Why can most refrigeration breakdowns be seen coming?
Most refrigeration breakdowns start as a small change that grows over days or weeks. A compressor with worn bearings draws a little more current every day. A slow leak makes the suction pressure fall, and the compressor runs longer to hold the temperature. A dirty condenser pushes the head pressure up on warm days. The changes are too small to spot by glancing at the display, but they are plain to see in the measurements.
Maci Intelligence learns how each system normally runs and compares every reading with that. When a system starts to drift, the warning arrives with the likely cause and an estimate of how long there is before it fails. That is predictive maintenance for refrigeration based on the system’s condition, and it is why fewer faults end up as a call-out at night.
| Fault | What Maci Intelligence sees in the data | Can it be seen in advance? |
|---|---|---|
| Compressor wear | Current draw rises slowly, and the pattern of starts and stops changes | Yes, typically weeks ahead |
| Slow refrigerant leak | Suction pressure falls, and the compressor runs longer to hold the temperature | Yes |
| Dirty condenser or weak condenser fan | Head pressure and current rise, mostly on warm days | Yes |
| Iced-up evaporator, defrost not working | Defrosts take longer, and the temperature creeps up between them | Yes |
| Door left open, seal not closing tightly | The temperature rises without the system failing | No, but the alert comes as the temperature rises |
| Power cut or tripped fuse | The system suddenly stops | No, but Maci raises the alarm when the system stops |
| Forklift damage or other harm from outside | A sudden change | No |
If a system has already broken down, see refrigeration breakdown for the checks you can make yourself.
What happens between the first sign and a planned visit?
Maci Intelligence sees the drift
A reading moves away from what is normal for that particular system. The warning says what is drifting, by how much and what the likely cause is.
The right person hears about it
The warning goes by app, text and e-mail to the people you chose. If no one responds within 2 hours, it moves on to the next person on the list.
The technician is booked with the part
The technician sees the history and the system passport before setting off and brings the right part. It takes one visit in working hours.
The warning closes once the visit is logged
The technician dictates the service report in the app, and the F-gas log is updated. Afterwards you can see the readings are back to normal.
Read more about how refrigeration alarm monitoring and escalation work, and who should be on the list. The alerts in the app are described under alerts.
How can remote diagnosis and self-help save a call-out?
Plenty of call-outs end with the technician closing a door, moving a box away from the evaporator or resetting an alarm. Those are expensive minutes, especially at night. Maci Service has a chat for each system with the system’s controller manual and self-help guides in the user’s own language, so the staff on site can make the simple checks first.
The cold room shows 7 degrees. Should we call the technician?
The compressor is running normally. The temperature has risen since the door was opened at 06:10. Try this first:
- 1Check that the door closes tightly and nothing is caught in the seal.
- 2Look for ice on the evaporator behind the fan.
- 3Wait 30 minutes. I’ll tell you if the temperature doesn’t fall.
The temperature is coming down: 4.8 °C. No call-out needed.
Typical checks staff can make in a few minutes:
- Does the door close tightly, and is the seal intact?
- Is stock or packaging blocking the evaporator or its fan?
- Is there ice on the evaporator?
- Is the condenser clear, and is its fan running?
- Is there power to the system, or has a fuse tripped?
If staff are unsure, they call the technician as they do today. When the technician does have to come out, they have seen the readings and the likely cause before leaving. That is remote diagnosis of the refrigeration system: the fault is narrowed down before the journey, and the part comes along.
What does a call-out cost, and what can you save?
In Denmark a typical call-out is about 15 minutes’ work and costs around €360 excl. VAT once surcharges and travel are added. On top come the call-outs where the part is missing and the technician has to return, and the stock thrown away if the cooling is off for hours. See more in what a refrigeration breakdown costs.
Work it out with your own figures in the calculator. The price of Maci Intelligence depends on the number of systems and sensors and is given as a quote after a short review.
How we count: what does “up to 90% fewer call-outs” cover?
“Up to 90% fewer call-outs” is the upper limit of how many call-outs Maci can remove. The figure covers two kinds of call-out:
- Call-outs caused by faults that develop gradually and show in current, pressure and temperature before the system fails. Here the warning typically comes 3 to 6 weeks ahead, and the fault can be fixed on a planned visit in working hours.
- Call-outs that can be handled without a technician at night: staff solve it with the guidance in the app, or the technician can see from the readings that it can wait for a planned visit.
| Type of call-out | Covered by the figure? |
|---|---|
| Wear in compressors, bearings and fans | Yes |
| Slow refrigerant leaks | Yes |
| Dirty condensers, icing and failing defrost | Yes |
| Doors, seals, stock blocking the evaporator, an alarm that needs resetting | Yes, when staff can solve it with the guidance |
| Power cuts and fuses outside the system | No |
| Forklift damage, vandalism and other harm from outside | No |
| Sudden faults with no warning, such as an electronic component failing | No |
| Statutory inspections and planned service | No, they are not call-outs |
The figure assumes the sensors are on the system, the warnings go to someone who acts on them, and the planned visit happens before the fault becomes urgent. At an FM company where almost all call-outs are of the two kinds above, the reduction can approach 90%. Where many call-outs have other causes, the overall reduction will be smaller.
In the meeting we go through your own call-outs from the past year and see how many of them the figure covers. That gives you an estimate that fits your systems.
Questions and answers
How many call-outs can Maci remove?
Up to 90% of the call-outs caused by faults that develop gradually and show in the data, and of those that can be solved by remote diagnosis and self-help. Call-outs because of power cuts, forklift damage or sudden faults with no warning are not included. How we count.
How early does the warning come?
Maci Intelligence typically warns 3 to 6 weeks before a breakdown. That leaves time to plan the visit in working hours and order the part before the system stops.
What happens if a fault comes suddenly?
Then Maci raises the alarm by app, text and e-mail, and the alert moves on to the next person on the list if no one responds within 2 hours. A sudden fault can’t be predicted, but you hear about it quickly, so the stock can be moved in time.
Can staff fix faults without a technician?
Often the simple ones. The chat for each system has its controller manual and self-help guides in the user’s language, so staff can check the door, the seal, ice on the evaporator and the power before anyone calls. If they are unsure, they call the technician as they do today.
What is remote diagnosis of refrigeration systems?
Remote diagnosis means the technician sees the system’s readings and the likely cause before setting off. The fault is narrowed down in advance, and the right part comes along, so it takes one visit.
Do we have to change refrigeration contractor?
No. Your current contractor can receive the warnings and be on call on the list, and their technicians can become Maci partners.