

Steel, which is an alloy of carbon and iron, rusts when the iron comes into contact with water. Fred Sense explains that when iron (Fe) contacts water (H2O) a chemical reaction occurs that forms iron III hydroxides (Fe(OH)3). This compound is wet but eventually dies to form iron III oxide (Fe2O3), or rust.

The other metals won't rust like G90 galvanized steel will. Stainless steel has chromium added to it, which prevents this reaction from occurring. Aluminum doesn't contain iron, so iron III oxide can't form from it. Galvalume is a mixture of stainless steel and aluminum, and thus won't corrode.

Paint Will Protect G90 Galvanized Steel

Painting your restaurant's refrigerators' skins will keep them from rusting—even if they're made of G90 galvanized steel. Paint creates a barrier between the steel and any water that may spill or condense on the skins, so that the two molecules never come into contact with each other. Because the water and iron won't ever contact each other, the chemical process that forms iron III oxide will not proceed.

Have Your Refrigerators' Skins Painted

By asking your commercial refrigeration service to paint your refrigerators' skins, you can ensure that your restaurant's refrigerators will last for a long time. When scheduling a time to have them painted, you'll want to interupt your restaurant's workflow as little as possible and make sure the job can be done as quickly as possible. You can do this by scheduling the service

  • during the offseason or slow season if you operate a seasonal business 
  • on the day before your restaurant receives a shipment so that inventory is as low as possible
  • during a slow daypart or when your restaurant is closed

To figure out a time that is good for painting your refrigerators' G90 galvanized steel skins, contact your commercial refrigeration service (such Pro-Staff Mechanical Inc). The sooner you can have the job done, the quicker the refrigerator walls will be protected.

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