A back bar cooler that freezes drinks is usually set too cold, has bottles or cans packed against the cold air outlet, or has a control or sensor that is no longer reading the cabinet correctly. Work through the setting and the loading first, because those two fix most cases without a service call.
Shop the equipment in this article: direct draw beer dispensers and reach-in refrigerators. Freight is included on every order.
How cold a back bar cooler is meant to run
Most back bar coolers are built to hold drinks just above freezing. The True back bar coolers we carry list a range of 33 F to 38 F on their product pages, and the Coldline CBB-48-T lists 33 F to 40 F with a digital control. Water freezes at 32 F, so a cooler set at the bottom of its range has very little margin. Drinks sitting in the coldest spot can drop below the cabinet average and start to slush, especially soda, sparkling water and lower alcohol beer.
If you are choosing a unit, compare the ranges on our commercial beer coolers before you buy, and plan to run the cooler a few degrees above its lowest setting. That is common practice in bars, not a code rule.
Check these first
- The setting. Look at the control and move it up a step or two. On a digital control, check whether someone changed the set point. Give the cooler a few hours to settle before you judge the result.
- The loading. Product pushed tight against the back wall or the evaporator fan sits in the coldest air. Leave a gap at the back and between stacks so air can move around the load.
- The fan. If the evaporator fan is blocked by a case or a bag of limes, cold air pools in one area. Clear it and listen for the fan running when the door is closed.
- The thermometer. Put a thermometer in a glass of water on a middle shelf and read it after a few hours. Built-in displays read the air at the sensor, which can differ from what the drinks are doing.
- The room. A cooler on a cold patio or next to an open door in winter can behave oddly. Refrigeration cools; it does not heat, so a cabinet in a cold room can drift below its set point.
Signs it is a part, not a setting
If the setting is right, the load has room and the fan runs, the problem may be the control itself. Common signs are a compressor that never stops, a display that reads normal while a water glass reads below 32 F, or a cabinet that keeps getting colder after you raise the setting. A loose or moved temperature sensor can do the same thing. These are jobs for a refrigeration technician or the manufacturer’s service line, especially while the unit is under warranty.
Coldline lists a 5 year compressor and 1 year parts and labor warranty on the CBB-48-T page, and True lists 7 years on parts, labor and compressor for its R290 units on the TBB24-48-2S page. Check the warranty terms on your own product page before anyone opens the cabinet.
Do not mix up coolers and frosters
A glass chiller and froster is meant to run cold enough to frost mugs. The True T-24-GC-HC page lists 0 F and below. Drinks stored in a froster will freeze, so keep beer and soda in the back bar cooler and only glassware in the froster.
Loading habits that prevent it
- Keep a finger width of space between product and the back wall.
- Rotate cases so the coldest corner does not always hold the same drinks for days.
- Do not block the front grille on a front breathing unit. The Coldline CBB-48-T is front breathing so it can sit under a counter, and it needs that grille clear.
- Set a weekly check of the water glass thermometer, and write the reading down.
- If staff turn the control down to cool a warm delivery faster, set it back once the load is cold.
What to buy
- A front breathing back bar cooler for an under-counter install, such as the Coldline CBB-48-T: 48.03 x 23.62 x 34.25 in., 13 cu. ft., 4 adjustable shelves and a digital control.
- A 24 in. deep back bar cooler with more shelving, such as the True TBB24-48-2S, which lists 11.65 cu. ft., 4 shelves and room for 76 six-packs of 12 oz cans.
- A separate glass froster if you serve frosted mugs, so drinks and glassware are not sharing one temperature.
- An appliance thermometer for each cooler, kept in a glass of water.
If a new cooler arrives and will not hold its range, contact us within the return window: 7 days for powered equipment. Freight to the 48 contiguous states is included in the price on every product page.