Our commercial refrigeration repair service gives you a practical route from reporting the problem to approving the work, with a fixed written quote before work starts. Whether you run a restaurant in Soho, a neighbourhood food shop or an office catering facility, call 07427 826446 with the unit model, displayed temperature and any alarm message. Keep affected stock separate from sale until its safety has been assessed.
Arrange the repair with the right information
Start with the make, model and serial number from the appliance data plate, if it is accessible without removing a cover. A photograph can also show the refrigerant designation and factory charge, which help establish the requirements for working on the unit. Explain whether you have a refrigerated counter, upright cabinet, display unit or cold-room equipment, and whether the temperature rises continuously or only during busy periods. These details help distinguish the reported fault from normal variations caused by loading, door openings or defrost.
Tell us when the problem started, whether the unit still runs, and what has changed recently. Useful details include a tripped electrical supply, an unfamiliar noise, water beneath the cabinet or ice covering the evaporator area. Also explain your access arrangements: a basement kitchen in Camden presents different practical constraints from a supermarket loading bay or a catering kitchen in a City office. Call during our opening hours to discuss the equipment and access before arranging the next step; do not assume a particular attendance time.
Protect stock while the repair is being arranged
A cabinet display is not necessarily the temperature of the food inside it. Follow your food safety procedures and use a suitable, checked thermometer to assess affected stock. In England, food that legally requires chilled temperature control generally needs to be kept at 8°C or below, subject to specific exceptions; setting refrigeration at 5°C or below provides a working margin. For frozen food, −18°C or colder is a common storage target, but product instructions and your documented controls should determine the appropriate limits.
Keep doors closed as much as possible and move stock to suitable alternative storage if that can be done safely. Record temperatures, relevant times and any action taken so the person responsible for food safety can decide what must be withheld or discarded. Do not repeatedly reset a tripping breaker, remove electrical covers or chip ice away with a sharp tool. If there is a burning smell or damaged wiring, stop using the equipment and isolate it only where safe. A repair cannot establish whether previously warmed food remains safe.
Agree a repair scope rather than authorising guesswork
Similar symptoms can require very different repairs. A warm cabinet might have a failed evaporator fan, a damaged door gasket, a faulty temperature probe or a restriction in airflow rather than a failed compressor. Heavy ice can result from a defrost heater fault, a blocked drain or moist air entering through a poorly closing door. The proposed work should address the confirmed cause, not simply the most visible symptom. This matters particularly in busy kitchens, where an apparently minor defect can repeatedly disrupt temperature control.
We provide a fixed written quote before work starts. Make sure the agreed scope identifies the work being authorised and any component replacement involved. Where a replacement part is required, its electrical rating, physical fit and operating specification matter; a controller or fan motor is not suitable merely because it looks similar. If the cause has not yet been established, ask what assessment is proposed before authorising corrective work. Parts availability and any further access requirement should be clarified rather than assuming every fault can be resolved in one visit.
Handle refrigerant-related repairs correctly
Refrigerant does not normally get used up in a sealed circuit. If the charge is low, adding more without addressing leakage can leave the underlying fault unresolved. Depending on the repair, work may involve refrigerant recovery, repairing the leak, an appropriate pressure test, evacuation and charging to the specified quantity. The refrigerant type must be established first: older equipment may contain R404A, while other units use refrigerants such as R134a or R448A. Different refrigerants have different pressure characteristics, handling requirements and restrictions on their use.
Air Conditioning Installation London is REFCOM F-Gas registered. Work on equipment containing fluorinated greenhouse gases must follow applicable F-Gas requirements, including preventing avoidable emissions and meeting relevant recovery and record-keeping duties. Refrigerant restrictions can also affect the available repair options, particularly for older high-global-warming-potential gases. Some commercial cabinets instead contain R290 propane, which is flammable and requires suitable competence, equipment and ignition-control procedures. Send the data-plate details when enquiring so the refrigerant requirements can be considered; do not treat every cabinet as an F-Gas appliance.
