Aber HVACRCommercial refrigeration
Walk-in cooler repair when the box won't hold 41°F.
A walk-in that won't hold temperature costs you stock by the hour. Call, or text a photo of the unit and its temperature reading, and we take it from there. One cooler or every case in the store, it's one call. Licensed NJ Master HVACR, EPA 608 Universal certified.
(973) 356-8290Paterson, Wayne, Clifton, Totowa, Little Falls, Woodland Park, Haledon, Hawthorne, Fair Lawn and Elmwood Park, and the rest of North Jersey
What we fix on walk-in coolers
Restaurants · Cafes · Bakeries · Delis · Grocery stores · Bodegas
We work on the cold side of food businesses, from a single walk-in to every box in a grocery store.
- Boxes running above 41°F, or warm in one corner
- Evaporator coils iced over, and evaporator fans and fan motors
- Doors: gaskets, hinges, closers, strip curtains
- Condensing units: dirty or blocked condenser coils, condenser fans, contactors, capacitors, compressors
- Refrigerant leaks, found and repaired before the system is recharged
- Thermostats, temperature controllers and sensors
- Water on the floor: drain lines and drain pans
- Preventive maintenance plans, so the boxes stay cold between visits
Ready for the inspectorCold holding has to stay at 41°F or below under the FDA Food Code. Many kitchens set their walk-in a few degrees lower so the product stays under 41°F when the door opens. Regular maintenance helps keep your boxes there, so a health inspection is a routine visit, not a surprise.
Check this before you call
The door. Is it shut all the way, with the gasket whole and the strip curtain down? A door left resting open is one of the most common reasons a cooler warms up.
The setting. Check that nobody bumped the thermostat or controller.
The breaker. Reset a tripped breaker once. If it trips again, leave it off and call.
The condenser. Outside, on the roof or on top of the box: is the fan turning, and is the coil clear of dust, grease and leaves?
The coil inside. Are the evaporator fans spinning? Is the coil iced, or is product stacked in front of it?
Don't chip ice off the coil, and don't unplug the system to reset it. A unit left running lets us see the fault when we arrive.
When to call us
- The thermometer reads above 41°F and won't come back down
- Ice is building up on the evaporator coil
- The compressor runs without stopping, or starts and stops every few minutes
- Water on the floor under the coil, or a torn door gasket
- A new noise: grinding, rattling, or a fan that won't spin
- Produce freezing near the coil while the rest of the box is warm
Why a walk-in cooler runs warm
What we find most often
- The doorA torn gasket, a sagging hinge or a closer that doesn't pull the door shut lets warm, damp air in all day.
- A dirty or blocked condenserDust, grease, leaves or a failed condenser fan, and the system can't shed heat. It runs long and falls behind, worst on hot days.
- An iced evaporator coilA cooler defrosts while the compressor rests. Ice that stays on the coil points to low airflow, a failed fan, low refrigerant or a door that doesn't seal.
- Fan motorsWhen the evaporator fans stop, cold air stays at the coil and the shelves warm up.
- Low refrigerant from a leakThe leak has to be found and repaired; adding refrigerant alone only buys time.
- The compressor and its electrical partsContactors, capacitors, start relays and overloads wear out on equipment that runs around the clock.
How it works
Call or text. Tell us what the unit is doing. A photo of the unit, its label, and the temperature reading helps us come with the right parts.
We come out. Nights and weekends too, because a warm walk-in can't wait for Monday. We tell you what it needs before any work starts.
We fix it, and keep it fixed. One repair, or a maintenance plan that keeps every box in the store on schedule.
Questions
What temperature should a walk-in cooler be?
41°F (5°C) or below for the food, the FDA Food Code's cold-holding limit. Many kitchens set the box a few degrees lower so it stays under 41°F through a busy service.
Do you come at night and on weekends?
Yes. A walk-in that stops cooling on a Saturday night is an emergency for a restaurant, and we take those calls.
Which equipment do you work on?
Walk-in coolers and walk-in freezers, reach-ins, display cases, and ice machines. We are EPA 608 Universal certified to handle refrigerants on all of it.
Do you offer maintenance plans?
Yes. Regular visits catch dirty coils, worn gaskets, and failing fans before they cost you a box of stock.
Where do you work?
We are based in Paterson and cover Wayne, Clifton, Totowa, Little Falls, Woodland Park, Haledon, Hawthorne, Fair Lawn and Elmwood Park, and the rest of North Jersey. Commercial projects anywhere in New Jersey.