By Commercial Service Company · September 12, 2026
When a reach-in quits or an ice machine stops making ice, the first question we hear is usually the same one: isn't that still under warranty? Sometimes it is. But "under warranty" almost never means "free." Knowing the difference before you pick up the phone is what keeps a warranty repair from turning into an invoice you weren't expecting.
There Are Usually Two Warranties, Not One
Most commercial equipment carries a manufacturer warranty on the parts themselves — the compressor, the control board, the valve. Separately, there may be a labor warranty, which covers the technician's time to diagnose the problem and install that part. The two often run for different lengths of time. It is common to see a multi-year compressor warranty paired with a much shorter labor period. Once the labor period ends, the compressor may still ship free, but the day of work to put it in does not.
There is a third one owners forget: the workmanship warranty from whoever installed the equipment. If a unit was piped, wired, drained, or vented wrong, that is an installation issue rather than a manufacturer defect — and the manufacturer will say so.
Parts-Only Is the Default
Assume parts-only until a document tells you otherwise. Even inside a labor period, these are commonly yours to pay: the trip or service call charge, freight on the replacement part, refrigerant, after-hours and weekend premiums, and diagnostic time when the failure turns out not to be covered. Read your paperwork for the words "parts only," "labor included," and the coverage start date. That start date is frequently the installation date rather than the purchase date, and on used or resold equipment it may be neither.
What Actually Voids Coverage
- Installation outside the manufacturer's specs. Wrong clearances, no drain, restricted airflow, bad ventilation, incorrect voltage or phase.
- Water quality. On anything that uses water — ice machines, steamers, combi ovens, dish machines — scale is the usual killer. If the required filtration was never installed, or the cartridges were never changed, scale damage reads as neglect, not defect.
- Missed maintenance with no records. Packed condenser coils, clogged filters, ice machines that were never cleaned. Manufacturers ask for proof of service, and no records is treated the same as no maintenance.
- Unauthorized repairs. A part swapped in by someone not authorized for that brand can end coverage on the entire unit.
- A missing or painted-over data plate. No model and serial number, no claim.
- Running equipment outside its rating. A cooler pushed down to freezing, a holding cabinet used to cook, or an indoor-rated unit sitting on a hot back dock.
Some of This Is Never a DIY Item
You can safely check the obvious: is it plugged in, is the breaker on, is the condenser coil choked with grease and dust, is the door gasket torn, is the water supply shut off. Stop there. Refrigerant work is licensed work. Gas connections, electrical troubleshooting, and compressor replacement belong to a licensed, qualified technician — for safety first, and because a do-it-yourself attempt is exactly what a manufacturer points to when it denies a claim.
How to File Without Eating the Trip Charge
- Pull the model and serial number off the data plate, and find the installation date and original invoice, before you call anyone.
- Contact the manufacturer's service line, or have your service company do it, and get a warranty authorization number first. Work performed without one is often denied after the fact.
- Ask three questions out loud: is labor covered, is the trip charge covered, is freight covered. Write down the answers and the name of the person who gave them.
- Confirm your service company is an authorized servicer for that brand. If they are not, the manufacturer may only reimburse a company that is, and you pay the difference.
- Describe the symptom accurately — what it is doing, when it started, what the temperatures actually read. Vague calls lead to second trips, and second trips are rarely covered.
- Keep every work order and cleaning record in one folder. The file you build today is what wins the next claim.
Where We Fit
We have serviced commercial refrigeration, HVAC, kitchen equipment, ice machines, electrical, and beverage systems for central Arkansas businesses since 1976. We will tell you straight whether a failure looks like a warranty claim or a wear item. If it is covered, we will help you chase it down. If it is not, you will know before we start rather than after.
Not sure what your coverage actually says? Call Commercial Service Company at 501-548-2374. We serve Conway, Little Rock, Benton, Bryant, Maumelle, Jacksonville, Searcy, Russellville, and the rest of central Arkansas.