Basic vs. extended refrigeration monitoring — which is right for my business
Basic refrigeration monitoring measures what happens to your stock: product temperature, evaporator temperature, door status, current and fans. Extended monitoring adds what happens to the refrigeration unit itself: refrigerant pressures, phase voltage, air, refrigerant and filter temperatures, and compressor protection. The difference is in the scope of sensors, not in the permission level in the interface.
Two different questions, not two levels of the same question
A business owner considering a monitoring system usually asks one question: "Is my stock OK?" That's a question basic monitoring answers in full.
An operations manager at a chain, a food plant or a cold storage warehouse asks a second question: "Is the unit itself working properly, and what is starting to deteriorate?" That's a question about the equipment, not the stock, and it takes different sensors.
The split between the packages is commercial, based on the scope of sensors installed. It isn't a split by physical location, and it has nothing to do with user permissions in the interface.
Comparison table
| Basic monitoring | Extended monitoring | |
|---|---|---|
| Product temperature (sensor in a glycerin bottle) | ✓ | ✓ |
| Evaporator temperature | ✓ | ✓ |
| Door status | ✓ | ✓ |
| Current | ✓ | ✓ |
| Fans | ✓ | ✓ |
| Refrigerant pressures — up to two points | — | ✓ |
| Phase voltage | — | ✓ |
| Air temperature | — | ✓ |
| Refrigerant temperature | — | ✓ |
| Filter temperatures | — | ✓ |
| Compressor protection | — | ✓ |
| The question it answers | Is the stock at risk? | Is the unit working properly? |
| Suited to | A business with several units holding valuable stock | A chain, a plant, a cold storage warehouse, or anywhere the unit itself is worth money |
What extended monitoring gives you that basic doesn't
A continuous picture of the unit's performance. The readings a technician collects on a visit — pressures, voltages, temperatures along the circuit — are measured continuously instead of once every few months.
Compressor protection. The controller trips a relay based on the measured current and disconnects the compressor. Restart is automatic. This is the only case where the system doesn't just measure but also intervenes.
Pressure alerts. A deviation in refrigerant pressures is an indication that may point to, among other things, a leak.
More parameters you can set thresholds on. The system alerts when a value crosses the threshold set for that unit. The more parameters measured — current, pressures and temperatures — the more points at which a technician can respond to a developing fault before it affects product temperature.
Pricing
| Item | Basic monitoring | Extended monitoring |
|---|---|---|
| Equipment, per refrigerator | 500 ₪ | 750 ₪ |
| Installation, per refrigerator | 350 ₪ | 450 ₪ |
| Monthly subscription, per refrigerator | 27 ₪ | 45 ₪ |
Prices exclude VAT. Pricing is set by monitoring type and installation type — there is no per-sensor pricing.
The full price list, including the data-retention tiers and add-ons, is on our Pricing page.
Each refrigerator is billed for a separate installation, according to its monitoring type. A business with two refrigerators on basic monitoring and one on extended monitoring pays for two basic installations plus one extended installation, even when it's all done on the same day at the same site.
In addition — an access and data-retention layer, per customer:
| Scope | Price per month | Data retention |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 10 controllers inclusive | 50 ₪ | One year back |
| 11 controllers or more | 120 ₪ | Unlimited |
This layer covers access to the system, history retention and phone alerts. It is counted by controllers — not by refrigerators or sites — and is charged once per customer.
How many controllers the installation needs
Controllers are counted by the physical units being monitored, not by the number of refrigerators.
| Configuration | Controllers |
|---|---|
| Refrigerator with an indoor unit only | 1 |
| Split refrigerator — indoor unit and outdoor condensing unit, on extended monitoring | 2 |
Example from a completed installation: eight refrigerators, ten controllers. Six with an indoor unit only on basic monitoring, and two split units on extended monitoring.
This is worth calculating before you choose a package: extended monitoring on split units doubles the number of controllers, which brings the installation to the 120 ₪ tier faster than you might expect.
