True · Turbo Air · Traulsen · Beverage-Air · Hoshizaki · Perlick · Delfield

Commercial Refrigeration Repair Los Angeles

Name: Same Day Appliance Repair
Address: 6230 Wilshire Blvd Ste A PMB 2267, Los Angeles, CA, 90048, US
Telephone: (424) 325-0520
Price range: $$$

Walk-in coolers and freezers, reach-in units, prep tables, display cases, undercounter refrigerators across LA, Orange, Ventura, Riverside. EPA 608 certified. 24/7 emergency dispatch.

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Our Branches

8 service territories across Southern California

Pasadena — (626) 376-4458

West Hollywood — (323) 870-4790

Beverly Hills — (424) 248-1199

Los Angeles — (424) 325-0520

Thousand Oaks — (424) 208-0228

Irvine — (213) 401-9019

Rancho Cucamonga — (909) 457-1030

Temecula — (951) 577-3877

Commercial Refrigeration Repair

Southern California

🏅 BHGS Licensed #A49573

🛡️ Fully Insured

⚡ Same Day Available

🔩 OEM Parts on Truck

💬 $89 Diagnostic — Waived With Repair

01 · What we do

When the walk-in hits 50°F at 11 AM and lunch service starts at 11:30, the math changes fast.

Spoiled inventory, lost service, health code exposure. Commercial refrigeration is not residential refrigeration. Different sealed-system architecture, different refrigerants, different repair economics, different stakes.

Our techs service commercial refrigeration across LA County, Orange County, Ventura, San Bernardino, Riverside. Walk-in coolers and freezers (the boxes you walk into, 8x8 to 14x20 typical for restaurant operations). Reach-in coolers and freezers (the upright units in prep lines). Prep tables (the salad and sandwich stations with reach-in storage below the cutting surface). Display cases (deli, bakery, beverage). Undercounter refrigerators. Wine cellar cooling for hospitality.

EPA 608 Universal certification covers every refrigerant we encounter in commercial work: R-22 legacy systems still running in older walk-ins, R-404A on most current systems, R-448A and R-449A retrofits, the R-454B and R-290 transitions on newest equipment. BHGS #A49573. BBB A+. Phones answered 24/7 because commercial refrigeration failures don't happen during business hours.

We don't do supermarket multiplexed rack systems with remote condensers, that's a specialty C-38 contractor trade. We don't do ammonia or CO2 industrial refrigeration. Different trades entirely. We service the equipment that powers restaurants, bars, hotels, cafés, ice cream shops, butchers, fishmongers, and groceries.

02 · What we service

Six commercial refrigeration categories.

Walk-In Coolers and Freezers

The big boxes. Restaurant walk-ins typically run R-404A on systems built 2010 to 2020, transitioning to R-448A or R-449A on newer installs. Common failures we see in coastal LA: condenser fan motor seizure (3 to 6 years on coastal restaurants in Santa Monica, Manhattan Beach, Newport Beach due to salt-air dust load), evaporator coil icing from defrost cycle issues, door gasket failure (commercial gaskets see 50 to 200 cycles per day), compressor short-cycling on ambient heat, refrigerant slow leak. EPA 608 required for any sealed system work.

Walk-in coolers run 36 to 40°F. Walk-in freezers run -10 to 0°F. Different evaporator design, different defrost requirements (electric defrost on freezers, off-cycle on coolers). Same general architecture but different repair playbook. See walk-in cooler repair and walk-in freezer repair.

Reach-In Coolers and Freezers

The upright units in commercial kitchens, single, double, triple door. Brands we service constantly: True (T-23, T-49 most common), Turbo Air (M3R series), Traulsen (G Series, R Series), Beverage-Air (HR1, HR2 horizontal reach-ins), Continental, Migali, Victory, Norlake, Avantco, Maxx Cold.

Common failures: condenser fan motor (1,800 to 3,000 RPM motors run 24/7, 4 to 6 year typical service life), evaporator fan motor, door gasket compression at the hinge side first, defrost timer (electromechanical timers on legacy units, defrost boards on modern), thermostat failure, compressor relay and start components. EPA 608 for sealed system work. See reach-in cooler repair and reach-in freezer repair.

