A reefer’s refrigeration unit is a marine-grade machine built to run for years, but like any compressor plant it eventually faults — and when it does, the useful question is rarely “can it be fixed?” but “is fixing it worth it?” This guide is for owners already running a unit: it sets out the symptoms you are most likely to meet, which faults are routine repairs and which are major jobs, how spare-parts availability differs by make, and the point at which a repair stops making financial sense. Every figure here is ex VAT, with UK VAT charged at 20%.
The symptoms you are most likely to meet
The commonest complaint is simple: the box will not hold its set point. Behind that sit several causes, from a low refrigerant charge to a dirty condenser coil to a tired compressor. Other signals are more specific — an alarm code flashing on the controller, a thick pad of ice on the evaporator, a condenser or evaporator fan that has stopped turning, a compressor that hums but will not start, water pooling under the doors, or a unit that trips its breaker the moment it is switched on. None of these tells you, on its own, whether you are facing a ten-minute part or a major job; that depends on what is behind the symptom.
Repair or replace: a quick map
| Symptom | Likely culprit | Usually |
|---|---|---|
| Won’t hold set point | low charge, blocked coil, tired compressor | Repair — recharge and leak fix, or coil clean; the compressor is the major exception |
| Ice on the evaporator | defrost heater, timer or sensor fault | Repair — consumable parts |
| A fan has stopped | condenser or evaporator fan motor | Repair — a stocked part on common makes |
| Alarm or error code | sensor, controller battery, or board | Repair a sensor cheaply; a controller board is a major repair |
| Compressor won’t start | contactor or relay — or the compressor itself | Repair the contactor; a seized compressor is a major job |
| Water pooling or leak | blocked drain, perished door seals | Repair — routine |
| Trips the breaker | electrical fault or failing motor | Investigate before running it again |
The routine repairs
Most reefer faults are consumable parts, cheap and quick against the value of the machine. Door seals and gaskets perish and let warm, humid air in; sensors and controller batteries drift or die; evaporator and condenser fan motors, defrost heaters and timers all wear; contactors and relays burn out; drains block and let water stand. A refrigerant leak, once found and sealed, is followed by a recharge. On a common make these are stocked parts an engineer can fit in a visit or two. The health check that catches most of them early is the same one buyers ask for: a PTI (Pre-Trip Inspection), which should be less than three months old to count.
The major repairs
A handful of jobs are big enough to change the arithmetic: replacing the compressor, replacing the controller or microprocessor board, or replacing a corroded evaporator or condenser coil. On a sound container with moderate running hours, any of these can still be worth doing — a used reefer has ten to fifteen years of service life in it, and one major repair buys back most of that. The picture changes on an old, high-hours unit, especially one showing coil corrosion or a leak that keeps returning: there, a major part is where the write-off question begins.
Make and spare parts
Which unit you own shapes how easily it is fixed. Carrier and Thermo King are the makes you meet most often on the UK used market; their large installed bases tend to make parts and engineers easier to find, and Thermo King is also serviced through its road-transport dealer network. Daikin and Star Cool turn up less often second-hand, so it is worth confirming local parts and a willing engineer before committing to a repair. This is not a ranking — all four are proven marine units — but on an older machine a part you can actually source beats the badge on the door.
When a repair no longer pays
The decision is arithmetic, not sentiment. Weigh the quoted repair against three things: what the unit is worth, what life is left in it, and what the alternatives cost. A used refrigerated container is observed at £4,500 to £7,500 ex VAT in the UK, against £18,995 to £22,500 ex VAT for a new one-trip unit — our prices page sets out the detail. When a major repair on a high-hours, older machine climbs toward a large share of a sound used replacement, replacing usually wins. A Grade A unit is generally under twelve years old, so an older one has less runway to justify a big spend; and older units may run on refrigerants now subject to phase-down rules, which can make a recharge dearer or harder to source — check what yours uses. If you need the container for less than eighteen to twenty-four months anyway, hiring — from around £12 a day ex VAT on longer terms, with a 90-day minimum common — often beats fixing an ageing box, and buying used replaces it outright.
Compare offers before you commit
EuroReefer is an editorial comparison site: we hold no stock and repair nothing ourselves. Whether you are pricing a replacement unit or a whole container, describe what you need — size, grade and target temperature — through our quote form, and we pass your request to specialist suppliers, who contact you directly if they can meet your requirement. For more background, our guides cover buying used, running costs and power supply.
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common reefer container breakdown symptoms?
The usual signs are a unit that will not hold its set point, an alarm code on the controller, a thick pad of ice on the evaporator, a fan that has stopped turning, or a compressor that hums but will not start. Water pooling under the doors and a tripped breaker are common too. Many trace back to consumable parts — seals, sensors, fans or a blocked drain — rather than the compressor.
Is it worth repairing a refrigerated container's fridge unit?
Often, yes. A used reefer sells for about £4,500 to £7,500 ex VAT in the UK and has ten to fifteen years of service life left, so a fan motor, sensor, defrost heater or door seal is usually worth fixing. It stops paying when a major part fails on an old, high-hours unit and the repair climbs toward the cost of a sound replacement.
Which reefer units are easiest to get spare parts for?
It depends where you are, but Carrier and Thermo King are the makes most often seen on the UK used market, with large installed bases that tend to make parts and engineers easier to find; Thermo King is also serviced through its road-transport dealer network. Daikin and Star Cool appear less often second-hand, so confirm local parts and a willing engineer first.
When should you replace rather than repair a reefer unit?
When the sums stop working. On an old, high-hours unit, corroded coils, a failed controller board or a leak that keeps returning can cost a large share of a replacement's value — and older machines may run on refrigerants now subject to phase-down rules, raising the price of a recharge. At that point, hiring or buying used often costs less than the fix.