Western Heating and Air Conditioning

Commercial refrigerators must maintain 40°F (4°C) or below for food safety compliance. Walk-in freezers should be at 0°F (-18°C) or below. Many food safety programs require refrigerators to run at 35-38°F for proper margin. If your unit struggles to maintain proper temperature, especially during busy service periods or in hot kitchen environments, call a technician — compressor capacity or refrigerant levels may be the issue.

1) Call an emergency refrigeration technician immediately. 2) Take and document temperature readings. 3) Move the most temperature-sensitive items (proteins, dairy) to alternate refrigeration first. 4) Contact your health department if temperatures approach 40°F+ — they can advise on food safety decisions. 5) Document all food temps for insurance claims. 6) Consider dry ice or portable refrigeration units for critical inventory. 7) Alert your supplier you may need emergency replacement products.

A comprehensive PM program should include: scheduled inspections at manufacturer-recommended intervals, cleaning of condenser coils and filters, calibration of temperature controls, inspection and testing of safety systems, lubrication of moving parts, replacement of wear items (gaskets, filters, belts), refrigerant level checks, combustion analysis for gas equipment, and detailed documentation for each visit. Avoid programs that are just a visual inspection without hands-on service.