Commercial Kitchen · Slush · Slushie · Margarita · Frozen Beverage · Bar + Café + Event Rental · Same Day
Commercial Slush, Slushie & Frozen Beverage Machine Repair — Los Angeles
Commercial slush, slushie, margarita, and frozen beverage machine repair across LA — Bunn, Taylor, Ugolini, Elmeco, FBD, Donper, Cornelius. Bars, cafés, c-stores, and event rental. EPA 608 certified for sealed-system work. Phones answered 24/7, no emergency surcharge. (424) 325-0520
Our Branches
8 service territories across Southern California
Commercial Slush & Frozen Beverage Machine Repair
Southern California
Frozen beverage service
A dead slush machine on a hot LA Saturday is lost revenue by the hour.
Commercial slush, slushie, margarita, and frozen beverage machine repair is a lane most appliance shops skip, and our techs at Same Day Appliance Repair run it every week, from the bars off Sunset and the cafés in Silver Lake to the c-store and cinema frozen-carbonated lines in Long Beach and the event-rental margarita fleets that feed weddings in Santa Monica and parties across Beverly Hills and Pasadena. These machines look simple and aren't: a refrigerated freezing cylinder, a mixing auger or paddle driven by a gearbox or a magnet, a front seal that lives in sugar all day, and on FCB units a carbonation loop on top. When one quits mid-service, the drink turns to soup and the register goes quiet. We cover LA, Orange, Ventura, San Bernardino, and Riverside. $120 commercial diagnostic, waived with the repair, no emergency surcharge. EPA 608 Universal certified (#1346255700410) for the sealed refrigeration side.
When a bar manager in West Hollywood or an event-rental operator searches slush machine repair near me on a Friday afternoon, the clock is already running: soft product, a line at the bar, and a machine that won't pull down. Frozen beverage machines fail differently than ice machines. Different drive, different seals, different consistency problems, same sealed-refrigeration diagnostics underneath.
Our techs service these across LA County, Orange County, Ventura, San Bernardino, and Riverside, with same-day dispatch into Downtown LA, Hollywood, West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, Culver City, Long Beach, and Pasadena bars, cafés, restaurants, c-stores, and rental venues. Gravity granita and slush bowls (Ugolini, Elmeco, Bunn), frozen cocktail and margarita freezers (Taylor, Bunn, Donper), and frozen carbonated dispensers (FBD, Cornelius). Soft-serve and gelato are a separate machine and a separate page: see commercial soft-serve repair.
BHGS #A49573. BBB Accredited. Phones answered 24/7, because frozen drink machines fail on Friday night and Saturday afternoon, not Tuesday at 10 AM. Parent context: commercial ice machine repair.
What we service
Four kinds of frozen beverage machine.
Slush & Granita (open bowl, gravity)
The clear polycarbonate bowls you see on a bar or café counter, one to three of them, with a paddle or auger turning inside. Ugolini MT (MT1, MT2, MT3, magnetic transmission) and HT granita, Elmeco Big Biz and First Class, and Bunn Ultra hoppers cover most of what we service. Common failures: the bowl won't freeze (refrigeration or the mix not turning), the paddle stops (drive), or product weeps from the front seal. See ice machine repair for the ice side.
Frozen Cocktail & Margarita
Higher-volume freezing cylinders built for margaritas, daiquiris, piña coladas, and vodka slushes. Taylor two-, three-, and four-flavor frozen cocktail freezers (pressurized and non-pressurized), Bunn frozen cocktail units, and Donper XC machines. These live in bars and in the LA event-rental fleet. Failures cluster on the refrigeration, the gearbox, and consistency (too soft or too hard).
Frozen Carbonated Beverage (FCB)
The 7-Eleven Slurpee style dispensers in c-stores, cinemas, and quick-serve. FBD (562, 772) and Cornelius carbonated barrels. We service the barrel, the freezing cylinder, the auger and beater, the seals, and the dispense valves. The CO2 and syrup bag-in-box side is beverage-line trade; we're honest about where the line is.
