We are REFCOM F-Gas registered and open seven days a week, 07:00–21:00. Explain whether the cabinet is still cooling, has stopped completely or is showing an alarm, and flag any burning smell, repeated electrical tripping or suspected refrigerant leak. Attendance availability can be discussed on the call, with a fixed written quote before work starts. Meanwhile, follow your food safety procedures rather than relying on the display alone.
When refrigeration failure needs urgent attendance
Urgency depends on what the equipment holds, how quickly its temperature is rising and whether another unit can safely take the stock. A failed walk-in cold room in a Soho restaurant creates a different immediate risk from an empty display cabinet in a closed shop. Tell us whether the affected equipment contains chilled ready-to-eat food, raw ingredients or frozen goods, and whether the business is trading. These details help explain the consequences of waiting without assuming every alarm means complete failure.
Some symptoms need a safety response before an engineering visit. Repeated breaker trips, scorched wiring, smoke or a strong burning smell are not reasons to keep restarting the unit. Stop using affected equipment and isolate it only if safe; do not approach damaged electrical components. Keep people away from a suspected refrigerant release, especially in a confined cellar or plant enclosure. If there is fire, immediate danger or someone is unwell, follow your emergency procedures and contact the emergency services.
Protect food while you arrange an engineer
Keep doors closed as much as possible and stop loading warm deliveries into the affected unit. Check food temperatures using a suitable clean, calibrated probe according to your food safety plan; a controller usually measures air or a sensor location, not every product. In England, food that requires chilled temperature control must generally be kept at 8°C or below, subject to permitted exceptions. Setting refrigeration at 5°C or below gives an operating margin, but does not prove that all stock is safe.
Record temperatures, the time the fault was first noticed and any stock movements. Transfer food only into suitable refrigeration with enough capacity and separation for the products involved; overfilling a backup cabinet can obstruct airflow and create another problem. Frozen storage commonly targets −18°C or colder, but decisions about warming or thawed stock depend on the product, its temperature history and your procedures. Quarantine questionable goods and have the responsible food safety person decide their use or disposal. Restored cooling cannot establish whether earlier exposure was safe.
What to tell us when you call
Call 07427 826446 from somewhere you can safely read the equipment display and rating plate. Give the site postcode, a contact number, the type of unit, its make and model, and the exact alarm code if shown. Describe when it last operated normally and whether the temperature rose gradually or suddenly. A photograph of the controller, accessible rating plate and any visible ice build-up can help explain the situation, but do not remove covers or reach near fans to obtain one.
Mention recent events that could change the initial assessment: a power interruption, a large stock delivery, doors left open, cleaning around the condenser or building work near the equipment. Also explain whether several units failed together or only one is affected. A shared electrical supply issue can look like multiple refrigeration failures. If the rating plate is accessible, note the refrigerant designation, such as R290, R134a or R448A, rather than describing it simply as gas. The refrigerant affects safe working methods and repair planning.
What the attending engineer needs to establish first
The immediate engineering task is to establish whether the equipment can safely resume cooling and what prevents it doing so. Initial checks may include supply voltage, controller demand, sensor readings, door closure and evaporator and condenser airflow. A stopped evaporator fan can leave some shelves warm even when the coil is cold. A blocked condenser can raise condensing pressure and trigger protection. Heavy evaporator ice may indicate a defrost fault, poor door sealing or airflow obstruction rather than a shortage of refrigerant.
Where the symptoms justify further checks, compressor starting components, contactors, overload protection, defrost heaters and fan motors may need assessment. Refrigerant pressures and pipe temperatures must be interpreted against the refrigerant, load and operating conditions; pressure alone does not establish the correct charge. Repeatedly resetting a high-pressure trip or adding refrigerant without establishing the cause can conceal the problem. For an urgent attendance, the useful outcome is a clear explanation of the fault, the safe next action and anything that prevents immediate restoration.