Prep Tables (Salad / Sandwich Refrigerated Prep Stations)

Cold rail at top, refrigerated drawers or doors below, cutting surface in front. Most are True (TPP series), Turbo Air (PRT, MST series), Continental (CPP series), Beverage-Air (SP, DP series). Critical for sandwich shops, taquerias, salad concepts. The cold rail temperature spec is 41°F or below per FDA Food Code. Failing prep tables become health code violations fast.

Common failures: cold rail temperature drift (most common, needs evaporator cleaning plus sometimes thermostat adjustment), pan condensation pooling (drain blockage), door gasket compression on the storage section, compressor short-cycling on heavy-load operations. See prep table repair.

Display Cases

Deli cases, bakery cases, beverage merchandisers, open-air refrigerated displays. Brands: Hussmann (most common in LA grocery), Federal Industries, Howard McCray, True (TG series glass-door merchandisers), Hoshizaki commercial display, Beverage-Air. Glass door defrost issues, internal humidity, lighting harness failures, condenser fan motors.

We service both self-contained units (compressor inside the case) and remote-condensed displays where the condenser is on the roof or in a back room. Self-contained: any LA-area appliance shop with EPA 608 can service. Remote-condensed: this is where most shops decline because they don't understand the line set work. We service these. See display case repair.

Undercounter Refrigerators and Drawers

Smaller commercial reach-ins designed to fit under prep counters. Common in bars (back-bar bottle storage), small kitchens, mobile units. Perlick (HP15, HP24, independent Wisconsin manufacturer since 1917), True (TUC series), Hoshizaki commercial, Krowne, Glastender. Service profile similar to reach-ins but more compact. EPA 608 for sealed system. See undercounter refrigerator repair.

Wine Cellar Cooling (Restaurant / Hospitality)

Restaurant wine cellars and luxury hospitality wine displays use specialized cooling: typically Wine Guardian, CellarPro, KoolR for cellar systems, plus integrated wine refrigeration in dining rooms. Different temperature targets (55°F for red, 50°F for white, varying humidity 50 to 70%). EPA 608 for sealed system work.

03 · Typical failure scenarios

In rough order of how often we get called.

"Walk-in is at 50°F and rising." Emergency call, often during service hours. Nine times out of ten: condenser fan motor failed or condenser coil fouled with kitchen grease and dust load. Verifying with thermometer probe placement (top of box vs floor), checking refrigerant pressures with gauges, inspecting condenser. Repair time 1 to 3 hours typical, parts on the van for most common motor sizes.
"Reach-in cooler temperature climbing overnight." Usually defrost timer issue or evaporator fan failure. Reach-in lost 20°F overnight = inventory at risk by morning. Diagnostic: check if defrost cycle stuck on (ice forms, restricts airflow, temp climbs) or evap fan stopped (warm air doesn't circulate, sensor reads but cooling never reaches food).
"Prep table cold rail running warm." Number one prep table issue. Cause: evaporator coil iced or grease-fouled. Solution: deep clean of evap coil and condenser, check defrost cycle on units that have one, verify thermostat calibration. Often no parts needed once cleaned.
"Compressor running constantly, never cycling off." Short-cycling or never-shutoff. Diagnostic: refrigerant charge (low or high?), condenser cleanliness, ambient temperature load (is the kitchen reaching 95°F+ in summer and overwhelming the system?), age of compressor. Sometimes capacitor failure, sometimes refrigerant leak, sometimes compressor mechanical wear.
"Door not sealing, visible gap." Door gasket compressed or torn. Commercial gaskets typically last 3 to 5 years with heavy use (50 to 200 door cycles per day). Replacement straightforward but model-specific (different brands use different gasket profiles: magnetic, dart, etc.).
"Walk-in floor has water under the door." Drain pan heater failure, or drain line frozen, or evaporator dripping outside the pan. Three different fixes depending on which it is.
"Refrigerant slow leak." System needs recharge every few months. EPA 608 requires leak repair before recharge. We identify with electronic leak detector or UV dye, repair the leak, evacuate, recharge. Cannot legally just keep adding refrigerant.
"Display case glass fogging." Humidity control issue, often electric heat element on glass frame failed or glass-edge desiccant breached.

