Last updated: 2026-09-07
Commercial Refrigeration Oklahoma City installs and replaces walk-in coolers and freezers across the Oklahoma City metro for restaurants, bars, groceries, c-stores, schools, and food producers. An install is only as good as its sizing and its details, so the process starts with a load calculation for the box, the product, the door traffic, and OKC's summer ambient, then specifies a condensing unit and evaporator matched to that load, with electrical, drainage, and refrigerant piping done to code and the manufacturer's spec.
What we do on the first visit
For a replacement condensing unit, the technician measures the box, calculates the load, checks the existing evaporator and line set, and quotes a matched unit with start-up. For a full build, Commercial Refrigeration Oklahoma City reviews the floor plan, ceiling height, floor type, and electrical service, coordinates panel layout and door placement, and provides a written scope covering box, refrigeration, electrical connections, drainage, and the permit and health-inspection steps.
Sizing for Oklahoma City, not a catalog average
A walk-in load calculation accounts for wall and ceiling area and insulation, the temperature you need to hold, the product pull-down load, the number of people and door openings per hour, lights and fans inside, and the design ambient the condensing unit will see. An air-cooled condenser on an OKC roof in July sees 100 °F-plus, which meaningfully derates its capacity, so a unit sized for a mild climate will run non-stop and struggle on the worst days. Commercial Refrigeration Oklahoma City sizes for the local design condition and the real duty cycle, then selects an evaporator and metering device to match.
Remote vs self-contained condensing units
A self-contained top- or side-mount unit is simple and cheaper to install but dumps its condenser heat into the room and is noisier at the box. A remote condensing unit on the roof or an exterior pad keeps heat and noise out of the kitchen, is easier to service, and usually lasts longer, at the cost of a line set, a roof penetration, and more install labor. For most OKC restaurants and bars, remote is the better long-term choice; Commercial Refrigeration Oklahoma City will lay out both options with lifetime cost, not just install price.
Permits, code, and health inspection
A new or replacement walk-in in Oklahoma City generally involves a mechanical permit and, for the electrical work, an electrical permit, with inspection by the local jurisdiction, plus a plan review or sign-off from the health department for the food establishment. Drainage must be indirect with an air gap, the floor and coving must meet food-code requirements, and refrigerant piping and electrical must meet code and the equipment listing. Commercial Refrigeration Oklahoma City handles the mechanical permitting and coordinates the electrical and health steps so the box passes inspection the first time.
Insurance and payment
Full replacements are commonly financed; Commercial Refrigeration Oklahoma City can provide itemized equipment-and-labor quotes suitable for a lender or a landlord tenant-improvement allowance. If the replacement follows a covered equipment-breakdown failure, the diagnosis and condemnation report support the claim.
What's included
- On-site load calculation for box, product, door traffic, and OKC design ambient
- Condensing unit and evaporator selection matched to the calculated load and temperature
- Panel layout, door and closer selection, and interior fit for the space
- Refrigerant line-set sizing, brazing under nitrogen, deep vacuum, and charge by weight
- Code-compliant electrical connection coordination and disconnect placement
- Indirect drainage with air gap and food-code floor and coving detail
- Mechanical permit handling and coordination of electrical and health inspections
- Start-up, superheat/subcooling verification, controls setup, and an owner walkthrough
Symptoms we get called for
- An existing walk-in that fails repeatedly and is past economical repair
- A new kitchen, bar, c-store, or grocery buildout needing cold storage
- An undersized box that cannot recover after deliveries or rushes
- R-22 equipment you want to replace before the next major failure
- A condensing unit that needs replacing but a sound box
- A move or remodel that requires relocating refrigeration