Common Commercial Refrigeration Problems and their Solutions

Refrigerators play an important role in the smooth functioning of commercial food, catering, and hospitality businesses. Irrespective of the type of freezer you are using – a Commercial Glass Door Bar Fridge or a chest freezer, if the unit is not working efficiently, it can easily cause a strain on the total business process. However, refrigeration problems are not uncommon and interestingly, more often than you might think of, the problem can be resolved without the assistance of a professional. Here are some of the most common refrigeration issues and their solutions.

The refrigerator is not turning on

This is a problem, often related to the power supply system, rather than the freezer itself.  If your refrigerator unit is not turning on, first check if it is properly plugged in at a functional point of the right voltage and then switch it on again. If it still does not work, switch it off and check out for any splitting or fraying on the cord.

In case, you are using an extension cord to power up your freezer, the problem might be with the extension. Extension cords are not safe to use with commercial refrigerators, be it a mounted freezer or a Commercial Glass Door Bar Freezer.  

The refrigerator is not cooling properly

There can be many reasons for this. Start with checking if the temperature gauge is functioning properly. Opening the door too often is another common reason for refrigerators failing to cool. If the door is not closing properly, that can also affect the cooling system. A problem with the door gasket might lead to improper closing of the door and changing it will solve the issue.

If the room where the unit is installed is hot, it might be the reason for improper cooling within the unit. Placing it too close to the wall or other electrical appliances is another common reason that might affect the functioning. Some of the other common reasons can be stuffing too many items in it, leaving minimal to no room for the cold air to circulate. If there is no clearance between the shelves and the back of the unit, it might also affect the circulation of air within the unit.

Once you have checked all the above and nothing seems to be the reason, check out if the condenser coil is clean and if the compressor is working properly. For checking the compressor, you will need professional help.   

There might be some cooling problems with Commercial Bar Fridges installed very recently. Just leave it in the appropriate position for 24 hours. During installation or delivery, the unit might have been kept in a titled position, leading to the reverse flow of the coolant. Letting it sit in the right position will solve the issue on its own.   

There is ice building in the refrigerator

If your fridge has manual-defrost and you are seeing ice build-up in it, the first chance is you are not defrosting it frequent enough. If it is on auto-defrost, and still there is ice build-up, there might be some issues with the defrost system.

The other common reason that might lead to ice formation within the unit is leaving the door open or if it is not closing well due to some issues with the gasket. If none of the above seems to be the reason, then it might be a problem with the evaporator fan. Check out if the fan is making noise.

In case, parts of the coils of the unit are freezing, there might be some issues with the pressure within the refrigerator and should be checked by a professional.

The refrigerator is making unfamiliar noises

There are different sources of noise in a commercial fridge. The compressor, the motor, and the fans, all make some noise even in properly functional conditions. But if it seems that the noise is too loud or weird, there might be some complications with the compressor, or a fan might have become misaligned. In both the cases, you will need professional help to repair it.

Commercial bar fridges Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, or any other fridge variety for that matter, might make a bit louder noise than normal right after defrosting but that is usual and will resolve on its own within hours.     

There is water leakage from the refrigerator

This might happen if the weather is too humid or the freezer is placed in a humid room. Placing the freezer on an uneven surface might also lead to water leakage due to improper flow of the liquids within the freezer.  The other common reason is a full evaporator pan which might happen because of some problems with the absorbent.

If the problem seems to be serious, it is best to consult a professional. In case of issues with your bar fridge, you can also consult the commercial bar fridges supplier from whom you have bought the unit. If your unit has become old, you can also think of replacing it with new commercial bar fridges for sale.