Moving or transporting a commercial refrigerator is uncommon because once you place it in one position, you don’t need to move them from there for some time. However, if you needed to move your commercial refrigerator to another part of the kitchen or transport it to another place, and after the move, it’s not working, you should take help from this blog. The best course of action for you when your commercial appliance is not working is to consult a commercial appliances repair service.

Sometimes, the problem isn’t complicated or you want to save money and you may want to tackle the problem yourself or instruct the staff to look into the issue.

Reasons Why Your Commercial Refrigerator Is Not Working After Moving

The Refrigerator Wasn’t Moved In An Upright Position

We will begin with the most common reason why commercial and household refrigerators don’t work or cool after a move. A refrigerator must not be tilted or laid flat on a surface.

During moving, laying a refrigerator on its back seems the right method of keeping it in a pickup truck or any other mode of transportation. However, this can damage the compressor of your commercial refrigerator. As you may already know that a compressor is an expensive replacement. Not only that, if the refrigerator is old, you may have to bite the bullet and replace the refrigerator instead of changing the compressor only.

Some people will ask how laying a refrigerator in a flat or tilted position damages its compressor. A compressor of a refrigerator has lubricant that must stay inside the compressor only. When a refrigerator is laid on its back or tilted, the lubricant can move to the cooling pipes.

If the lubricant gets into the cooling pipes, it may not completely go back to the compressor and if you turn on the refrigerant right after moving it, the compressor won’t have enough lubricant to work properly. So, the refrigerator may start or cool for a bit but will turn off or stop cooling after that due to damage to the compressor. Therefore, when moving a commercial refrigerator keep it in an upright position.

The Refrigerator Wasn’t Left To Settle For 24 Hours

Whether you move a commercial refrigerator a few inches or move it to another location in a truck, you must leave it to settle for 24 hours before plugging it in. The reason for it is the same as we mentioned in the earlier point.

When you move a refrigerant regardless of its position (upright, sideways, flat on its back), some lubricant from the compressor gets into the cooling pipes. This amount depends on the position of the refrigerant. If the appliance was upright, less oil will leak into the cooling pipes but if the refrigerant was laid flat, a big amount of oil will move to the cooling pipes.

So, after a move, if you switch on the refrigerator immediately, the compressor oil won’t get sufficient time to flow back to the compressor where it must be when the compressor runs. This leads to compressor failure.

Damage To The External Wiring Of The Refrigerator

A less common reason for a commercial refrigerator not working after a move is damage to the wiring during moving. This is possible if your refrigerator is not turning on at all after the move. So, you should start with the end of the power cord that goes into the power outlet. Check for damages. Then, check the whole cord and other parts of the appliance. If you need help, you should let a professional inspect the unit to let you know if you need commercial refrigerators repairs Northern VA.

Any Other Damage To The Refrigerator During The Move

A refrigerator has many different components and if any of them are damaged during the moving process, the fridge won’t work properly. So, if you moved your commercial refrigerator in the upright position, left it to rest for 24 hours, and it is not working on not cooling, then you should consult an appliance repair service to inspect the appliance.

How To Correctly Move A Commercial Refrigerator?

If you’re about to move your commercial refrigerator, you should learn the right method of doing this to avoid damage to the compressor and other components of the appliance.

Turn If Off And Remove The Power Cable

The first step is to switch off the refrigerator and secure its wires to a safe part of the refrigerator with tape. This is done to prevent damage to the wire during moving.

Empty And Clean The Refrigerator

Remove all the stock from your refrigerator because it will only increase the weight of the appliance. Moreover, remove trays and other removable parts from the refrigerator because they will not only add extra weight, but they can detach expectedly causing damage to the interior of the refrigerator. Then, clean the appliance.

Moreover, to avoid the door of the refrigerator from swinging out, use tape or anything else to keep the door shut.

Use a Trolley

Many different types of trollies can be used to move a commercial refrigerator to another spot or move it near a trailer or truck.

If your refrigerator is small, you can use a hand trolley to move the unit. These trollies are padded so your commercial refrigerator won’t sustain scratches. Make sure to keep the refrigerator upright at all times when moving. A hand trolley may not be suitable for moving a commercial refrigerator to another floor or to a trailer outside the premises.

For bigger refrigerators and for moving the refrigerator any sort of distance more easily, you should use an electric trolley. You won’t have to use too much force if when there are stairs involved.

Use an electric trolley to lift and strap the refrigerator in an upright position. The straps have gaps so you can use more straps for extra safety. After mounting the refrigerator, attach wheels to the trolley and move the refrigerator smoothly.

Loading It Onto A Truck

In the same fashion, you can take your refrigerator to a pickup truck or trailer. If it has a ramp, you can use it easily to load it onto a truck. If not, move the trolley close to the back of the trailer, bend the refrigerator to the trailer, and climb on the back of the trailer. Tell other people on the ground to lift the refrigerator and you can keep moving it from the other end. When it’s on the bed of the trailer, move it to a corner in an upright position and strap it if you want.

After reaching the destination, remove the straps from the refrigerator and move it to the edge of the truck. One person will use a trolley to bear some weight of the appliance and other people should hold the appliance and lower it onto the trolley.

When you place the refrigerator on its spot in the location, don’t turn it off immediately. Let it settle for 24 hours and then plug in its power cord.

Conclusion

The reason for a commercial refrigerator not working after a move is transporting it flat on its sides and turning it on right away after the move. This damages the compressor of the appliance. If your commercial refrigerator is not working or cooling after moving, consult commercial refrigerator services Springfield for inspection.