Why Does Your Commercial Refrigeration System Not Cool?

If your commercial refrigeration feels warm or does not cool efficiently, act fast to find and rectify the root of the problem. Otherwise, a minor issue could escalate and cause a complete system failure.

Commercial refrigeration systems are expensive, and a breakdown can cost your business dearly in terms of lost inventory, revenue and customers. A range of aspects may cause your refrigeration system not to cool.

A commercial refrigeration system draws in warm air, cools the air and releases the cooled air into the fridge's interior. The condenser coils help with the distribution of the cold air. Therefore, if the coils are dirty, they cannot effectively distribute air. As a result, the system has to work harder. The strain compromises the functionality of all the system's components and makes your refrigeration system not cool efficiently.

The easiest solution is to clean the coils regularly to ensure they can do their job correctly. Based on your system type, cleaning the condenser coils may be a simple matter of using a brush or hose to remove debris.

Alternatively, you may need to unscrew and remove the coils for cleaning, and in that case, the best solution is to contact an HVAC professional for the job. The expert has the necessary skills and tools to disassemble, clean and reassemble the coils without damaging them.

The thermostat is like the brain of the commercial refrigeration system. The component monitors the temperature inside the fridge and tells the compressor when to turn on and off.

If the thermostat is faulty, the component may give inaccurate readings. The inaccuracy hinders the system's efficiency so your commercial refrigerator cannot cool properly. A few aspects may cause incorrect thermostat readings:

• A sudden power outage or surge that damages the thermostat
• A build-up of dust and debris on the sensor
• A wiring problem

Also, someone may mistakenly bump the thermostat, which changes the settings and disrupts the cooling process.

Lower the temperature settings and observe the system for a few minutes. If nothing changes, check the power supply to see if a power outage is the root of the problem. If neither of these is the case, you may need to have an HVAC contractor look at and repair the thermostat.

The compressor is the heart of the commercial refrigeration system. The component circulates the refrigerant through the coils to cool the air inside the fridge. If the compressor doesn’t work, the refrigerator cannot cool.

The compressor may fail due to a power outage or surge. The issue may also indicate that the system is overloaded or has insufficient refrigerant. Whatever the cause of compressor failure, the problem could cause a complete system breakdown. So, contact a commercial refrigeration professional to inspect the system and repair the compressor.