Being A Better Customer

Why Is My Walk-In Cooler Not Staying Cold?

Commercial kitchens often use large walk-in coolers or refrigerators to store large amounts of perishable foods. If the cooler is not maintaining the right temperatures, the food can spoil and make people sick. If your cooler is not staying cold, it is important to have a technician come and diagnosis the problem. 

Evaporator Overheating

One common issue with walk-in coolers not cooling properly is related to the evaporator on the unit. The evaporator removes heat from the cooling system and is, more often than not, on the back of the cooler. Many times the evaporator is in a closed space and the heat coming off it can get trapped in the space, lowering its efficiency and allowing heat to build up in the system.

The excess heat in the cooling system makes it harder for the system to keep the cooler in the proper temperature range and as the temperatures go up, the issue begins to compound. A technician can verify this through testing and if this is a problem, they may recommend better ventilation for the evaporator. 

Condensor Freeze Ups

Icing or freezing is another common issue that may be causing the walk-in cooler in your kitchen to warm up. The condenser on the cooling system can form ice on it if the fan that moves the air over the condenser is not working right or if the airflow is blocked for any reason.

Condensation on the outside of the tubes is normal but the system depends on a constant flow of air around the coil. If that air is not able to flow properly around the coil, the condensation on the coil will freeze. 

Door Seals

Another problem that you may need a tech to address is the seal around the door of your walk-in. If the unit is older or there is a lot of traffic in and out of the cooler, the seal on the door can begin to breakdown and may leak. Air moving through the seal can make it difficult to keep the temperature inside the cooler where it needs to be but replacing the seal is not difficult. 

The service technician can remove the old seal and install a new on the door for you pretty easily. For older coolers, it can be a little harder to find the seal and other parts but good service companies will be able to find them if they don't have them in stock.

For more information about walk-in cooler repair, contact a local repair service.