Your walk-in is climbing past 41°F and product is starting to sweat. Before you panic, check these seven common failures — two you can verify yourself.
First thing we check, because it's the most common and cheapest to fix. Run a dollar bill around the gasket with the door closed. If it pulls out easily anywhere, the seal is compromised. Replace the gasket — often a same-visit fix.
Open the walk-in and look at the evap unit inside. A heavy layer of ice on the coil means defrost isn't cycling. Don't chip it off — turn the unit off and call. Running iced-over kills compressors.
Look at the condenser (outside or on the roof). If the coil looks gray or packed with dust, heat can't dump, and the system can't cool. Coil cleaning is part of every quarterly PM.
Slow pull-down, running constantly, never reaching setpoint — often charge. Requires EPA 608-certified recovery, leak check, and recharge. Not a DIY situation.
If the compressor is silent when it should be running, or making mechanical noise, it's the most expensive failure mode. Repair vs. replace depends on unit age and overall system health.
Digital controls fail, probes drift, defrost timers stick. Diagnosis requires meter and control-code access.
Stacked product too close to the evaporator blocks airflow. Less common but easy to verify — make sure there's clear space around the evap unit.
Coolers, freezers, prep tables, reach-ins — what the Florida food code actually requires vs. what's safe vs. what's ideal.
Quarterly, monthly, and daily tasks — who does each, and how to document them for DBPR.
Which refrigeration violations trigger emergency orders, which are citations, and how to prevent repeat findings.