03.5 · Detailed Failure-Mode Diagnostics

Specific commercial refrigeration problems covered in depth.

Each sub-service walks through the diagnostic logic, parts cost, and field-tested honest opinion for the most common commercial refrigeration failure modes. $120 commercial diagnostic, waived with repair, on every page.

Refrigerator Not Cooling →

Cabinet at 50°F when it should be 38°F. About 25-30% resolve at $120 diagnostic with condenser cleaning, no parts. Compressor, evaporator fan, refrigerant, defrost diagnostic.

Leaking Water →

Defrost drain clog (#1 cause, year 5+). Tank cracks, gasket condensation, drain pan overflow. Walk-in evaporator drain re-seal. $200-360 typical.

Compressor Issues →

Hard-start kit, short-cycling, mechanical wear. Year 8-12 mid-tier, year 15+ premium. Repair-vs-replace honest math. Sub-Zero dual-compressor architecture.

Temperature Fluctuating →

Often misdiagnosed as compressor; usually defrost cycle, thermostat, or sensor drift. About 70% resolve at $200-540, not compressor. 60-90 min cycle observation.

04 · Recent jobs

Real repair stories from the last few weeks.

Composite examples; model numbers, ages, and prices are accurate to typical scope.

West Hollywood · True T-49F two-door reach-in freezer, 8 years old

Restaurant on Sunset Blvd. Saturday 6 PM, dinner service, freezer at 25°F instead of -5°F. Tech dispatched 25 minutes from West Hollywood branch. Diagnosed: defrost timer stuck in defrost mode, ice melted, refroze, restricted airflow. Replaced timer (electromechanical Paragon 8141, common True spec part), forced manual defrost cycle, monitored pulldown. Restored to -5°F in 4 hours. Service continued. Total: $120 emergency surcharge waived (we don't do that) plus $185 part plus 1.5 hours = $475 all-in.

Beverly Hills · Federal Industries deli case, 11 years old

Bakery. Glass front constantly fogging, customer complaints about visibility. Diagnosed: glass-frame heater wire (anti-condensation heater in the door frame) had open-circuited at one corner. Federal Industries part, 5-day order from supplier. Returned with part, replaced heater wire, tested defrost-condensation cycle through 24 hours. Working. Total: $120 plus $340 part plus 2.5 hours across 2 visits = $720.

Pasadena · Beverage-Air HR1 reach-in cooler, 6 years old

Coffee shop. Temp climbing over weekend, owner found Sunday afternoon at 48°F. Tech dispatched Monday morning (Sunday phone answered, dispatch scheduled). Found: condenser coil completely impacted with coffee grounds and bakery flour (real cause discovered during inspection, grinder vented near condenser intake). Cleaned condenser thoroughly, recommended airflow change for future. No parts needed. Total: $120 plus 1.5 hours = $360. Customer relocated grinder.

Marina del Rey · walk-in cooler 8x10, 12 years old, R-404A

Restaurant. Cooler at 48°F for two days before they called us. Ambient outside 78°F. Diagnosed: refrigerant leak at evaporator coil joint (corrosion failure at brazed joint near coil). EPA 608 leak repair: pumped down, brazed joint repair, vacuum to 500 microns, recharged with R-404A to nameplate spec. Pulldown to 38°F in 6 hours. Total: $120 plus $480 refrigerant plus $620 labor plus $180 leak detection and brazing supplies = $1,400. Inventory loss separate insurance issue.

Santa Monica · Perlick HP15 undercounter back-bar refrigerator, 7 years old, R-134a

Bar. Not cooling, ice cream sandwiches melting. Coastal salt-air corrosion on condenser fan motor caused seizure. Replaced fan motor (Perlick OEM). Cleaned condenser coil while there. Tested. Total: $120 plus $290 part plus 45 minutes = $480.

05 · Honest scope

What we do, and what we don't.

