TEMPERATURE MONITORING

Temperature Monitoring and Optimization

Continuous tracking of refrigeration and walk-in temperatures, with early detection of drift, so a failing system is caught before product is lost. Act Hub tells you before the temperature crosses the line.

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Drift caught early

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Every location in one view

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Fixes before failures

Temperature MonitoringStore 014 · Sample location · 4 units reportingALL REPORTINGWalk-In CoolerDRIFTING38.6°FWalk-In FreezerIN RANGE−1.8°FPrep-Line CoolerIN RANGE36.4°FBeverage CoolerIN RANGE39.1°FForeSight365 flagged 1 driftWalk-in cooler warming about 0.4°F a day. Likely cause: evaporator fan.Planned service call is lined up, ahead of any alarm.BEFORE ALARM

Sample data for illustration. Figures are examples, not client results.

How it works

From a sensor reading to a planned service call.

Sensors on your walk-ins, coolers and freezers feed Act Hub. ForeSight365 compares every reading with how that system should be running, spots drift as it begins, and names the likely cause, so the first trip is the right trip.

1SensorsOn walk-ins, coolers andfreezersWalk-in cooler38.6°FWalk-in freezer−1.8°FPrep-line cooler36.4°F2Act HubHigh-frequency data feedssecurely into Act HubSecure and continuous3ForeSight365Compares each system withhow it should runExpected rangeDRIFT FOUNDLikely cause: fan motor4Planned service callThe right tech and part,before failureCause identifiedParts on the truckBooked off-peak
1SensorsOn walk-ins, coolers andfreezersWalk-in cooler38.6°FWalk-in freezer−1.8°FPrep-line cooler36.4°F2Act HubHigh-frequency data feedssecurely into Act HubSecure and continuous3ForeSight365Compares each system withhow it should runExpected rangeDRIFT FOUNDLikely cause: fan motor4Planned service callThe right tech and part,before failureCause identifiedParts on the truckBooked off-peak

Sample data for illustration. Figures are examples, not client results.

Early detection

Catch the drift, not the alarm.

A threshold alarm tells you a walk-in has already crossed the line. By then product may be at risk and the repair is an emergency. ForeSight365 watches the trend, so a slow climb in temperature, a longer defrost cycle, or a compressor working harder is flagged while the fix can still be planned.

  • Drift flagged as it begins, not at the threshold
  • Likely cause identified before anyone is dispatched
  • Service scheduled off-peak, not mid-rush
Walk-In Cooler · 30 DaysBox temperature, sample data12 days of lead timeAlarm threshold 41°FDay 9Day 21Day 1Day 30DAY 9 · ACT HUBPlanned service callFix scheduled before product is at riskDAY 21 · ALARM ONLYEmergency callProduct and service already at risk

Sample data for illustration. Figures are examples, not client results.

Walk-In Cooler · Store 014The readings behind the temperatureBox temperature38.6°FRISINGCompressor run time18.4h/day+2.1 HDefrost cycle32minLONGNormal 23 minDoor open time41min todayNORMALTypical 52 minEvaporator fan1.1ALOW DRAWDefrost termination temp46°FBELOW TARGET

Sample data for illustration. Figures are examples, not client results.

What it watches

The readings behind the temperature.

Temperature alone is a late signal. Actuate reads the equipment behavior behind it, so you see why a box is warming, not just that it is.

  • Box and product temperature
  • Compressor run time and defrost cycles
  • Door open time
  • Coil, box, and defrost termination temperatures

Optimization

Monitoring is where the savings start.

The savings are already in your operating budget. The same data that flags a failing system shows where a well performing one is wasting energy: defrost cycles that run long, compressors that short-cycle, setpoints colder than the product needs. Actuate compares actual use with how much energy a system should use under current conditions, then points to what to adjust.

Energy vs. ExpectedWalk-in refrigeration · 8 weeks, sample dataWk 1Wk 2Wk 3Wk 4Wk 5Wk 6Wk 7Wk 8Expected use for current conditionsDefrost schedule tunedDEFROST4 → 3cycles per dayCOMPRESSOR−7%run timeENERGY−6.2%vs. expected

Sample data for illustration. Figures are examples, not client results.

Portfolio Temperature Status24 sample locations · ranked by what needs attention20Low3Medium1HighAustin SouthFreezer warming, above targetHIGHNashville GulchWalk-in cooler drifting warmMEDIUMDallas UptownDefrost running longMEDIUMPlano EastPrep cooler trending upMEDIUMHouston HeightsAll units in rangeLOWSan Antonio WestAll units in rangeLOW

Sample data for illustration. Figures are examples, not client results.

Across every location

Every walk-in, every location, one view.

Your team does not grow. Its capability does. See which locations are steady and which need attention, ranked, with the next step attached. Stable systems run in the background, so a lean team covers more walk-ins without more checks and clipboards.

