Essential Troubleshooting Tips for Commercial Refrigerators

When your refrigerator stops working, you could be facing a lot more than a costly repair bill. The cost of spoiled food and water damage from melting freezer items can also threaten your business. Knowing a few essential troubleshooting tips for commercial refrigerators can save you time and money when your unit stops working. 

Is the Unit Dead?Essential Troubleshooting Tips for Commercial Refrigerators

  • First, test your electrical connections for disconnection or damage.
  • If the refrigerator is powered by a wall outlet, use a receptacle tester to make sure the outlet is wired correctly. Never run a commercial refrigerator from an outlet with a nonfunctioning ground.
  • If there is power to the outlet, inspect the power wires on the actual unit. See if any have been damaged, torn, or pulled loose.
  • If there is no power to the outlet, check your building’s circuit breaker. If the outlet needs to be powered, you may need to call an electrician.

Did Your Refrigerator Freeze Up?

  • Check your unit’s thermostat to ensure that it’s set to the proper temperature.
  • If the evaporator fan has iced over, thaw it. You can (carefully) use a hair dryer for this purpose if you don’t want to turn the unit off.
  • Check the refrigerant charge, as well as the pressure.

Is the Refrigerator Cooling, But Insufficiently?

  • Verify that the unit’s temperature is set correctly, and hasn’t been jostled or accidentally changed.
  • Check the gaskets on the door seal, making sure they’re properly fitted and in good repair.
  • Check the compressor and evaporator coils. If they’re dirty, they’ll need to be cleaned.
  • If the temperature control is turning off the compressor while the unit is still too warm, the control may need to be replaced.
  • Ensure that the fans and coils have good airflow.

If you’re having problems with a commercial refrigerator at your Yuma business, or you want to learn more about how to maintain them, contact Hansberger Refrigeration & Electric Company!

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Yuma, Arizona about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about refrigerators and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

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