Ice cream businesses or other food businesses that serve ice cream need a functional ice cream freezer. If your ice cream freezer is not working or cooling, follow below to know the causes and remember to consult a commercial refrigerator repair expert to fix your ice cream freezer quickly and effectively.

Causes Of Commercial Ice Cream Freezer Problems

Power Issues

Check if your ice cream has power or not, because if it doesn’t, the issue may be the circuit breaker, power cord, or something like that. Inspect these things first, make sure the breaker is not tripped, and if any of these are defective, consider a replacement.

Blocked Or Dirty Condenser Coil

Condenser coils are the exterior coils of commercial ice cream freezers that ensure heat dispersion from the cooling process. Anything blocking the coils or the staff skipping the coil cleaning can lead to many problems. The ice cream freezer won’t cool or won’t start.

The location of condenser coils in most ice cream freezers is on the back and bottom of the unit. Ensure nothing is blocking that area, which also has a vent. If you haven’t cleaned this area for a while, clean it thoroughly after turning off the freezer.

Thermostat Issues

Setting the temperature too high will mean the ice cream freezer won’t run the compressor and won’t cool properly. Consult the user manual to understand the temperature settings and which temperature should be set for keeping the ice cream soft and frozen.

On the other hand, setting the temperature too low may prompt the components to overwork, leading to overheating and frost buildup.

These problems can occur if the thermostat is faulty and doesn’t respond to changes. So, check the thermostat for problems. Keep a food thermometer inside the ice cream freezer and then change the thermostat settings. If the changes don’t reflect on the thermometer, then the thermostat is either faulty or requires calibration. In any case, hire an expert for further inspections.

Compressor Not Starting

A compressor is a critical component of an ice cream freezer (or any refrigeration unit) that controls the flow of refrigerant inside the coils. This movement of the refrigerant keeps the insides of the unit freezing and ideal for the ice cream. However, if the compressor doesn’t start when signaled by the internal system (thermostat and others), or malfunctions such as starts but stops suddenly, then the ice cream freezer won’t work, leading to melted ice cream and you don’t want that.

What are the signs of compressor issues? If you don’t hear the constant humming sound made by a compressor when it’s supposed to be running, it could be faulty. Keep in mind that a compressor doesn’t run all the time. It only runs about 50% of the time and then turns off when the ice cream freezer reaches the set temperature. However, if the compressor is not starting even though the ice cream or the frost on the walls has started to melt, then there is a problem.

But there could be other problems causing this. To make sure that it’s the compressor, see if the condenser is running. If that is running but the compressor is not ON, then it may be a compressor issue. You should call in a commercial freezer repair Clifton expert at this point as compressor issues are not DIY-friendly.

However, you should know that the common causes of compressor issues are a dirty condenser coil, a frozen evaporator coil, low refrigerant levels, and overheating.

Frozen Evaporator Coils/Defrost Cycle Issues

The evaporator coil is inside the interior walls of an ice cream freezer and helps in freezing the interior of the unit. Over time, ice builds up everywhere and it can also engulf the evaporator coil if not defrosted on time. If the evaporator coil ice up, its performance will be hindered and the ice cream freezer will experience issues like not enough cooling. After some time, this can cause a chain reaction and the ice cream freezer may not start at all.

The solution to this ice buildup is simple. The ice cream freezer should be defrosted regularly. If you have a manual defrost ice cream freezer, defrost it when the frost layer on the walls is 3-5mm. To defrost, you have to turn it off and let the ice melt completely. Then clean and dry the unit before turning it back on.

On the other hand, if you have an automatic defrost ice cream freezer and there has been significant ice buildup that is affecting the unit’s performance, then the defrost cycle is not working. As a temporary fix, you can defrost the freezer manually, but you should have an expert check the unit to see what’s causing this issue and fix it. You can avoid many problem by scheduling regular maintenance.

Worn Door Seals

Ice cream freezers usually have a sliding door that has a seal on the ends to keep the internal temperature freezing and stop the air from escaping. However, these seals or gaskets become ineffective over time, leaving tiny spaces from which cold air escapes. This creates many problems. For example, the ice cream freezer starts working harder because the refrigerated air is escaping continuously. This overworking can damage any of the main components (compressor, coils, blower motor), leading to even bigger problems. It can also lead to accelerated frost buildup inside the ice cream freezer.

Anyway, you should look for the signs like the compressor running constantly or longer than usual, ice melting inside the unit even when the unit is turned on, and the door not closing properly. An expert can repair or replace door seals depending on the damage. Their repair or replacement is not costly.

Low refrigerant Levels

Refrigerant or Freon flows inside the evaporator and condenser coil, pushed by the compressor. This is a closed system and the refrigerant keeps flowing there, cooling the ice cream freezer. However, if there is a leak due to skipping maintenance and cleaning, corrosion, or any other issue, the refrigerant will start leaking. This will lead to low refrigerant levels.

With low refrigerant levels, the ice cream display freezer won’t freeze normally. You may notice it freezes unevenly. You may also see the compressor that’s running constantly and notice a hissing or bubbling noise.

Checking, repairing the leaks, and recharging the ice cream freezer is an expert’s job. So, call in one for an inspection.

The Unit Is Not Level

Refrigeration units, like an ice cream freezer, need a level surface. If they are tilted or not level, many problems can rear their head and keep the unit from functioning normally. The placement of an ice cream freezer can affect the circulation of the refrigerant, the oil of the compressor, and the unit’s drainage.

So, when installing a refrigerator or freezer, ensure a level surface. If your ice cream freezer is behaving abnormally, use a spirit level to check if it’s not tilted.

Conclusion

Many problems can cause an ice cream display freezer to stop working. Some common ones are dirty condenser coil, power issues, thermostat problems, compressor malfunction, frost buildup, and others. Hire an ice cream freezer repair Chantilly expert who can thoroughly inspect the unit, find the cause of the problem, and then fix it.