Refrigerant safety and the limits of an emergency fix
Air Conditioning Installation London is REFCOM F-Gas registered. Work on equipment containing fluorinated refrigerants must follow applicable F-Gas rules, including requirements for qualified personnel, refrigerant recovery and preventing avoidable releases. If leakage is suspected, simply topping up the system is not a substitute for locating and addressing the leak. Depending on the work required, the repair sequence may involve recovery, pressure testing with an appropriate test gas, evacuation and charging to the equipment specification. Applicable refrigerant and service records should also be updated.
Not every commercial cabinet contains an F-Gas refrigerant. R290 is propane and R600a is isobutane; both are flammable hydrocarbons requiring appropriate precautions, tools and working methods. Never try to seal a refrigeration pipe yourself or use a flame to search for a leak. An emergency also does not justify bypassing pressure switches, overloads or other protective devices to keep stock cold. If safe operation cannot be established, the equipment may need to remain off while stock is moved and the necessary repair is arranged.
Arrange London access and agree the work
Access can determine whether an urgent visit is productive. For a basement kitchen in the City, explain the route to the cold room and whether its condensing unit is elsewhere in the building. For a hotel, supermarket or managed office site, identify who can authorise access to plant areas and electrical isolators. Provide loading restrictions, reception requirements and any landlord permission needed. Clear a safe working area around the equipment without moving fixed plant, disconnecting cables or disturbing refrigerant pipework.
We cover all 32 London boroughs, the City of London and M25 towns, with opening hours of 07:00–21:00 every day. Call to discuss current attendance availability rather than assuming an arrival time. A fixed written quote is provided before work starts; make sure the agreed scope explains what is being authorised, particularly where investigation must precede a repair decision. If replacement later becomes appropriate, free site surveys are available for installations. That is separate from assessing the immediate fault and protecting today's stock.
Book an engineer
Fixed written quote before any work starts. 7 days a week, 07:00–21:00.
Frequently asked questions
Can I request an emergency refrigeration engineer outside normal office hours?
Yes, you can call during our opening hours of 07:00–21:00, seven days a week, including evenings and weekends. Phone 07427 826446 to explain the fault and discuss attendance availability. These are our stated opening hours, not a promise of round-the-clock attendance or a guaranteed arrival time. Outside those hours, continue your site's safety and stock-protection procedures; do not leave food safety decisions dependent on an engineer arriving.
Should I switch the fridge off and on before calling?
Do not repeatedly power-cycle equipment or reset a breaker that keeps tripping. Photograph or write down any alarm first, because restarting can remove useful information. Check only accessible, routine items allowed by the operating instructions, such as whether a door is properly closed. If there is smoke, damaged wiring or suspected refrigerant leakage, prioritise safety and keep away. Follow the site's emergency procedure rather than experimenting with switches or removing panels.
Can an emergency visit guarantee the refrigeration will work again that day?
No outcome should be assumed before the equipment is assessed. A control setting or accessible airflow problem has different implications from a failed compressor, damaged evaporator or refrigerant leak. Parts, safe access and the condition of the system can affect what is possible during a visit. Ask what can be restored safely, what further work is needed and how the equipment's performance will be checked before returning it to normal use.
What if the cold room display is warm but the food still feels cold?
Touch is not a reliable food temperature check. The display may reflect an air-temperature rise during defrost or door opening, but it could also indicate a genuine loss of cooling or a sensor problem. Use a suitable calibrated probe and your food safety procedure to assess products. Record the results and recent operating conditions. Report both the displayed temperature and measured product temperatures when calling, without assuming that either reading alone explains the fault.
Is a free site survey available for an emergency refrigeration fault?
The free site survey applies to installations, not an automatic free assessment of an emergency fault. Call with the equipment details and symptoms to discuss the appropriate next step. A fixed written quote is provided before work starts, so confirm the scope and what it covers before authorising work. If the assessment leads to consideration of new equipment, an installation survey is a separate stage rather than the immediate emergency response.