Temperature monitoring FAQ

Questions about temperature monitoring

What is temperature monitoring?

Temperature monitoring is continuous tracking of refrigeration and walk-in temperatures with early detection of drift, so a failing system is caught before product is lost or compliance is at risk. Actuate delivers it as temperature monitoring with ForeSight365 predictive intelligence, which traces a change in equipment behavior to its underlying problem before a threshold is crossed. Most systems tell you when the temperature crossed the line; Act Hub tells you before it does.

How does temperature monitoring with ForeSight365 predictive intelligence work?

Wireless sensors on each walk-in, freezer and refrigerated unit read the temperature and, alongside it, the refrigeration system behind it: the compressor, the defrost cycle, door activity and the unit’s energy profile, continuously. ForeSight365 looks past those readings to the equipment behavior behind them, comparing how each unit is running to its own history and to similar units that are operating well. When that behavior shifts, such as a defrost cycle running long while the temperature still looks normal, a compressor cycling more often, or a door held open at the same time each day, it traces the shift to the underlying problem and explains the correction in plain language, so the failing unit is caught while the product is still safe and the response is a planned service call rather than a full walk-in of lost product. Most systems tell you when the temperature crossed the line; Act Hub tells you before it does.

How is this different from a walk-in cooler alarm?

An alarm fires once the temperature crosses a limit, which means the product is already warm and the decision in front of you is what to discard. Temperature monitoring with predictive intelligence watches the pattern instead of the line: a defrost cycle running long, a compressor cycling more often, a door held open at the same time each day. The failure is identified while the box is still in range. Most systems tell you when the temperature crossed the line; Act Hub tells you before it does.

What does it monitor: just temperature?

Temperature is the reading; the refrigeration system behind it is what determines whether that reading holds. Alongside walk-in cooler and freezer temperature, Act Hub reads the compressor, the defrost cycle, door activity and the energy profile of the unit at high frequency. That is why a cause can be named rather than just a symptom reported: a box drifting warm because a defrost cycle is not terminating is a different problem, and a different repair, from one drifting warm because a door seal has failed.

Does this handle HACCP temperature logging?

Yes. Temperatures are recorded continuously and retained, so the log is produced automatically rather than written on a clipboard twice a shift. Automated records remove the two failure modes of manual logging: readings taken at the only two moments of the day nobody is looking, and readings recorded after the fact. They are also available per site for an inspector or an auditor without anyone assembling them. Manual line checks remain a food-safety practice; what changes is that the temperature record no longer depends on them.

What happens when a walk-in starts to fail overnight?

The drift is identified as it begins and escalated with the likely cause attached, so the decision is made while the product is still good. In practice that is the difference between a planned service call the next morning and arriving to a full walk-in that has to be thrown out. Because the cause travels with the alert, the technician who responds knows whether this is a defrost problem, a compressor problem or a door problem before leaving.

How many sensors does a restaurant need?

Coverage is by system rather than by count: each walk-in cooler, walk-in freezer, and refrigerated prep or display unit is instrumented, along with the refrigeration equipment serving them. Sensors are wireless and install without conduit, an electrician or store downtime, so most restaurants are covered in a single visit. The number matters less than whether every system that can spoil product is actually covered.

Is this the same as cold chain compliance?

Cold chain compliance is the requirement: keeping time and temperature controlled for safety (TCS) foods within safe limits through storage and handling, and being able to prove it. Temperature monitoring is how that requirement is met in a facility: continuous records rather than spot checks, and early detection so a system is corrected before product moves out of a safe range. Compliance is the obligation; monitoring with predictive intelligence is what makes meeting it routine rather than a daily task.

Can we start with temperature only and add more later?

Yes. Temperature is the entry tier, and it runs on the same platform as everything else Act Hub does, so adding other equipment, other facilities, advanced equipment diagnostics or full controls with demand based defrost is an update that Act Hub was built to handle. Most operators start where the immediate risk is, which is refrigeration, and expand once the equipment data has already proven useful.

What does temperature monitoring cost?

Pricing is per site and depends on how many refrigeration systems are covered, with the Temp Only tier as the entry point. The Temp Only package, temperature monitoring with ForeSight365 predictive intelligence for five refrigeration units, for example two walk-ins and three reach-ins, starts at $99 per month. Actuate builds a Maintenance Cost Baseline and, where utility bills are shared, an Energy Cost Baseline before quoting, so the cost is set against the modeled spend at your specific sites rather than against a list price. One avoided walk-in of lost product is the comparison most operators make first.
Next step

Start with a Maintenance Cost Baseline.

Most conversations begin with an equipment-by-equipment estimate of your repair-and-maintenance spend, built before anything is quoted or installed.

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