Stainless steel commercial upright fridge with the door open in a kitchen

October 8, 2022

Commercial Fridge Not Cooling? Common Problems and What to Check

A commercial fridge that isn't cooling puts your stock and your food safety at risk, so it pays to act quickly and calmly. Many causes are simple things you can check in a few minutes. This guide covers what to do first, quick checks in order, common problems and what they usually mean, and when to call a licensed refrigeration technician.

First: protect the food

Check the actual temperature with a thermometer in the middle of the cabinet.
If it's above 5°C, move potentially hazardous food (meat, dairy, cooked food, cut fruit and salads) to another fridge, a coolroom or an esky with ice.
Keep the doors shut while you work out what's wrong, so the cold stays in.
Follow the 2-hour/4-hour rule for food that's been above 5°C. Under 2 hours in total, it can go back in a working fridge. Between 2 and 4 hours, use it straight away. Over 4 hours, throw it out. Your food safety program or local council can confirm what applies to your business.

Quick checks, in order

Power. Is it plugged in and switched on at the wall? Is the display on? Check whether a circuit breaker or safety switch has tripped. If it trips again, stop resetting it and call a technician or electrician.
The controller. Has the setting been changed? Is there an alarm or error code on the display? Your manual will explain the codes.
The doors. Do they close fully and seal all the way round? A door that's been propped open or doesn't shut properly is one of the most common causes.
The air flow inside. Is stock blocking the vents or the fan? Is the fridge packed too full for air to move?
The condenser. Is it clogged with dust or grease? A dirty condenser is a very common reason fridges struggle, especially in hot weather.
The room. Is the fridge in direct sun, beside an oven or fryer, or squeezed in with no space around it? Is the room hotter than the fridge is rated for?
Recent loading. Has a lot of warm stock just gone in? A fridge takes time to pull a full load down to temperature.
Defrost. Most fan-forced fridges defrost automatically every so often. The temperature rises briefly during a defrost and should recover within a short time.

Common problems and what they usually mean

The fridge is running but not getting cold

Common causes: a dirty condenser, blocked vents, doors not sealing, a hot room, or the fan inside not running.

Call a technician if: it's still warm after you've checked these, the fan inside isn't running, or you can't hear the compressor run at all.

The fridge runs all the time

Common causes: a dirty condenser, worn door seals, a hot room or frequent door openings.

Call a technician if: it keeps running nonstop once those are sorted. It may be low on refrigerant because of a leak, or have a controller or fan fault.

The fridge is too cold or freezing food

Common causes: the setting is too low, or food is sitting right in front of the fan outlet or against the back wall.

Call a technician if: it keeps freezing food at a normal setting. The controller or temperature probe may be faulty.

Ice or frost building up inside

Common causes: doors left open or not sealing, damaged seals, or a very humid room.

Call a technician if: ice keeps building up on the cooling coil or around the fan cover. Automatic defrost should clear normal frost, so a build-up points to a defrost fault. Never chip ice with a knife or scraper, because you can puncture a refrigerant line.

Water on the floor or pooling inside

Common causes: a blocked defrost drain, a cabinet that isn't level, or spills from stock.

Call a technician if: water keeps appearing from inside the cabinet. The drain usually needs clearing from inside.

Condensation on the glass

Usually a humid room or doors being opened a lot, rather than a fault. Our guide to reducing condensation in display fridges covers the fixes.

New or loud noises

Common causes: the cabinet isn't level, something is touching the cabinet or rattling on a shelf, or a fan is catching on ice.

Call a technician if: you hear grinding, scraping, loud knocking or repeated clicking from the compressor area.

Power bills creeping up

A fridge that's slowly losing efficiency often shows up on the power bill first. A dirty condenser and worn seals are the usual suspects. If those are fine, have it checked. Our running cost calculator shows what a fridge should cost to run.

What not to do

Don't remove internal panels or the fan cover, or try to work on the cooling system yourself.
Don't attempt anything involving refrigerant. In Australia, refrigerant work requires a licensed technician.
Don't keep resetting a breaker or safety switch that keeps tripping.
Don't chip or scrape ice off the cooling coil.
Don't keep food in a fridge that can't hold 5°C or colder.

When to call a licensed refrigeration technician

The fridge can't hold 5°C after the quick checks above.
The compressor or the fans inside aren't running, or the compressor runs nonstop.
Ice keeps building up on the cooling coil.
Water keeps leaking from inside the cabinet.
There's a burning smell, the fridge trips the power, or you hear grinding or knocking.

If the fridge is still under warranty, contact the manufacturer's warranty service first.

Be ready for a breakdown

A fridge breakdown on a Friday night costs far less if you've planned for it:

Keep a fridge thermometer in every fridge and freezer.
Know where stock will go: a spare fridge, a coolroom, or eskies and ice.
Keep the manual, warranty details and model number where staff can find them.
Save the number of a local licensed refrigeration technician before you need it.
Keep up with the basics in our maintenance checklist. Many breakdowns start with a dirty condenser or a worn seal.

Repair or replace?

If your fridge is old, keeps breaking down, or the repair quote is a big share of the price of a new one, replacing it is often the better move. A newer fridge is usually more reliable and can be much cheaper to run. Browse our upright fridges, underbench fridges and bar fridges, or ask us which model suits your business.

FAQs

Why is my commercial fridge running but not cold?

The most common causes are a dirty condenser, doors that aren't sealing, blocked air vents inside and a hot room. If those are fine, a fan, controller or refrigerant problem needs a licensed technician.

Should I turn the fridge off and on again?

Restarting won't fix most cooling problems, and it can hide what's going on. Check the power, the setting and any error code first. If a breaker keeps tripping, leave it off and call a technician.

How long will food stay cold in a fridge that's stopped working?

Not long, especially in a warm shop or kitchen. Keep the doors shut and check the temperature with a thermometer. Move potentially hazardous food once the fridge is above 5°C.

Can a dirty condenser stop a fridge cooling?

Yes. A badly clogged condenser can't get rid of heat, so the fridge struggles to get cold, especially on hot days. See how to clean a commercial fridge.