Commercial Refrigeration in Gladstone
Cool rooms, freezer rooms, display cabinets and process refrigeration — installed, maintained and repaired by an ARC certified local team. Breakdowns are prioritised, because every hour offline is stock at risk.
Installation, maintenance and breakdowns — all covered.
From a single display cabinet through to a full cool room build and an ongoing maintenance contract, it's the same ARC certified team from first call to final commissioning.
Cool Rooms & Freezer Rooms
Full installation from panel assembly through to commissioning — plant sizing, doors and closers, drainage, and all associated electrical work handled in-house.
- New builds and replacements
- Plant sizing for the actual duty
- Power supply & isolation included
Breakdown Repairs
Not holding temperature, iced up, tripping out or failed entirely. We diagnose against the actual fault rather than swapping parts, and prioritise refrigeration above general service work.
- Priority response for stock at risk
- After-hours emergency call-outs
- Honest repair-vs-replace advice
Preventative Maintenance
Scheduled servicing that finds problems during a planned visit instead of during Friday trade. Contract clients get first call when something does go wrong.
- Six-monthly or quarterly schedules
- Written report every visit
- Priority breakdown response
Display Cabinets & Process Refrigeration
Retail display cabinets, under-bench and back-bar refrigeration, and process cooling for industrial sites where the equipment is part of the operation rather than storage for it.
- Supply, install and commission
- Servicing and temperature calibration
- Industrial and process applications
A refrigeration failure isn't a repair job. It's a countdown.
For a café, butcher, supermarket or pub, the cost of a breakdown isn't the call-out fee — it's the stock. A full cool room of product can be worth more than the equipment cooling it, and the clock starts the moment temperature begins to climb. That's why we order refrigeration ahead of general service work, and why maintenance-contract clients go to the front of the queue.
- Breakdowns are prioritisedRefrigeration call-outs are ordered ahead of routine work, and we take after-hours emergencies. Contract clients get first call.
- Electrical handled in-houseLicence 87731. Power supply, isolation and any switchboard capacity work is done by the same team — no waiting on a separate contractor mid-install.
- Specified for coastal and industrial conditionsSalt air and industrial dust foul condensers faster here. We factor that into plant selection, siting and service intervals.
- Straight repair-or-replace adviceWhen a repair approaches a meaningful share of replacement cost on ageing plant running an obsolete refrigerant, we'll say so rather than take the work.
Commercial refrigeration services in Gladstone, QLD
Davey Service & Maintenance QLD has installed, serviced and repaired commercial refrigeration across Central Queensland for almost 30 years. We work with hospitality venues, retailers, butchers, supermarkets and industrial sites throughout Gladstone, Calliope, Boyne Island, Tannum Sands, Biloela, Agnes Water and Rockhampton.
We hold ARC trading authorisation AU53529 for refrigerant handling and Queensland Electrical Contractor Licence 87731. Refrigeration work sits squarely across both — the plant needs certified refrigerant handling, and the power supply, isolation and controls need a licensed electrician. Most operators hold one and subcontract the other. We do both, which is why our installs don't stall halfway waiting on a second trade.
Who we work with in the Gladstone region
- Pubs, clubs and cafés — cool rooms, keg rooms, under-bench and back-bar refrigeration, ice machines and display fridges
- Butchers and food processors — cool rooms, freezer rooms, display cabinets and process cooling where temperature compliance is non-negotiable
- Supermarkets and retail — display cabinets, cold and freezer aisles, back-of-house cool rooms
- Restaurants and commercial kitchens — full kitchen refrigeration fit-outs and ongoing maintenance
- Industrial sites — process refrigeration and cold storage on scheduled maintenance contracts
Cool room and freezer room installation
A cool room is only as good as the sizing behind it. Undersized plant runs continuously and never quite recovers after a busy service; oversized plant short-cycles, wears the compressor and controls humidity poorly. We size against the actual duty — room volume, product load, how often the door opens, ambient conditions and whether product goes in warm.
A full installation covers panel assembly and sealing, refrigeration plant selection and installation, evaporator and condenser siting, door and closer fitting, drainage and defrost provisions, controls and temperature monitoring, plus all associated electrical work. Because the electrical is ours, the power supply and isolation are completed in the same visit rather than scheduled around another contractor's availability.
