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Avantco Refrigerator not cooling
Hello, we have a commercial Avantco Refrigerator model # 178CDF2RR about 6 years old. It started not cooling properly intermittently… we put an extra external fan blowing on the condenser that helped for a while.
I’ve kept the radiator clean, had just cleaned it prior to it starting to act up.
As time went by, several months it got worse. at times ( Few ) it would perform properly then not kick on timely, I believe it is supposed to kick on when warmed by 5 degrees. we have set at 34 degrees so at 39 degrees it should be kicking on. It started getting warmer and warmer before it would kick on again until it won’t stay cold at all now. funny thing is we have a Avantco TW111304N commercial wine and beer glass refer that has done the same thing at the same time, and it finally has refused to cool as well .
the manuals really doesn’t have any information for troubleshooting. the compressor and fan (fans small refer has two fans) seem to be working fine and it gas lines are sealed system. fairly simple system. I have been on line trying to figure out how to test it, Thank you for the look and help.
Ben -
1 Reply
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Refrigeration cabinets have a critical balance between ambient temperature, and air flow across the condenser and evaporator. If the condenser is not cleaned properly, the center of the core gets plugged up. Check it with a flashlight. Second, the condenser fan as it ages may start to have more friction from bearing wear. 5 to 6 years is about the right time for that. The cooling is easy to test, wet your finger first so you don’t get burned, then feel the lower tube coming out of the condenser. It should be about 10 to 15 degrees above the ambient air temp. If it is higher, then you do not have enough air flow through the condenser. If it is in a grease laden air where there is a lot of frying or sauteing, then the condenser may need a chemical foaming cleaning. If you have found a hot condenser tail pipe, The compressor will have been working in overload for some time. And may have suffered damage to the starting/overload electrical system.
Now look at the evaporator from the rear with a light. Is there a ice build up? If so, either the door gaskets are leaking, product is put in warm and uncovered, the fans are not moving enough air, or you have a metering/charge issue. Look if the ice is to one end or all the way across. One end is refrigerant/metering. All the way across normally the bottom working to the top will be air flow or humidity ice from gaskets, or to many openings, product moisture, or low air flow. Evaporator fans have to move the same amount of air/fan speed or air will just circulate from fan to fand instead of through the evaporator. That causes a lot of BTU availability loss.
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