Commercial Refrigeration
Reach-ins, reach-in freezers and prep tables sit in the hottest part of the kitchen and work all shift. Gary Sharpe, the licensed contractor who owns Langston’s, finds why yours is losing temperature and quotes the fix in writing.
At a glance
Why this happens in Florida
A reach-in cools itself by pushing heat out through a small condenser coil, often just inches from the floor or behind a front grille. In a kitchen that is already warm, next to a fryer or a flat-top, that coil has very little room for error.
Grease in the air and lint from towels and mops stick to the coil fins and choke the airflow. The compressor runs hotter and longer, and the cabinet slowly loses temperature through the day.
Humid air adds to the load each time a door or prep table lid opens. Worn gaskets let it in nonstop and leave frost or sweat inside the cabinet.
What we check
If a reach-in ices up inside, airflow is usually the problem. Product stacked against the evaporator fan cover, or a fan motor that has quit, lets frost build on the coil until cold air cannot get through.
Many reach-ins are sealed systems with no service ports. Adding gauges means installing access valves, so we only do it when the other readings point to a refrigerant problem.
On prep tables, keep rail pans at or below the fill line and close the lid between orders. Pans piled above the cold zone will read warm even when the unit is working properly. Freezer defrost questions are covered on our walk-in freezer repair page.
How the job runs
Call (904) 467-1100 or book online, Monday through Saturday, 8 AM to 8 PM. Tell us the temperature you are reading and what changed.
The commercial diagnostic is $149. Gary checks the coil, fans, controls and gaskets and shows you what he found.
You get a written quote before any work starts. Approve a repair over $300 and the $149 diagnostic is waived.
Related work
Straight answers
The most common cause is a condenser coil clogged with grease and lint, so the system cannot get rid of heat. A failed condenser or evaporator fan motor causes the same symptom.
Rail pans filled above the fill line, a lid left open, or warm product loaded into the rail will all read warm. If the pans are set correctly and still run above 41°F, the unit needs a diagnosis.
It depends on how much grease and lint the kitchen puts in the air. Units near fryers and grills usually need it more often, which is why coil cleaning is part of every quarterly maintenance visit.
The commercial diagnostic is $149, waived if you approve a repair over $300. You get a written quote before any work starts.
Langston’s Heating & Air Conditioning · Licensed CMC1251311 · Mon–Sat 8 AM–8 PM
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