You walk into your business first thing in the morning and head to the prep cooler — but something’s off. The Avantco refrigerator feels warmer than it should. The thermometer inside is climbing, product feels soft, and you start worrying about food safety, lost inventory, and how long it’s been like this. You’re experiencing your Avantco refrigerator not cooling, and you need to act fast!
When your Avantco commercial refrigerator isn’t cooling properly, every minute counts. Whether you’re running a restaurant, bar, coffee shop, or catering company, refrigeration problems can cause serious disruptions. Fortunately, many common cooling issues can be fixed quickly by trained commercial appliance technicians who know Avantco equipment inside and out.
AMB-Works’ Top 5 Reasons for Avantco Refrigerator Not Cooling
Here are some of the most common reasons your Avantco refrigerator may not be cooling — and how our technicians solve them.
Dirty or Blocked Condenser Coils
What You Might Notice:
You hear the unit running constantly, but it never seems to cool down. When you touch the sides or back of the refrigerator, it feels unusually warm. Inside, product temps keep creeping up. You may even hear staff say, “This thing’s been running nonstop all day.”
What’s Happening:
In busy kitchens, condenser coils attract dust, grease, flour, and debris that build up fast. When the coils can’t release heat properly, your compressor works harder and longer to try to keep things cold — often leading to eventual failure.
How We Fix It:
Our technician will safely pull the unit out, remove the access panels, and thoroughly clean the condenser coils with specialized tools designed for commercial appliances. If the buildup has already strained the compressor or affected other components, we’ll test pressures, electrical readings, and airflow to catch early signs of bigger issues before they become costly breakdowns.
Faulty Evaporator Fan Motor
What You Might Notice:
With an Avantco refrigerator not cooling, you may notice uneven cooling — the top shelves feel warm, while the bottom is still fairly cold. You might not hear much airflow inside, or you hear a faint buzzing noise that wasn’t there before. Ice may also start building up inside the evaporator compartment.
What’s Happening:
The evaporator fan circulates cold air throughout the cabinet. If it fails or slows down, the cold air doesn’t move, leaving some areas too warm while others freeze.
How We Fix It:
We test the evaporator fan motor directly, checking voltage and resistance, and visually inspect the blades for ice buildup or obstruction. If the motor has failed, we replace it with OEM-quality Avantco parts and verify proper airflow throughout the cabinet to ensure even, consistent cooling.
Refrigerant Leak or Low Charge
What You Might Notice:
At first, the cooler seems to run fine. Over days or weeks, you notice the temperature is slightly higher than usual. Eventually, no matter how low you set the thermostat, the unit just won’t get cold enough. You may spot light frost buildup on the refrigerant lines or hear the compressor cycling on and off more frequently. This is a sign that your Avantco refrigerator not cooling needs attention fast.
What’s Happening:
Avantco’s sealed refrigeration system relies on the correct refrigerant charge to maintain proper cooling. Even a small leak can cause gradual cooling loss. Because commercial systems run more hours than residential fridges, these leaks often start small and grow worse with time. This is often a subtle early sign of your Avantco refrigerator not cooling as the problem slowly worsens over time.
How We Fix It:
Our EPA-certified technician uses electronic leak detectors, nitrogen pressure tests, and visual inspection to locate even small refrigerant leaks. Once located, we isolate and repair the leak, replace faulty components if necessary, evacuate the system fully, and recharge it with the correct refrigerant amount per manufacturer specifications. Finally, we retest system pressures and verify stable cooling before placing the unit back into service.
Thermostat or Control Board Failure
What You Might Notice:
The digital display may flash error codes, or your staff may report that the refrigerator temperature keeps swinging between too cold and too warm. Sometimes the unit may short cycle — turning on and off repeatedly.
What’s Happening:
Avantco models rely on control boards, thermistors, and thermostats to monitor and regulate cabinet temperature. If any of these sensors or boards fail, the unit gets confused and struggles to maintain correct cooling cycles.
How We Fix It:
We connect diagnostic equipment to verify sensor resistance, check incoming power, and evaluate control board functions. If the thermostat, sensor, or control board is malfunctioning, we replace them using genuine Avantco replacement parts and run system tests to ensure the refrigerator returns to stable operation.
Our Tavares appliance repair technician has seen this issue often and helped many businesses throughout the greater Orlando area get their refrigerators running again.
Compressor Failure
What You Might Notice:
Your refrigerator suddenly feels completely warm inside. The compressor might make a faint clicking or humming sound but doesn’t seem to run. Or it may be totally silent. At this stage, food temperatures rise quickly, putting inventory at risk.
What’s Happening:
The compressor is the core of your refrigeration system. Over time, worn components, overheating, or electrical failures can cause the compressor to seize or short internally.
How We Fix It:
We run detailed compressor tests, including amp draw, continuity checks, and start relay testing. If the compressor is beyond repair, we perform a full compressor replacement following manufacturer specs, vacuum the system, and recharge it properly. We also inspect related components to ensure no contributing issues remain.
Get Fast, Reliable Help for Your Avantco Refrigerator
An Avantco refrigerator not cooling isn’t just an inconvenience — it’s a threat to your inventory, your revenue, and your business operations. The longer your unit sits offline, the bigger the problem becomes. Don’t wait for small issues to turn into major breakdowns.
Our team is ready to diagnose the problem, make professional repairs, and help get your Avantco refrigerator back to full operation as quickly as possible. We understand how important properly functioning equipment is to your business — and we’re here to make sure you stay up and running.
Learn more about Avantco refrigerators on the manufacturer’s website.