Frozen Drink & Smoothie Dispensers
Non-carbonated frozen juice, lemonade, tea, and coffee dispensers, plus smoothie machines. Bunn Ultra-2 and Ultra NX with the reversing, torque-sensing auger are the workhorses here. Same drive, seal, and refrigeration playbook as the slush bowls.
Common failures
Where these machines actually break.
- Won't freeze / soupy product. Refrigeration first: low charge from a slow leak, a condenser choked with bar dust and grease, or a compressor losing capacity. Then the mix: if the auger isn't scraping ice off the cylinder wall, nothing freezes evenly. We check charge and superheat, clean the condenser, and confirm the drive before quoting a compressor.
- Front / barrel seal leaking. The seal behind the auger lives in sugar and hardens over time. It weeps product down the front, and on FCB and cocktail barrels it lets air in and messes consistency. A wear part, cheap to do on schedule, expensive to ignore because leaked product wrecks the drive.
- Auger or paddle not turning. Gear motor, gear reducer, or drive belt on Bunn, Taylor, Elmeco, and Donper. On Ugolini magnetic-drive bowls there's no gearbox in the product path, so it's the motor or a slipping magnet coupling. Grinding usually means worn gears.
- Scraper blades worn. The blades on the auger scrape ice off the freezing cylinder. Worn or warped blades leave an ice layer that insulates the wall, and the machine runs and runs without making good slush.
- Dispense valve or spigot leaking / clogged. Sticky product dries in the valve. We rebuild the valve, replace the O-rings, and free the handle.
- Refrigerant slow leak. Same EPA 608 rule as any sealed system: find the leak, repair it, evacuate, and recharge. We don't just top it off.
- Control / thermostat fault. Consistency drifts, or the machine won't hold set temperature. Board or thermostat diagnostic, not always a full board replacement.
Brands we service
The frozen beverage brands we see in LA.
Bunn
Ultra-2, Ultra-2 HP, and Ultra NX frozen beverage dispensers, the reversing, torque-sensing auger platform, plus Bunn's frozen cocktail units. Common in cafés, c-stores, and juice/lemonade programs. Ultra NX uses a redesigned auger-drive and seal for longer service life.
Taylor
Two-, three-, and four-flavor frozen cocktail and frozen beverage freezers, pressurized and non-pressurized. High-volume bar and event equipment. Taylor's own service network flags refrigeration, gearbox, and consistency as the usual repair areas, which matches what we see in the field.
Ugolini
Italian. MT series (MT1, MT2, MT3) granita and slush bowls built on Ugolini's magnetic transmission, plus the HT range and MiniGel. The magnetic drive means no gearbox seal in the product path, so drive repairs look different from belt-and-gearbox machines.
Elmeco
Italian. Big Biz and First Class (FC Millennium) granita and slush dispensers, plus the newer BLarge line. Common in bars and event rental for margaritas and Italian granita.
FBD & Cornelius
Frozen carbonated beverage dispensers. FBD 562 and 772 multi-flavor barrels, and Cornelius (Marmon Foodservice) FCB units. The Slurpee-style machines in c-stores and cinemas. We handle the mechanical and refrigeration side; carbonation/syrup systems are beverage-line trade.
Donper
Donper USA XC slush and margarita machines (XC112 single bowl, XC212 dual-bowl Mini Marg, XC336 triple 3.2-gallon). Budget-friendly and very common in the LA margarita rental fleet.
We carry common seals, valves, scraper blades, and drive parts on the van for the popular models. Specialty parts ship 2 to 7 days through distribution. Bunn brand detail: Bunn slushie machine repair. Pricing reference: commercial slushie machine repair cost.
Real repairs
Composite stories from the route.
Frozen beverage jobs typical of what we see across LA. Names omitted; models, symptoms, and parts are representative.