Plan the work around your London premises
The location of the equipment affects how a repair can be carried out. In a restaurant kitchen, an undercounter unit may need to be emptied and moved before its machinery compartment is accessible. A shop display cabinet may require a clear working area away from customers. Remote condensing equipment may need access beyond the trading floor. Before attendance, identify who can authorise work, where equipment can be safely accessed, and whether the building manager controls plant-room keys, permits or access to the electrical isolation point.
Explain any delivery restrictions, loading arrangements and quieter trading periods when you call. This helps make the proposed visit practical without assuming that the repair can take place during service or outside your building's permitted hours. Our opening hours are 07:00–21:00, seven days a week, with coverage across all 32 London boroughs, the City of London and M25 towns. Before moving a heavy cabinet yourself, check whether it is secured, hardwired or connected to remote refrigeration pipework; do not pull against cables, drains or refrigerant lines.
Check operating conditions before returning equipment to use
Completing a component change is not the same as confirming useful cooling. The relevant checks depend on the repair: a replaced fan should run correctly, a new probe should give a credible reading, and defrost-related work should leave the cabinet able to drain and resume cooling. Where the refrigerant circuit has been opened, appropriate leak checks and operating checks are important. Ask what has been checked, what temperatures were observed and whether any remaining condition could affect performance, such as poor ventilation around the condenser.
Allow the unit to stabilise before reloading it, then follow your temperature-monitoring procedure rather than relying on a brief fall in the display reading. A heavily loaded cabinet or cold room will not necessarily recover immediately, and dense loading can obstruct the airflow needed for even cooling. Keep the repair information with your equipment records and continue checking stock temperatures as required. To discuss a repair, call 07427 826446 with the equipment details, symptoms and location. We will provide a fixed written quote before work starts.
Book an engineer
Fixed written quote before any work starts. 7 days a week, 07:00–21:00.
Frequently asked questions
What should I have ready when I call for a commercial refrigeration repair?
Have the equipment make, model, serial number and site postcode ready, together with the displayed temperature and any alarm code. A photograph of an accessible data plate is useful because it identifies the refrigerant and charge. Explain whether cooling has stopped completely or performance has gradually deteriorated. Also mention stock at risk, access restrictions and who can approve the work. Do not remove covers to obtain information.
Can my refrigeration equipment stay in use until it is repaired?
That depends on the fault and whether the equipment can maintain the required storage conditions safely. A running compressor or illuminated display does not prove that food is being kept cold enough. Check stock temperatures using your food safety procedure and move food to suitable alternative storage where necessary. Stop using equipment with signs of electrical danger, and do not repeatedly reset a breaker that continues to trip.
Does a warm fridge always need more refrigerant?
No. Restricted airflow, dirty condenser surfaces, failed fans, door-seal damage and defrost faults can all cause poor cooling. Low refrigerant charge is only one possibility and usually points to leakage or an earlier charging problem, not normal consumption. The cause needs to be established before selecting a repair. Refrigerant must match the equipment specification, and adding a different gas is not a straightforward substitute for repairing the fault.
Will I receive a price before the repair starts?
Yes. Air Conditioning Installation London provides a fixed written quote before work starts. The relevant scope depends on the equipment and the established fault, so a symptom alone may not be enough to define the repair. Ask what the quote includes, whether parts are required and what assessment is needed if the cause is still unknown. Do not assume that an initial enquiry confirms parts availability or a completion date.
Which areas do you cover, and when can I contact you?
We cover all 32 London boroughs, the City of London and M25 towns. Our opening hours are 07:00–21:00, seven days a week. Call 07427 826446 to discuss your commercial refrigeration repair, giving the site address and equipment details. Opening hours do not establish a guaranteed arrival time; confirm the proposed attendance arrangements when booking, particularly where your premises have restricted access or building-management requirements.