Is your refrigeration ready for calving?

A Quick refrigeration Check

Each year at the start of calving, we have a number of refrigeration callouts that could be avoided with a bit of prep work. 

Here is a quick check you can perform before milk hits the vat to ensure a smooth start to the new season: 

• Fill the vat with enough water to cover the agitator paddle.  
  
  
• Turn on the refrigeration. 
   
• Check that the thermostat is working. 
   
• Check that the vat refrigeration unit starts and at least one fan is running. 

• If you have more than one fan and the second fan isn’t running, this does not necessarily indicate a fault, it could simply be that the ambient temperature isn’t high enough.
  
  
• Watch the vat thermostat to see if the temperature is dropping while the vat refrigeration unit is running. 

• The refrigeration unit should turn off once the desired temperature is achieved (4–5 °C).