West Hollywood, Bunn Ultra-2 HP dual hopper, café/bar, 5 years old
One hopper making slush, the other running soupy no matter the setting. Tech dispatched from the West Hollywood branch. Diagnosed: worn auger drive on the soft side plus a hardened front seal weeping product into the drive housing. Rebuilt the front seal and gaskets, replaced the gear motor, cleaned the condenser (packed with dust behind the bar), and confirmed both hoppers pulling down and holding slush. Total: $120 plus $520 parts plus 2 hours = $860.
Hollywood, Ugolini MT2 granita bowl, café, 6 years old
Left bowl warm, paddle not turning, right bowl fine. Because it's a magnetic-drive machine there's no gearbox to fail in the product path. Diagnosed: drive motor on the left position weak and a magnet coupling not engaging under load. Replaced the drive motor, verified the coupling, cleaned the condenser and checked charge. Bowl back to granita in under two hours. Total: $120 plus $360 part plus 1.5 hours = $600.
Santa Monica, Donper XC212 margarita machine, event rental, wedding morning
Rental operator, machine leaking product from the front and margaritas coming out slushy-thin for a noon wedding. Diagnosed: front seal failed and scraper blades worn, so the cylinder wasn't scraping clean. Replaced the seal kit and scraper blades, sanitized, and ran a test batch to consistency. Turned around same morning. Total: $120 plus $240 parts plus 1 hour = $480. Operator added the machine to a pre-season seal-and-blade service.
Scope
What we do, and what we don't.
We service:
- Slush and granita bowls (Ugolini MT/HT, Elmeco Big Biz/First Class, Bunn Ultra)
- Frozen cocktail and margarita freezers (Taylor two/three/four flavor, Bunn, Donper XC)
- Frozen carbonated beverage dispensers (FBD 562/772, Cornelius) — mechanical and refrigeration side
- Frozen drink, juice, lemonade, and smoothie dispensers (Bunn Ultra-2, Ultra NX)
- Refrigeration: compressor, condenser, refrigerant leak repair and recharge (EPA 608 Universal)
- Drive: gear motor, gear reducer, drive belt, magnetic drive motor and coupling
- Front seals, bowl gaskets, scraper blades, mixing augers and spirals
- Dispense valves and spigots, thermostats, and control boards
We don't do: new machine installation (dealer/installer trade); the carbonation and syrup bag-in-box system on FCB units (CO2 regulators, BIB pumps, water/syrup ratios are beverage-line trade — we service the machine, not the syrup loop); soft-serve and gelato machines (see commercial soft-serve repair); liquid-nitrogen frozen dessert. For a pure syrup-system problem we'll tell you straight and refer it.
Pricing
Slush & frozen beverage repair costs.
Diagnostic is $120 (commercial tier), waived with the repair. No emergency surcharge: same $120 anytime, whether it's a Friday-night bar in Hollywood or a Saturday-morning event-rental call in Santa Monica. Common parts on the van for popular Bunn, Ugolini, and Donper models.
| Service | What to Expect |
|---|---|
| Diagnostic visit | $120, waived with repair |
| Emergency / after-hours dispatch | Same $120, no premium |
| Front seal & gasket rebuild | $180 to $320 |
| Scraper blades | $120 to $260 |
| Mixing auger / spiral | $200 to $420 |
| Gear motor / gear reducer / belt | $320 to $680 |
| Magnetic drive motor (Ugolini-type) | $280 to $560 |
| Dispense valve / spigot rebuild | $120 to $260 |
| Condenser fan motor | $260 to $460 |
| Refrigerant leak repair plus recharge | $500 to $1,100 |
| Control board / thermostat | $320 to $620 |
| Compressor replacement | $900 to $1,800 |
| Warranty on all repairs | 90 days parts and labor |
Ranges are typical for LA commercial calls and depend on machine, brand, and parts availability. The exact quote comes after the $120 diagnostic, before any work starts.
Where we work
Frozen beverage service across five counties.
Our techs cover bars, cafés, restaurants, c-stores, cinemas, and event-rental venues across Los Angeles, Orange, Ventura, San Bernardino, and Riverside counties. Same-day dispatch in most of LA County: Downtown LA, Hollywood, West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, Culver City, Marina del Rey, Long Beach, Pasadena, and the Valley. Orange and Ventura counties same-day in business hours; San Bernardino and Riverside usually next-day. Eight branches across SoCal, phones answered 24/7.