We service:

Walk-in coolers and walk-in freezers (self-contained or pre-piped split systems)
Reach-in coolers and freezers (single, double, triple door, all major brands)
Prep tables (cold rail and refrigerated storage configurations)
Display cases (self-contained and remote-condensed)
Undercounter refrigerators and beverage centers
Wine cellar cooling (commercial / hospitality)
Refrigerated drawers (chef base, equipment stand drawers)
Defrost systems (electromechanical and electronic defrost boards)
All EPA-permitted refrigerants: R-22 (legacy), R-134a, R-404A, R-448A, R-449A, R-507, R-454B, R-290 (where applicable per safety codes)

We don't do:

Supermarket multiplexed rack systems with remote condensers (specialty C-38 contractor trade)
Ammonia (R-717) industrial refrigeration (different trade entirely, different certifications)
CO2 (R-744) cascade refrigeration in industrial / cold storage applications
New walk-in installation or rough-in plumbing (we work with several authorized walk-in installers in SoCal, happy to refer)
Roof-mounted condensing unit installation (HVAC contractor with C-20 license)
Refrigeration line set installation longer than ~25 feet (specialty trade)

This is professional standard. Premium restaurants and hospitality operators value contractors who refer specialty work to specialists rather than fake competence. EPA 608 plus BHGS #A49573 doesn't make us an ammonia contractor.

06 · Pricing

What commercial refrigeration repair actually costs.

Service	What to expect
Diagnostic visit	$120 commercial-tier, waived with repair
Emergency / after-hours dispatch	Same $120, no premium
Condenser fan motor (reach-in)	$280 to $500
Evaporator fan motor	$260 to $450
Door gasket replacement (per door)	$180 to $340
Defrost timer replacement	$200 to $340
Defrost board (modern systems)	$380 to $620
Compressor capacitor / start relay	$200 to $340
Walk-in condensing unit fan motor	$400 to $680
Refrigerant leak repair plus recharge	$600 to $1,400 (depending on charge size)
Compressor replacement (reach-in)	$1,400 to $2,400
Walk-in compressor replacement	$2,400 to $4,200
Display case glass heater	$340 to $620
Wine cellar cooling diagnostic	$120 same as standard commercial
Warranty on all repairs	90 days parts plus labor

Refrigerant prices reflect 2026 SoCal market and EPA refrigerant management compliance costs. Leak repair always required before recharge per EPA 608 Section 608 regulations. We cannot legally just "top off" a leaking system.

07 · Brands we service

Reach-in and prep table specialists across the SoCal market.

True Manufacturing: Trulaske family-owned (St. Charles, Missouri). T-23, T-49, TG, TPP, TSSU series most common. Independent, not Middleby, not Welbilt. (True Residential is a separate brand owned by Middleby, different company, different parts.)

Turbo Air: Korean manufacturer with strong US distribution. M3R, MSR, PRT, MST series. Aggressive pricing, quality has improved significantly post-2018. Common parts on the van.

Traulsen: ITW Food Equipment Group brand. G-Series, R-Series, RH-Series. Premium American manufacturer, parts available through ITW network.

Beverage-Air: Ali Group brand since ~2005. HR, HF, SP, DP series. Mid-premium, widely deployed in chain restaurants.

Perlick: independent Wisconsin family business since 1917. HP, BBR, BC series. Specializes in back-bar and hospitality refrigeration. Premium quality, lifetime construction.

Hoshizaki: Japanese manufacturer (commercial refrigeration line, separate from ice machine line). Premium quality reach-ins and prep tables.

Continental Refrigerator: independent American, family-owned in Pennsylvania since 1965. 1R/2R/3R reach-ins, SW prep tables, DL undercounter, MBC merchandiser bottle coolers, BB back-bar. Mid-premium tier, accessible parts pricing.

Delfield: Welbilt brand. Heritage manufacturer.

Hussmann: Panasonic-owned. Display cases and merchandisers, commonly seen in LA grocery and convenience.

Federal Industries: Wisconsin-based, deli and bakery cases.

Victory: independent commercial refrigeration manufacturer. Reach-ins and prep tables.

Migali: California-based commercial refrigeration. Common in mid-tier restaurants.

Norlake: heritage walk-in and reach-in manufacturer.

Avantco / Maxx Cold: value tier brands, common in food trucks and small operations.

We carry parts for the top 10 brands listed above on the van for the most common service items. Parts for the rest are 2 to 5 day order through our distributor network.