Why Gladstone refrigeration fails earlier than it should
The same two local factors that shorten air conditioning life apply to refrigeration, and they bite harder because the equipment runs continuously.
- Coastal salt air corrodes condenser coils and fins, particularly in Tannum Sands, Boyne Island and Agnes Water. A corroded condenser sheds capacity gradually, so the first sign is often a compressor working harder than it should rather than an obvious failure.
- Industrial dust loads condensers far faster than manufacturer service intervals assume. A condenser that should be cleaned annually often needs it at six months here, and a blocked condenser is the most common root cause behind "it's just not getting as cold as it used to."
Neither is exotic. Both are cheap to manage on a schedule and expensive to ignore until the compressor goes.
Preventative maintenance contracts
For any business where cold storage is critical, a maintenance contract is the difference between a planned visit and a Friday-night emergency. A scheduled service covers condenser and evaporator coil cleaning, refrigerant charge and pressure testing, door seal and closer inspection, defrost cycle verification, temperature calibration and logging, electrical connection and contactor checks, and a written report flagging anything trending toward failure.
We recommend six-monthly servicing for most Gladstone commercial refrigeration, and quarterly for high-duty applications — busy kitchens, butchers, and any plant within a few kilometres of the coast. Contract clients also receive priority breakdown response, which in practice is the part that matters most.
Running without a maintenance schedule? Most breakdowns we attend were preventable and visible months earlier — a fouled condenser, a perished door seal, a defrost cycle that stopped working. Call 07 4973 8067 and we'll assess what you've got and what it needs.
Common faults and what they usually mean
- Not holding temperature — fouled condenser, failing door seals, low refrigerant from a leak, or an iced evaporator from a failed defrost cycle
- Iced-up evaporator — defrost cycle or heater failure, restricted airflow, or a door left open long enough to load the coil with moisture
- Running constantly, never cycling — undersized plant, fouled condenser, or a refrigerant charge issue
- Water on the floor — blocked or incorrectly fallen condensate drain, or ice melt from a defrost fault
- Tripping out — failing compressor or contactor, or a supply issue that needs the electrical side investigated
Door seals and condenser cleanliness are worth checking yourself before calling. Anything involving refrigerant legally requires an ARC certified technician.
Commercial refrigeration FAQs
How quickly can you attend a refrigeration breakdown?
Refrigeration breakdowns are prioritised above general service work because of the stock loss involved. Clients on a preventative maintenance contract get first call — that's the main practical reason we recommend one for any business where cold storage is critical.
We also take after-hours emergency call-outs for refrigeration failures. Call 07 4973 8067 and tell us it's a breakdown.
How often should commercial refrigeration be serviced?
Every six months for most Gladstone commercial refrigeration, and quarterly for high-duty applications — busy kitchens, butchers, and any equipment within a few kilometres of the coast.
Salt air and industrial dust foul condenser coils faster here than manufacturer intervals assume, and a fouled coil is the single most common cause of gradual efficiency loss and eventual compressor failure.
What does a preventative maintenance contract cover?
A scheduled visit covering condenser and evaporator coil cleaning, refrigerant charge and pressure testing, door seal and closer inspection, defrost cycle verification, temperature calibration and logging, electrical connection and contactor checks, and a written report on anything trending toward failure.
Contract clients also receive priority breakdown response.
Do you install cool rooms and freezer rooms from scratch?
Yes — full installation including panel assembly, refrigeration plant sizing and installation, door and closer fitting, drainage, and all associated electrical work. Because we hold Electrical Contractor Licence 87731 in-house, the power supply and isolation work is completed by the same team rather than subcontracted.
My cool room is running but not holding temperature. What's wrong?
The most common causes are a fouled or blocked condenser coil, failing door seals letting warm humid air in, low refrigerant charge from a leak, an iced-up evaporator from a failed defrost cycle, or a failing compressor or contactor.
Door seals and coil cleanliness are worth checking yourself first. Anything involving refrigerant legally requires an ARC certified technician.
Do you work on industrial and process refrigeration?
Yes. Alongside hospitality and retail refrigeration we work on industrial and process refrigeration across the Gladstone region, including scheduled maintenance contracts for sites where cold storage or process cooling is business-critical.
Protect the stock before you need to replace it.
Free assessments and written quotes on refrigeration installation, repairs and maintenance contracts across the Gladstone region.
Monday–Friday, 7:00am–5:00pm · After-hours emergency call-outs available