FAQ
Slush & frozen beverage repair questions.
My slush machine is running but the drink won't freeze. What's wrong?
Two usual suspects. First, the refrigeration side: low charge from a slow leak, a condenser packed with bar dust, or a tired compressor that can't pull the bowl down. Second, the mix isn't turning against the cylinder wall the way it should, so nothing scrapes the ice off, and the machine just chills soupy product. Our techs check both. It also helps to know most slush needs 12 to 18 percent sugar (Brix) to freeze right, watered-down mix will never slush no matter how healthy the machine is. $120 commercial diagnostic, waived with the repair.
Product is leaking from behind the auger or under the bowl. Fixable?
Yes, and it's one of the most common calls we get. The seal behind the auger or paddle is a wear part, it hardens and weeps sticky product down the front of the machine, and on gravity bowls a cracked or flattened bowl gasket does the same. We rebuild the front seal and gaskets, check the bearing and shaft for wear while we're in there, and sanitize. Left alone, a weeping seal lets product into the drive and turns a $200 seal job into a gearbox job.
The auger or paddle stopped turning and the machine is grinding.
That's the drive. On belt-and-gearbox machines (Bunn, Taylor, Elmeco, Donper) it's usually the gear motor, gear reducer, or a stretched drive belt, and the grinding is worn gears. On Ugolini magnetic-transmission bowls there's no gearbox in the product path, so it's the drive motor or a slipping magnet coupling instead. We diagnose which and quote before we open a wallet.
Do you service Bunn, Taylor, Ugolini, Elmeco, FBD, and Donper?
Yes, those are the machines we see most across LA. Bunn Ultra-2 and Ultra NX, Taylor two-, three-, and four-flavor frozen cocktail freezers, Ugolini MT and HT granita bowls, Elmeco Big Biz and First Class, FBD and Cornelius frozen carbonated dispensers, and Donper XC slush machines. We carry common seals, valves, and drive parts on the van for the popular models; specialty parts ship 2 to 7 days through distribution.
Do you fix margarita machines for events and rentals?
We do. LA runs on event rental, and a frozen margarita machine that quits the morning of a Santa Monica wedding or a Hollywood party is an emergency. We service the rental-fleet machines (Donper, Taylor, and the Bunn/Island Oasis frozen cocktail units) for both venues and rental operators, and we can turn around a seal, drive, or refrigeration fix same-day in most of the LA basin.
What does slush machine repair cost?
Diagnostic is $120 commercial tier, waived with the repair, no emergency surcharge. Typical work our techs quote across LA: front seal and gasket rebuild $180 to $320, mixing auger or spiral $200 to $420, gear motor or reducer $320 to $680, magnetic drive motor $280 to $560, dispense valve or spigot rebuild $120 to $260, condenser fan motor $260 to $460, refrigerant leak repair and recharge $500 to $1,100, control board $320 to $620, and compressor replacement $900 to $1,800. Same Day Appliance Repair, EPA 608 Universal certified for the sealed system.
Do you service frozen carbonated beverage (FCB) machines like FBD and Cornelius?
We service the machine itself, the refrigeration, the barrel, the drive, the seals, and the dispense valves on FBD and Cornelius frozen carbonated units. The carbonation and syrup bag-in-box side (CO2 regulators, BIB pumps, water/syrup ratios) crosses into beverage-line trade, and for a pure syrup-system problem we'll tell you straight and refer it. Anything mechanical or refrigeration on the barrel is ours.
Slush Machine Down? Call Us 24/7.
Searching slush machine repair near me from a WeHo bar, a Silver Lake café, or an event-rental yard? Bunn, Taylor, Ugolini, Elmeco, FBD, Donper. EPA 608 certified, $120 commercial diagnostic, same-day across LA, OC, and Ventura. BHGS #A49573.