Example: eight refrigerators, basic monitoring
| Equipment — 8 × 500 ₪ | 4,000 ₪ |
|---|---|
| Installation — 8 × 350 ₪ | 2,800 ₪ |
| One-time | 6,800 ₪ |
| Subscription — 8 × 27 ₪ | 216 ₪ per month |
| Access and data retention — up to 10 controllers | 50 ₪ per month |
| Monthly | 266 ₪ — about 33 ₪ per refrigerator |
Add-ons
| Item | Pricing |
|---|---|
| Still-image camera — captures only during an alert, at one frame per second | 10 ₪ per month |
| External technician access to data | 10 ₪ per month |
| Router, when there's no Wi-Fi on site | 50 ₪ one-time |
| Cellular router with SIM, when there's no internet | 200 ₪ one-time + 30 ₪ per month |
What changes in the second tier: only the depth of history. The difference isn't in the sensors or the capabilities. One year back is enough to investigate an incident and compare season to season; unlimited history lets you spot slow deterioration over years and present data to an external party.
Switching between packages, in either direction, is charged at the full price of the new package — equipment and installation, not the difference. The reason is simple: an upgrade isn't a software setting change but a physical installation of additional sensors on the unit.
Installation
| Requirement | What's needed |
|---|---|
| Electrical | Existing 230V outlet · extension cord up to 10 m |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi or network cable |
| Access | Physical access to the unit |
| Ambient temperature | No limitation down to −25°C |
The downtime for each unit is communicated in advance, based on the unit's configuration and the number of measurement points.
The glycerin bottle is installed once. It has no replacement schedule and needs no routine maintenance.
What the service includes, and the warranty
NITARTI manufactures the hardware and performs the installation itself. The warranty is provided directly to the customer, not through component suppliers or a third party.
Hardware warranty: 12 months from the installation date, subject to the terms of use.
A repaired component receives a 90-day warranty extension beyond the original period. A repeat fault in the same component after repair leads to replacement of the entire unit, not another repair.
The ongoing service includes live data from the controller and sensors, and alerts to the channels the customer has chosen.
How alerts work
The alert mechanism is the same in both packages. Temperature alerts are based on an average of about 10 minutes, by design — so that a normal door opening doesn't trigger an alert. The default open-door alert threshold is 10 minutes.
NITARTI sets the thresholds at the end of installation, based on the behavior observed in the unit itself rather than a generic value. The values set are recorded in the installation summary the customer receives, so there's a record of what was set and when.
Extended monitoring adds alert types that don't exist in basic, such as the pressure alert.
What it looks like in practice
At an active customer with 8 refrigerators, the system issued 4 genuine rising-temperature alerts within two days — all from the same cause: a door left open. Not a compressor fault and not a refrigerant leak. It's an operational habit the customer didn't know they had, and each of those four times could have ended in spoiled stock.
Questions and answers
Can I start with basic and upgrade to extended later?
Yes. It's important to know that the upgrade isn't a settings change but a physical installation of additional sensors, so it's charged at the full price of the extended package — equipment and installation.
Does the system alert on refrigerant leaks?
No. Extended monitoring measures refrigerant pressures, and a deviation in them may point to a leak. There is no gas sensor and no dedicated leak alert.
What happens during a power outage?
No power means no cooling and no measurement. The system detects that the signal from the unit has stopped arriving, and after five minutes sends an alert that monitoring has been lost. That way you know something went down even when you're not on site. Measurements from that period are not saved.
How much does installation cost?
350 ₪ per refrigerator on basic monitoring and 450 ₪ per refrigerator on extended monitoring. Each unit is billed for a separate installation according to its monitoring type, even when all units are installed on the same day at the same site.
How many controllers will I need?
Controllers are counted by physical units, not by the number of refrigerators. A refrigerator with an indoor unit only needs one controller; a split refrigerator on extended monitoring needs two — one for the indoor unit and one for the condensing unit. The exact number is given in the price quote.
What's needed for installation?
An existing 230V outlet, a network connection by cable or Wi-Fi, and physical access to the unit. The downtime for each unit is communicated in advance, based on the unit's configuration.
Who sets the alert thresholds?
NITARTI, at the end of installation, based on the behavior of the unit itself. The values set are recorded in the installation summary the customer receives.
How accurate is the temperature measurement?
The system meets the ±0.5°C accuracy requirement.
How far back is data kept?
For installations of up to 10 controllers inclusive — one year back. From 11 controllers and up — unlimited.
What does the hardware warranty cover?
NITARTI manufactures and installs the hardware itself, and the warranty is provided directly to the customer — 12 months from the installation date, subject to the terms of use. A repaired component receives an additional 90 days of warranty, and a repeat fault in the same component leads to replacement of the unit.
Not sure which package is right?
We'll go over your units and tell you how many controllers you need and what the actual price is.
Request a demo