When a walk-in loses temperature, the clock starts on your inventory. There are a handful of checks any manager can safely run before the technician arrives, and a few things you should not touch.
First: protect the product
Keep the door shut. Every opening dumps cold air you cannot spare. If you have a second cooler or a refrigerated truck, start moving the most perishable and highest-value product now rather than waiting to see if the box recovers.
Safe checks
- Is the condensing unit running? Look and listen at the outdoor or rooftop unit.
- Breakers. Check the panel for a tripped breaker before assuming the worst.
- Coil ice. A solid sheet of frost on the evaporator points to a defrost failure.
- Door seals. A gasket torn by a pallet jack will run a box warm all day.
- Thermostat setting. It gets bumped more often than you would think.
Leave these alone
Do not add refrigerant, do not bypass a safety control, and do not chip ice off a coil with anything metal. All three make the repair longer and more expensive.
We answer commercial refrigeration calls 24 hours a day at 251-463-8031.