08 · Why operators call us back

Nine reasons.

24/7 phone answering. Sunday morning, holiday weekend, 2 AM Friday, phones answered. Dispatch scheduled. Emergency commercial refrigeration failures don't wait.
EPA 608 Universal certification. Covers every refrigerant we encounter. Many residential appliance shops claim "we do commercial too" without 608. That's illegal for sealed system work. See our EPA 608 page.
BHGS #A49573 plus BBB A+. Verifiable. Required for any contractor working on commercial property in California.
Restaurant operations awareness. We don't dispatch during dinner service unless it's an emergency. We schedule around your operations. Kitchen-trained techs who understand prep line workflow.
Parts on the van. Condenser fan motors (multiple sizes), evaporator fan motors, defrost timers, common compressor capacitors and start components, gaskets for top brands, refrigerant for charge top-offs.
No emergency surcharge. $120 diagnostic is $120 whether it's Tuesday morning or Saturday midnight.
Eight branches across SoCal. West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Los Angeles main, Pasadena, Thousand Oaks, Irvine, Rancho Cucamonga, Temecula. Same-day in most cases.
Honest scope. We don't do supermarket racks, ammonia, or CO2 industrial. We refer those out to specialty C-38 contractors.
Property management coverage. Multi-unit operations across LA County. We coordinate with property managers, GMs, and corporate facilities for chain operations.

Looking for the parent commercial niche? See our commercial appliance repair overview.

09 · FAQ

Commercial refrigeration repair, common questions.

How fast can you respond to a commercial refrigeration emergency?

Phones answered 24/7. Dispatch scheduling 8 AM to 8 PM Mon-Sat for technician arrival. Most emergency calls in central LA see same-day arrival within 2 to 4 hours of the call. Outer service areas (Riverside, San Bernardino) usually next-day. We do not charge an emergency surcharge. Diagnostic is $120 regardless of time of day.

Do you service True, Turbo Air, Traulsen, Beverage-Air, and Perlick?

Yes. These are our most common commercial refrigeration brands. We carry the most common service parts (condenser fan motors, evaporator fan motors, defrost timers, gaskets) on the van for these brands. Hoshizaki commercial, Continental, Delfield, Hussmann, Federal Industries, Victory, Migali, Norlake, Avantco, Maxx Cold also serviced.

My walk-in is at 48°F. Is the food still safe?

FDA Food Code requires cold-hold at 41°F or below. Above 41°F, time-temperature documentation matters: food can stay at 45 to 50°F for limited periods (typically 4 hours per FDA) before requiring discard. The clock starts when the temp exceeded 41°F, not when you noticed. We arrive, diagnose, repair, and document temperature recovery for your records.

What's EPA 608 and why does it matter?

EPA 608 is federal certification required for anyone handling refrigerant in stationary equipment. Section 608 of the Clean Air Act prohibits venting refrigerant and requires certified technicians for repair and recharge. Many appliance repair companies servicing residential don't carry 608, making their commercial work illegal. We're EPA 608 Universal certified (#1346255700410), which covers all refrigerant types we encounter (R-22 legacy, R-134a, R-404A, R-448A, R-449A, R-507, R-454B, R-290).

Do you do walk-in installations?

No. We service existing walk-ins. New walk-in installation is a different trade involving rough-in plumbing, electrical, and condensing unit roof mounting. We work with several authorized walk-in installers in SoCal and can refer.

My display case glass keeps fogging. What's wrong?

Three usual causes: (1) anti-condensation heater wire failed in the door frame, the most common cause and replacement is available for most brands; (2) internal humidity from improper defrost cycle; (3) glass-edge desiccant breached at an old gasket. We diagnose and quote.

My refrigerant is slowly leaking. Can you just keep recharging?

No, and neither can any other licensed contractor. EPA 608 Section 608 regulations require leak repair before recharge on systems exceeding certain charge thresholds. We identify the leak with electronic leak detector or UV dye, repair the leak, evacuate the system, and recharge. Continuous recharge without repair is an EPA violation.

Commercial Refrigeration Down? Call Us 24/7.

EPA 608 certified. Same-day across LA, OC, Ventura. No emergency surcharge. BHGS #A49573.

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