How It Works

Some health departments in the US require that vending machines and refrigerators be NSF or NAMA certified. This certification ensures that any machine that is over 41 degrees for more than 30 minutes will automatically lock down and disallow further transactions.

Byte Technology refrigerators now have a setting that is certified NAMA-compliant. This setting allows a Byte store to automatically lock down if the temperature reported back from the store’s regular 10-minute heartbeats measures greater than 41 degrees. 

• Note: This data can be found in the Stores section and under the Status tab for each store. 

This lockdown prevents any customer from purchasing from the store. In order to remove the lockdown, an associate does have to physically go to the store, log in and remove the lockdown. They will have to check the temperature at the physical location and reset the system by way of a restock login to the tablet screen. Once all restock steps have been completed and the store registers below 41 degrees for 3 consecutive Heartbeats, then the store will be back open for business. 

Step Overview

1. Adjust default store temperature using the settings panel on the refrigerator door.
   
2. Adjust cooler settings for defrost cycle.
   
3. Contact the Byte Technology support team to implement NAMA setting.

Changing Hardware Defrost Settings

By default, Byte Technology stores have a defrost cycle that runs every 2 hours for a total of 25 minutes. This is followed by a 2-minute delay to allow any condensation to drip down to the evaporation pan before the compressor and fan will start again. 

In order to support NAMA-Certified Temperature Auto Lockdown, you will need to change the defrost cycle settings. The adjustment will take the defrost cycle from 25 minutes down to 6 minutes. This will not impact the store’s performance to maintain temperature. 

To manually put your store into NAMA defrost settings, follow the steps in this guide. 

NOTE: You will need to be physically at the store to perform these steps. You will find the refrigerator settings panel on front side of the store located on the bottom grille in the upper right hand corner. Please find the key to each setting button shown below.

Change the default store temperature to 34F:

Accessing the Parameter Menu

Setting Temperature Window

Setting Temperature Window cont + Setting Defrost

Restock Steps to Remove Lockdown

If a store is under lockdown, then a restock must be done physically at the store to unlock the store. 

Once at the store, check the temperature of the store and follow the appropriate steps: 

• If store temp is lower than 59 degrees - Log into the store using your login username and password.
• If fridge is a high temperature, i.e., above 60 degrees, wait until the store temperature is 40 degrees or below before restocking. 

After you have completed all steps above, check the Dashboard to ensure that the temperature has maintained a steady state for 30 minutes. If so, then the store is open for business. You will be able to swipe a credit card and the door will unlock. 

If the store is still reporting >41 degrees, contact support at support@bytetechnology.co.