Many problems with commercial refrigeration are site problems. A site survey looks at whether the unit will fit in its position with clearances for doors and airflow, whether it can be carried in through doorways, stairs and lifts, whether the room is ventilated or will trap heat, and how hot the space gets in summer. It also checks the power supply: socket rating, wiring, earthing, voltage stability and whether a stabiliser or dedicated circuit is needed.
For remote systems and cold rooms, the survey also covers where the condensing unit will go, piping routes, drainage, structural support and access for future service. In coastal cities, it may identify salty air that calls for corrosion-resistant condenser coatings; in dusty locations, the need for more frequent condenser cleaning.
A restaurant opening on the first floor of an old building in Old Delhi might discover during a site survey that its planned two-door reach-in cannot pass the narrow staircase, and that the kitchen has no exhaust. Both are far cheaper to solve on paper than on delivery day.